How to hire a clerical worker

How to hire a clerical worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clerical worker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a clerical worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new clerical worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a clerical worker, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect clerical worker also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of clerical workers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Clerical Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Clerical Worker	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$11-18
   Typist	A typist is responsible for typing all of a company's documents and materials, including reports, policies, and correspondence. A typist may also be known as a word processor or copy clerk... Show more	$10-23
   Receptionist Secretary	A receptionist secretary is responsible for providing the best customer service, as well as attending to the needs of existing and potential clients. Duties of a receptionist secretary include managing customer's inquiries and forwarding important calls to the appropriate department, performing administrative and clerical tasks, escalating high-level of client's concerns to the management, keeping the reception area clean, monitoring office supplies and request stocks as needed, and maintaining an organized record of meetings and events... Show more	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • Scheduling Appointments
   • Customer Service
   • Telephone Calls
   • Database Systems
   • Front Desk
   • Office Equipment
   • Word Processing
   • Payroll
   • Computer System
   • PowerPoint
   • Office Machines
   • Fax Machines
   • Clerical Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage filing, photocopying, collating, and faxing public and seal case documents.
   • Handle customers at the front windows
   • Schedule contracts of windows sell with installers.
   • Prepare court subpoenas and criminal dockets for court.
   • Update files by using QuickBooks and answer the telephone and take brief messages.
   • Type, format, proofread, and edit correspondence and other documents, using computers or typewriters.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your clerical worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A clerical worker salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, clerical workers' average salary in alabama is 39% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level clerical workers earn 38% less than senior-level clerical workers.
   • Certifications. A clerical worker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a clerical worker's salary.

   Average clerical worker salary

   $15.09hourly

   $31,390 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level clerical worker salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 30, 2026

4. Writing a clerical worker job description

   A job description for a clerical worker role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a clerical worker job description:

   Clerical worker job description example

   Front Office/Receptionist
   
   Job Description/Summary
   
   PRIMARY FUNCTION
   
   The Receptionist is a non-licensed worker who has completed an on-the-job training program. The primary function of the Receptionist is to perform office-related duties.
   
   RESPONSIBLE FOR
   
   Performing general clerical duties as well as daily patient charges and assisting with maintaining the efficient operation of the facility.
   
   SPECIAL DEMANDS
   
   Must be able to accept responsibility and respect authority. Must demonstrate good judgement and common sense. Willingness to work under pressure. Must be able to accept constructive criticism. Must be able to hold in confidence medical records of all patients. Must be able to work with individuals of all ages.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS
   
   EDUCATION: Must have completed the twelfth grade level of school.
   
   EXPERIENCE: Background of secretary/receptionist work.
   
   PRIMARY DUTIES
   
   * Coordinates and schedules patients' appointments.
   * Maintains all aspects of patient medical records, including scheduling 30-day re-evaluations and re-certifications for Medicare
   * Records daily patient charges and assists with deposit.
   * Tracking and collection of patient's deductibles and copayments.
   * Performs general receptionist/secretarial duties such as answering phone, phone messages, filing, etc.
   * Processes all dictation, copies and forwards to referring doctor to include Medicare recerts.
   * Any other duties as assigned by the Office Manager/ Clinical Director.
   
   RECEPTIONIST DUTIES
   
   * ANSWERING PHONE: Answer phone before third ring using a pleasant voice state
   
   "Good Morning/Afternoon, company name and who is speaking". If the person calling is trying to reach someone who is not available, always offer to take a message.
   * NEW PATIENT: When new patients call to schedule appointments they should be given an appointment within 24-48 hours, if possible. Obtain patient's name, phone number, diagnosis, referring doctor, frequency and duration as stated on prescription and insurance information. Use new patient referral sheets to log this information. Call insurance company for verification of insurance, percentage of coverage for rehab services, deductible information and if this has been met and precert rehab services if required. If patient is workman's comp, then prior authorization for frequency and duration must be done prior to patient's first appointment. Fill out workman's comp authorization form, be sure and obtain a (employer's name, file or claim number, address) mail claims and length of authorization. Pre-cert workman's comp if indicated by adjuster and log precert information on bottom of workman's comp authorization form so future authorization will be easily noted to precert.
   * CHECKING IN PATIENTS: Greet patients upon arrival and provide them with a sign in sheet. Always use patient's name when addressing them, if possible. Provide new patients with patient information sheet and either financial or workman's comp information sheet. Obtain rehab prescription and copy of insurance cards. Make patient's chart according to instructions in PATIENT CHARTS. Make up charge ticket for therapist inputting patient's name, date and therapist initials. Notify appropriate office personnel that patient is ready to be brought back for treatment.
   * CHECKING OUT PATIENTS: have designated office personnel discuss patient's account, insurance coverage and inform them of their ESTIMATED portion of their bill. Set up payment schedule and have patient sign appropriate promissory note if applicable. Collect patient's co-payment daily. Schedule patient for next appointment.
   * SCHEDULING PATIENTS: Schedule patients on a weekly/daily basis for their appointment times, trying to accommodate work schedules when necessary. Inform patient if they require specific appointment times to schedule their appointments early for the coming week. When scheduling patient for the next weeks appointments, ask if they have a return appointment with their physician and write 'Letter to Doctor" above their name on appointment book prior to M.D. visit

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find clerical workers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any clerical workers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level clerical workers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your clerical worker job on Zippia to find and recruit clerical worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit clerical workers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new clerical worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect clerical worker candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new clerical worker first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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