- Salesforce Careers
Although the prospect of searching and interviewing for a Salesforce Administrator job is exciting, it can also be nerve-racking if you’re not prepared. Crafting a Salesforce resume that gets noticed and lands you an interview is only half the battle. Once you are meeting face to face with your potential future employer, you’ll need to stand out from the rest of the candidates to be offered the position. Fortunately, you don’t need to head into your interview blind. Preparation is the key to showcasing your skills, talent, and personality. By previewing some of the most common Salesforce Administrator interview questions you can showcase your technical knowledge and practice your delivery skills.
Here is a sampling of some of the most common Salesforce interview questions asked of administrator candidates, and some guidance on how to deliver an excellent answer.
Salesforce Administrator Interview Question Categories
At your interview, you can expect to get a mixture of questions from your potential employer that fall into one of four categories:
- Salesforce Knowledge
- Technical and Software Knowledge
- Practical Experience
- Company Culture
Remember, not every organization will have the same expectations of every role, so use these categories and questions as a guideline. Be comfortable discussing each of the topics in broad terms, as well as providing specific examples of your skills and expertise related to each.
If you realize that you need to brush up on your knowledge base, take the time to refamiliarize yourself with Salesforce via the appropriate Trailheads before it’s your time to shine.
Here is a breakdown of some of the specific questions you can expect in each of the categories.
Salesforce Knowledge
Often, the person conducting your interview won’t be a Salesforce expert. That’s why they need you to fill a Salesforce Administrator vacancy. However, they will likely ask a variety of questions that will confirm that you are familiar with data administration, CRM, and have the knowledge base to perform the essential job functions of a Salesforce Administrator.
Expect questions like:
- What is the Cloud?
- Why would someone use Cloud computing? What are some disadvantages of the technology?
- Define CRM?
- Who are some of the main companies who offer CRM services?
- Can you define and describe the key differences between PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS?
- Do you have experience working with Salesforce products? Which ones?
Technical and Software Knowledge
In a Salesforce Administrator interview, you may also be asked more specific questions to understand your competency with the platform. If you find that you don’t know the answer to any of these questions, take the steps now to close those knowledge gaps.
You can pursue a Salesforce certification or a complete Trailheads to ensure that you are a subject matter expert before your interview.
- Can you define a Role and a Profile and how they work in Salesforce?
- Do you have any Salesforce certifications? If so, which ones. If not, why not?
- What is an object? Can you give us some specific examples?
- What is the process for removing, adding, or freezing a Salesforce user?
- What are the main report types in Salesforce?
- How do you create a report?
- Is it possible to share a Salesforce record? How?
- Describe the difference between sharing and permission rules? How might you use these in an organization?
- What is a Workflow and why is it important?
Practical Experience
Whether you’re applying for Salesforce entry-level jobs or are pursuing a more advanced role with an organization, they are going to want to know about your practical experience.
Your answers to these questions will give them a glimpse into how you handle challenges, think through problems, and overcome obstacles. Don’t stress if you don’t have Salesforce-specific answers. Instead, answer honestly and give specific examples from your past experience and then address how you might approach the solution differently in a Salesforce ecosystem.
- Have you ever worked with a limited budget? How did you allocate your resources effectively?
- Tell me about a time you experienced a technical issue. How did you resolve it?
- Have you ever managed a team?
- Do you have experience training someone to use Salesforce?
- Describe how you fit in a team. Do you usually take a leadership role? A collaborative one?
You can better prepare for the types of questions you’ll be asked in this category by becoming very familiar with the job posting, responsibilities, and description. This will give you insight into the problems and opportunities the company expects you to face in this role, and the chance to tailor your answers specifically to their needs.
Another practical aspect for which to prepare is that your interviewer may ask you to demonstrate your skills during the interview.
It’s a common practice for Salesforce Administrator candidates to be asked to code or resolve a technical issue as part of a timed test, and to explain your actions and thought process as you work.
These types of tests are not only an efficient way to demonstrate your technical competency, but it also gives your interviewer a glimpse into how you work under pressure, communicate with a team and superior, and reach your goal.
Company Culture
Although the questions in this section won’t necessarily gauge your Salesforce expertise, for some employers, your answers here are just as important.
Expect your interviewer to probe into who you are as a professional, how you work as part of a team, and why you’re interested in the position during your time together. This will help them determine if you are a fit for the culture of the organization and will be a positive addition to their workforce.
Questions in this category might include:
- What are your five-year goals professionally?
- Why did you decide to become a Salesforce Administrator?
- What are your favorite Salesforce resources?
- How do you approach your daily time management?
- Have you heard of Salesforce’s Ohana? What can you tell me about it? How might you exemplify Ohana in this role?
Sometimes, organizations hire based on a personality match for the position and don’t spend as much time focusing on a skill set. They believe that they can train a candidate to learn the skills to perform the functions of a position if they find the right match for their team.
To land your dream job, try to exhibit both sides of the coin. A combination of technical and practical knowledge with the right personality and culture fit will make you a top candidate for the position.
Remember, it’s all about how you present yourself in the interview. The keys to showcasing your skills are practice and preparation, so make sure to review these Salesforce Admin interview questions ahead of time to make a great impression.“
Ready to find a Salesforce administrator opportunity? Search our Salesforce CRM jobs here.