Payroll Clerk Interview Questions & Answers

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Payroll Clerks are responsible for all tasks relating to payroll processing as well as a variety of routine clerical tasks in support of the business office such as collecting employees' timesheets and payroll data, calculating wages, issuing statements, detailing earnings, and preparing paychecks.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Payroll Clerk or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Payroll Clerk position, these Payroll Clerk interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Payroll Clerk Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Payroll Clerk interview questions.

1. Can you tell me about your experience with using computerized payroll systems?
2. Have you ever been in charge of setting up new employee payroll? If so, what were your specific responsibilities?
3. Which payroll software programs have you used in the past?
4. Do you have more experience processing direct deposits or writing out checks for employee payroll?
5. How often do you perform payroll checks to ensure accuracy?
6. How would you handle a situation with an employee who is upset because payroll made a withholding error?
7. What do you think is the most valuable skill to have as a payroll clerk?
8. As a payroll clerk, what would you do if you discovered a mistake on a coworker’s year-end report?
9. Why do you want to work as a payroll clerk at our company?
10. How well do you understand tax laws and their impact on payroll?
11. Can you explain to me what the term “gross payment” means? How does it relate to tax deductions?
12. What would you do if you noticed an error in an employee’s paycheck before they picked it up?
13. What’s the largest volume of employee accounts you’ve been in charge of during your time as a payroll clerk?
14. Provide an example of a time when you had to provide guidance and support to an employee who was having difficulty understanding their payroll information.
15. In your opinion, would you describe your roles as a payroll clerk as being more accounting related, human resources related or more?
16. How would you describe the relationship between payroll clerks and human resources professionals?
17. What is the difference between a W-2 and a W-4?
18. Are you familiar with the various payroll tax laws in your state and the federal government?
19. An employee forgets to hand in their timesheet before the deadline. What do you do?
20. In your opinion, what’s the best payroll schedule for part-time employees versus full-time employees?
21. You notice that an employee’s weekly hours surpassed the 40-hour limit. What do you do?
22. As a payroll clerk, you’ll have access to employee bank records and address information. How do you plan to maintain confidentiality with employee information?
23. There is a bug in the payroll software that prevents you from collecting all the necessary information from employees. What do you do?
24. What does CTC stand for and what items are involved in it?
25. Do you have experience preparing payroll tax reports?

Payroll Clerk Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Payroll Clerk interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

1. Why Do You Want This Job?
2. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
3. What is Your Greatest Strength?
4. What is Your Salary Expectation?
5. Tell Me About Yourself
6. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
7. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
9. What is Your Greatest Weakness?
10. Why Should We Hire You?

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