What a data entry clerk does
A data entry clerk enters, updates and verifies information in your business systems. Depending on the employer, that could mean customer records, sales orders, inventory counts, invoices, insurance forms, survey results or patient information. The work also includes checking source documents for errors, correcting discrepancies, running simple reports and keeping files organized. It sounds routine, but the data these clerks handle often feeds billing, shipping, payroll and decisions made by managers.
Errors in data entry tend to stay hidden until they cost money: a wrong price, a duplicate payment or a shipment sent to the wrong address. That is why accuracy matters more than raw speed. Finch looks for candidates who stay consistent over long stretches of detailed work, who notice when something looks wrong and who handle confidential information responsibly. We also check experience with the systems and file types your business uses.
Typical responsibilities
- Enter and update records in databases, spreadsheets, ERP or CRM systems
- Check source documents for missing or inconsistent information
- Correct errors and flag discrepancies to the right person
- Scan, index and file documents
- Run basic reports and exports for managers
Qualifications and credentials
- A high school diploma; office administration courses can be an asset
- Accurate, consistent typing and number-pad skills
- Comfort with Excel and with database or ERP software
- Previous data entry or clerical experience, ideally with similar records
- Ability to keep personal or financial information confidential
Who hires a data entry clerk
- Distribution, logistics and wholesale companies
- Insurance brokerages and financial services offices
- Manufacturers and e-commerce businesses
- Health clinics and research organizations
Where we recruit data entry clerk candidates
We fill data entry clerk roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Accuracy on a sample task that mirrors your actual data
- Consistency and focus over repetitive, detailed work
- Experience with the software or file types your team uses
- References that speak to reliability and attention to detail
Interview questions to ask
- How do you check your own work when you are entering a large batch of records?
- What do you do when a source document is missing information or contradicts the system?
- Which databases or ERP systems have you used, and what did you enter in them?