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EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Category: Administrative Reports To:

Job Description/Responsibilities This position performs secretarial support work of a complex nature for the CEO, President, or other high-level executive. Among major duties are taking and transcribing minutes of Board of Directors meetings, including after-hours meetings; typing letters, memoranda, reports, etc., from dictated, handwritten, and other sources; and assisting in preparing agenda and related material for key management meetings. The executive secretary supervises and coordinates work of other secretaries and performs other related duties as required and assigned by the executive.

Qualifications/Skills Youll need the ability to perform secretarial and clerical duties with speed and accuracy without immediate supervision; and you must have knowledge of modern office methods and procedures, and experience with word processing programs. Strong oral and written communication skills are necessary, as well as the ability to maintain a good working relationship with co-workers and to exercise sound judgment in recognizing scope of authority. Crucial: Position involves a high degree of confidentiality. Youll be typing and preparing for distribution confidential statistical and financial reports.

Education/Background Youll need at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Additional academic credentials preferred. Plus we require five years of experience in the performance of responsible secretarial/stenographic and clerical work.

Please send [rsum and salary history/requirements] to:

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Job Description

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Category: Administrative Reports To:

Job Description Performs secretarial support work of a complex nature for the CEO, President, or other highlevel executive. Takes and transcribes minutes of Board of Directors meetings, including afterhours meetings. Types letters, memoranda, reports, etc., from dictated, handwritten, and other sources, and assists in preparing agenda and related material for key management meetings. Supervises and coordinates work of other secretaries and performs other related duties as required and assigned by the executive. Position involves a high degree of confidentiality.

Qualifications Five years of experience in the performance of responsible secretarial/stenographic and clerical work is required. Must have ability to perform secretarial and clerical duties with speed and accuracy without immediate supervision. Must have knowledge of modern office methods and procedures, and experience with word processing programs. Strong oral and written communication skills are necessary, as well as the ability to maintain a good working relationship with co-workers and to exercise sound judgment in recognizing scope of authority. At least a high school diploma or equivalent is required; additional academic credentials preferred.

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Duties
Percentage of Job Exemption Duty Classification

% % % % % % %

Non-Exempt Exempt Non-Exempt Non-Exempt Non-Exempt

Administers the executives personal schedule of appointments and meetings. Acts as a liaison between departmental managers and the executive. Screens telephone calls and replies daily to all incoming correspondence, including e-mail, maintaining necessary files. Types executives dictation and confidential information as required. Types and prepares for distribution confidential statistical and financial reports.

Exemption Analysis The Administrative (541.200) exemption is a possibility, but it rarely applies to this occupation. The Essential Duty reflected as Exempt has been given the exempt code because the duties possibly could qualify as exempt administrative activity, but they may actually be non-exempt. A careful review of the facts is necessary if exemption is to be considered. Some of the Essential Duties may involve exempt and non-exempt activity. If the duties are directly related to management or general business operations and include the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance, they may be treated as Administrative activity. For example in the first Essential Duty if the employee is consistently making determinations as to which appointments and meetings must be handled by the superior, at least a portion of those duties would be exempt activity. Likewise, a portion of the Essential Duty that begins Screens telephone calls is possibly exempt 541.200 activity. Supporting an exemption classification will be quite difficult and complex. In the ordinary case, this position should be treated as not exempt. See 541.200, 541.201, 541.202, 541.203, and 541.700.

Category Decision The duties and responsibilities for this position have been analyzed.

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Manager: On that basis, this position has been judged to be

Date: Exempt Non-Exempt.

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FLSA Regulations For Classifying This Job a. Sec. 541.200 General rule for administrative employees. (a) The term employee employed in a bona fide administrative capacity in section 13(a)(1) of the Act shall mean any employee: (1) Compensated on a salary or fee basis at a rate of not less than $455 per week (or $380 per week, if employed in American Samoa by employers other than the Federal Government), exclusive of board, lodging or other facilities; (2) Whose primary duty is the performance of office or non-manual work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employers customers; and (3) Whose primary duty includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance. (b) The term salary basis is defined at Sec. 541.602; fee basis is defined at Sec. 541.605; board, lodging or other facilities is defined at Sec. 541.606; and primary duty is defined at Sec. 541.700.

b. Sec. 541.201 Directly related to management or general business operations. (a) To qualify for the administrative exemption, an employees primary duty must be the performance of work directly related to the management or general business operations of the employer or the employers customers. The phrase directly related to the management or general business operations refers to the type of work performed by the employee. To meet this requirement, an employee must perform work directly related to assisting with the running or servicing of the business, as distinguished, for example, from working on a manufacturing production line or selling a product in a retail or service establishment.

