The interview questions given in this article will help you in the selection of the most suitable candidate for Maintenance Supervisor job.

What is the role of a Maintenance Supervisor?

A Maintenance Supervisor makes sure that all facilities within any built environment are updated, repaired and maintained regularly. He is also responsible for managing and controlling the maintenance staff comprising of employees from a variety of fields (mainly mechanical, electrical and plumbing). A good Maintenance Supervisor should have climbed up through the stages of technician, helper, and tradesperson so as to know the problems faced by all members of his team. As per academic credentials, having a Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree in a related field may prove beneficial in the job but experienced persons should be preferred especially if they know the usage of building maintenance software. The requirements of this job vary greatly in various scenarios. For example, if you are hiring a person for maintaining an energy plant, he should possess a graduate Degree in an energy-related field along with the certification of maintenance management. Or if you are looking for someone to maintain a small building then even a Diploma holder certified supervisor may serve the purpose. As this job includes supervision of other people so good leadership and communication abilities are essential for the right person along with the right technical knowledge. A good Maintenance Supervisor should also have problem-solving abilities, special attention to health and safety regulations, and a keen eye for details. The following questions will help you look at aforementioned qualifications and skills in the candidates.

Operational and Situational questions

• How do you allocate work to your subordinates?
• If a repair exceeds the budget allocated to a specific machine then what will you do in such a case?
• Your manager asks you to develop a training program for your subordinates. How will you do this and what aspects will you consider in the program?
• How do you make sure that your team has completely understood your orders and instructions?
• In case a machine develops some fault, will you prefer to repair it or replace it? How will you decide?
• How do you ensure the safety of your workers working with heavy machinery?

Role-specific questions

• Can you tell me what are the three types of maintenance? Have you ever carried out preventive maintenance?
• Which software do you use to store and maintain the important maintenance data?
• What is your experience with MEP maintenance works?
• What is the best part of your job?
• Can you describe your maintenance duties in your previous job?
• Do you know about ISO 14001?

Behavioral questions

• How do you hire technicians and other staff for maintenance works? How do you manage them?
• Have you ever identified and fixed a problem before it became evident?
• Did you ever go against the orders of your superiors due to the need of the hour? Was your decision right?
• Have you ever failed to lead your team successfully? What were the reasons for the failure and how did you react?
• How patient are you with your team on a scale of 1 to 10?