1. Tell us what do you know about our facility?
A good hiring manager will always want to know that you are keen on the role and that you have taken time to research the organization, or facility, prior to your interview. Display to the interviewer that you have committed to researching their facility prior to your interview.
2. Why did you leave your last job as Facilities Manager?
This is one of the most commonly asked interview questions, so you'll need to be able to talk about why you left your last job. When asking this question the interviewer is most likely looking for if you left for a good reason if you left voluntarily, and if you left on good terms.
3. Explain me what skills set do you offer in the role of a facilities manager?
I am a well-organized individual, who knows exactly how to develop, implement and manage quality programs that support the sustainability and continuous improvement in the management and operations of assigned buildings. In addition to this, I am well-versed in managing established company benchmarks, such as customer satisfaction and utility consumption.
4. Can you explain me what do you know about our company?
This goes back to researching the company before you have the interview. This also ties directly into the position itself because as Facilities Manager, you are expected to be a leader in the organization. To do your job properly, you must be familiar with every part of the facility you work for and the healthcare industry at large. When researching the hospital, go beyond the mission statement and look for information that you can relate to your passions and experience.
5. Tell me why did you choose a career in maintenance?
The interviewer would like to know what led you to a career in maintenance. How did you arrive on this career path? Talk to the interviewer about why you chose this career and briefly discuss what keeps you engaged.
6. Tell me what is the biggest challenge that you have had to face in your career?
I was once assigned a building which was literally in tatters, but the owner still wanted it to be operational for his workers. After much convincing through reports and physical inspections, I was able to persuade him that the building was uninhabitable until a thorough renovation could be performed on it. I believe that this was the biggest challenge that I have come across, because if I hadn't been able to convince him, it meant harming the people who would eventually work there.
7. Why do you want this job as Facilities Manager?
Companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job they are applying for. With that, you should have a good answer as to why you want the job. Hospitals rely on Facilities Managers to keep the workplace safe and functioning, and to solve any problems that inevitably come up to maintain safety for staff and patients. When answering this question you should identify a couple of key factors that makes the position a great fit for you and share what you love about the hospital.
8. Tell me some of the equipment or facilities you've worked with in the past?
Reveals more about work history.
9. What do you see yourself doing in five years as Facilities Manager?
This one is all about job commitment.
Some people make job hopping a career in of itself, and your answer here can be telling. Here, your interviewer is determining if you are:
☛ someone who sets goals
☛ someone who has a vision
☛ someone who is reliable
☛ someone who demonstrates commitment
☛ someone who is loyal
10. Explain me what would you want to accomplish in your first three months if hired?
This is a question where you can showcase your expertise on what is relevant in the industry and the research you've done on the facility. Demonstrate your grasp of the latest environmental codes and standards safety, water, emergency and energy management, and JCAHO requirements. Share your viewpoints on the effectiveness or ROI on different medical devices or energy saving plans, though be sure to be tactful in case it is something the hospital currently uses. Not only does this question give you the opportunity to discuss your ideas, it demonstrates your industry expertise, ongoing education and your ability to plan for realistic goals.
11. Explain me how would you ensure the needs of all working staff are met?
Candidates should describe adopting a methodical, highly organized approach to managing their workload. Look for candidates who keep detailed accounts of all business activities and undertake preemptive action to ensure their needs are always met and that candidates never fall behind with their duties.
12. Explain me what are your goals as a facilities manager?
This question could be asked in several different forms, such as “What are you looking for in a job” or “Relating to your career, where do you see yourself in 5 years?”. When asking this question, the interviewer is looking for you to connect your personal goals to the company. To answer this question, you should relate your goals to the job features, which will show the research you did before the interview (e.g. reduce patient falls, ensure total connectivity to nurse call system, create a more efficient workspace for nursing staff...etc). If you know what you aren't looking for in a position or why you are leaving your current job, incorporate that in your answer; just be sure to not talk poorly about your current employer.
13. Tell us how do you troubleshoot problems with equipment? Use experiences to support your answer?
Demonstrates technical skills.
14. Tell us if several machine breakdown at once, which one would you repair first? Why?
Demonstrates time management skills.
15. What are your strengths as Facilities Manager?
While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:
☛ being a problem solver
☛ being a motivator
☛ being a natural leader
☛ the ability to perform under pressure
☛ a positive attitude
☛ loyalty
Are typically all solid strengths, but again, consider the position. For example, mentioning you are an excellent “team player” in a job where you largely work alone suddenly becomes irrelevant to the employer and demonstrates a genuine lack of self awareness.
16. Please explain how would you settle a dispute between yourself and a building employee?
Facilities Managers often deal with workers who are unhappy with building services. In such events, candidates need to utilize good listening skills to understand what their concerns are and keep them informed as to the status of maintenance or repairs. Always keeping them informed is critical.
Shows willingness to comply with rules.
An easy question to answer well with one caveat – don't slam your fellow interviewee's. On the one hand, you have an opportunity to really stand out from the pack. Alternatively, You shouldn't assume the skills of other applicants. Focus on your own strengths, and if the interviewer hasn't given you an opportunity to mention that one “slam dunk” quality about yourself, now would be the time.
