Data Entry Clerk: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a data entry clerk?

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your bottom line. A great data entry clerk hire can help your business:

• Review and fact-check all inbound and outbound information and datasets for accuracy
• Index and file data
• Review all information as it relates to the outbound necessity

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance data entry clerk

Data entry clerks are hired as both full-time and freelance workers depending on a company’s needs. If you’ve got a specific project that requires data entry, such as switching hard copy documents to digital files, hiring a freelance data entry clerk is a good idea, as they can join your team temporarily until the work is complete. 

If you run a retail business where customers place phone orders or you manage a busy doctor’s office where patient data is consistently entered into digital files, you might consider a full-time clerk. This will help you avoid overflow work and ensure all tasks are completed in a timely fashion on a regular basis. 

What are the types of data entry clerks?

Data entry is utilized in many industries, especially in today’s digital world. From inputting retail orders to making travel reservations, there are plenty of data entry clerk opportunities for interested workers. The list below provides information on some common types of data entry clerks. 

• Retail data entry clerk: Retail data entry clerks work for online retailers. They assist customers with placing orders for merchandise such as clothing, electronics, office equipment and home furnishings. They enter data such as names, delivery addresses and payment information into online order forms. 
• Health care data entry clerk: Health care data entry clerks work in medical offices, medical labs and hospitals. Data entry tasks and duties include entering patient information such as personal data and lab results into databases. Health care data entry clerks also update insurance information. 
• Financial data entry clerk: Financial data entry clerks work in financial settings such as banks, lending agencies and credit card companies. They enter financial data into databases, prepare financial invoices and process digital payments. 

Where to find data entry clerks

To find the right data entry clerk for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Hire from within. If your office employs general clerks or interns, consider offering them a promotion. Hiring from within is beneficial to employers as current employees are already familiar with the work environment. 
• Post your job on your business social media page. Many businesses post help wanted ads on their social media pages, as it’s an easy way to attract multiple applicants in a short period of time. Applicants can also send resumes via direct message on social media. 
• Post flyers in common areas. Does your business reside in a busy office building? If so, posting flyers on bulletin boards in common areas is a good way to recruit local candidates. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your data entry clerk job on Indeed to find and attract quality data entry clerk candidates. 

Skills to look for in a great Data Entry Clerk

A great Data Entry Clerk candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Bachelor’s degree in related industry
• Quick and accurate with key entry systems (10 key, keyboard, etc.)
• Some mathematical skills may be required
• Strong attention to detail
• Ability to type for long periods of time
• Maintain confidence in sensitive matters

Writing a data entry clerk job description

A thoughtful description is important in finding qualified data entry clerk candidates. A data entry clerk job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your data entry clerk job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting . These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on data entry clerk jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Data entry
• Data entry clerk
• Clerical
• Work at home data entry
• Remote work from home
• Remote data entry
• Administrative
• Front desk
• Data entry work from home
• Work from home data entry

Interviewing data entry candidates

Strong candidates for data entry clerk positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Experience in bookkeeping or relevant data management
• Their speed and accuracy with data entry tools
• Their experience with data entry platforms and spreadsheets

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of data entry clerk interview questions for examples (with sample answers).