You will get the rest of the regulations and advice needed for classifying this job when you purchase this job description.
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Interview Questions

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Category: Administrative Reports To:

What are the critical skills that you feel an executive secretary should possess? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

On a scale of one to 10, rate yourself in these critical skills. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

How would your current employer rate your human relations skills in dealing with top managers, peers, and subordinates? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

A good executive secretary must be able to anticipate problems so that snags are avoided and deadlines are met. What techniques do you use to anticipate potential problems before they turn into emergencies? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

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The job you are applying for is fast-paced with time constraints and deadline pressures. Give me examples of how and why you think you could flourish in such an environment. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

While your boss is out of town, another manager approaches you for information that is considered confidential. How would you handle such a situation? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

An executive secretary must be able to handle stress. Tell me about a time when you had to defuse a potentially explosive situation. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

An executive secretary in this company must be able to demonstrate independent initiative. Give me an example of a situation in which you demonstrated this quality. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

Suppose you could make one constructive suggestion to management about improving the effectiveness of your position. What would it be? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

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An executive secretary needs the adaptability to take different types of direction from executives. Give me some examples of how youve reacted to varying management direction styles. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

What techniques do you use to stay organized and manage your time well? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

What would your current supervisors say makes you most valuable to them? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

How do you set priorities when more than one manager makes demands on your time? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

Tell me about a time you had to turn down a managers request. What was the result? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

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Additional Questions ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 2 3 4 5

Overall Impression ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Average Rating 1 2 3 4 5

Your Recommendation Hire Do Not Hire Second Interview Need More Information

________________________________________________ Print Name ________________________________________________ Signature ________________________________________________ Date

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LIBRARY OF SKILL-BASED QUESTIONS

Adaptability Youve probably had this experience: You worked hard on something, only to be told to change priorities and do it some other way. How did you handle that? Which supervisors have you found easiest to work with? Most difficult? Why? What kinds of problems have you had in switching from one job to another? How do you handle breaks in routine, interruptions, and last-minute changes? Analysis Describe a project or idea you originated in the last year. How did you know it was a good idea? What do you do to keep informed about possible work-related problems? Have you ever recognized a problem or opportunity before anyone else? What happened? Attention To Detail Have you ever had an experience in which you were glad you had paid attention to some particular detail? Please describe it. Have you ever found an error in your own work? How did it happen? What did you do about it?

You will get over 200 additional skill-based questions when you purchase this job description.
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APPLICANT COMPARISON FORM Date: Position: Once you have completed the interview process, transfer the notes and rating tallies you completed to the chart below. Candidates Names Average Rating Recommendation
Hire Do Not Hire

Evaluator:

Overall Impression

1.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

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2.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

3.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

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Candidates Names

Average Rating

Recommendation
Hire Do Not Hire

Overall Impression

4.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

5.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

6.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

7.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

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Candidates Names

Average Rating

Recommendation
Hire Do Not Hire

Overall Impression

8.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

9.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information

Hire Do Not Hire

10.

3 4 5

Second Interview

Need More Information Comments:

Evaluators Signature:

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QUESTIONS NOT TO ASK TO AVOID LEGAL PROBLEMS

Play it safe, and avoid asking the questions below which have been known to raise discriminatory eyebrows during your hiring interviews. While the question itself may not be illegal, using the response to make a hiring decision could be. For example, you may think that small talk about an applicants kids is merely polite. But if a no-hire decision comes down, a female applicant might suspect ulterior motives in the question and claim sex discrimination under Title VII. The same could occur if you ask about health conditions and the answers bump up against the Americans with Disabilities Act. Health Do you have any medical problems (disabilities, etc.)? Have you ever been turned down for a job because of a physical reason? When was your last physical? Do you have AIDS or any other infectious diseases? Have you ever taken AZT? What medications are you currently taking? What conditions or diseases have you been treated for in the past three years? Have you ever been hospitalized? For what condition? Do you have any handicaps, medical problems, impairments, or physical disabilities, which preclude you from performing certain kinds of work? Please describe such disabilities and specific work limitations. How did you become disabled? How often will you require leave for treatment of your disability?

You will get an additional 40 questions you should not ask in order to avoid legal problems when you purchase this job description.
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