Is there a wrong way to answer this question? Consider the responses below:
☛ “I really need a job right now”
☛ “I need the money”
☛ “Your office is really close to my house”
☛ “I've always been interested in what you guys do”
On the surface, it may seem that an organization is doing well without the contribution of a facilities manager. In actuality, a facilities manager can streamline a lot of systems within the organization, making business processes smoother and easier to handle.
20. Administration Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ What areas are within your sphere of responsibility in your current position? How do, you make sure that you know what is happening (problems, changes, etc.)?
☛ How do make sure that your employees are accountable?
☛ What operating systems do you use to monitor and maintain control of your area of accountability?
☛ What do you typically do when you hear of a problem in your area? Explain?
☛ How useful have you found written procedures and guidelines in helping you manage your area?
☛ Do you feel that the chain of command is important? Why? When do you feel it might inhibit organizational effectiveness?
☛ Share an effective method you have used to enforce rules and regulations.
21. Employee Relations Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ How do you go about developing the people you manage?
☛ How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?
☛ How do you deal with an “attitude” problem?
☛ How often do you think it is necessary to meet with your employees?
☛ How have you handled “complainers?”
☛ How do you deal with an employee who needs to be disciplined? Explain your strategy.
☛ What sort of employee training do you think is necessary to offer?
☛ How do you handle a, personnel situation, which might have a, potential legal impact?
☛ How do you develop trust and loyalty in your employee?
22. Evaluating Performance Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ What do you do to ensure objectivity when you evaluate the work of others?
☛ What sort of performance standards have you held Employees to? Were they written?
☛ How often do you evaluate your employees?
☛ How do you get your employees involved in their own evaluation?
☛ How do you evaluate your department's overall performance?
☛ When you evaluate someone's performance verbally, what approach do you take?
☛ How do you plan for performance improvements?
☛ How do you measure performance in your area?
☛ What have you found to be the best way to monitor the performance of your work and/or the work of others? Share a time when you had to take corrective action.
23. Decision Making Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ At which point do you find it necessary to bring others into your decision-making process? Why?
☛ Describe your approach to making decisions and solving problems. Why do you do it this way?
☛ When you recommend something to management, what approach do you usually use?
☛ How do you assemble relevant data to make your decisions? How do you know you have enough data?
☛ How much leeway do you give your employees to make decisions? How do you still maintain control?
24. Operational and Situational Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ How can you save energy in a building by the use of Facility Management?
☛ What will you do if a contractor hired for the renovation of facilities is not using proper protection equipment?
☛ How would you make the necessary preparations (with reference to facilities) in case of an upcoming event to be held in your building?
25. Leadership Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ How do you get your employees (or others) to follow you?
☛ How do you use power or authority to get what you want done?
☛ How do you delegate responsibility for an assignment? Who do you choose? What and how do you delegate, and what do you monitor and follow up?
☛ How do you describe your management style?
☛ Please share with me an example of how you helped coach or mentor someone. What improvements did you see in the person's knowledge or skills?
☛ Provide an example of a time when you successfully organized a diverse group of people to accomplish a task.
☛ Provide an example of a time when you were able to demonstrate excellent listening skills. What was the situation and outcome?
☛ In your experience, what is the key to developing a good team? (Look for how they build mutual trust, respect, and cooperation.)
26. Behavioral Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ Tell me about a time you found it hard to coordinate everyone for a maintenance project. How did you resolve this?
☛ Describe the biggest challenge you have faced when trying to reduce operational costs
☛ Recall a time your department's budget was almost exceeded. What did you do?
☛ Was there a time you found diversity among your subordinates a problem? How did you turn it around?
☛ Recall a time you spotted a potential hazard on the premises. What measures did you take to correct it?
27. Writing Skills Based Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ When you have to write letters, how do you usually get started?
☛ How do you keep track of incoming and outgoing correspondence?
☛ What do you see as the difference in writing strategy for a report vs. memo vs. a letter?
28. Role-specific Facilities Manager Job Interview Questions:
☛ How often did you inspect premises at your previous job?
☛ Name some areas where a facilities manager is responsible for legal compliance
☛ What's your experience with Business Continuity Planning?
☛ What records is a facilities manager obliged to keep?
☛ How do you think COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations affect our business?
☛ What criteria/process do you use to choose service providers for [cleaning/landscaping/catering/etc.]?
☛ How do you feel about taking up some manual labor when necessary?
☛ What software have you used as a facilities manager?
This can be a great way to stand out from other applicants and demonstrate initiative. Almost every company will have a website, Facebook page, Instagram account, or some sort of digital footprint. Spend a bit of time doing some online research:
☛ If they have a website, check out their “About us” or “Culture/Mission/Vision” pages.
☛ Who are some of the principal people who work there? Who are the founders?
☛ What sorts of things does this company care about? Do they donate to a particular cause or charity? Which one(s)?
☛ What are their core values? Which of their core values resonate with you?
☛ Has the company been in the news recently or have they won any awards (Social Media can be a great place to find this information).
When an interviewer asks this question, they are looking at your leadership and communication skills. Take this opportunity to show that you are a problem solver and have the ability to lead and communicate with a group. It is best to have a specific example story prepared about your experience that highlights the problem and the steps it took to resolve it. For example, if there was a large change in your previous facility for equipment, what steps did you take to make sure the change occurred smoothly with minimal impact on patients and caregiving staff?
31. As you know managing facilities comes with a lot of pressure. How do you perform under pressure?
Candidates should describe past experiences where they successfully managed high-pressure situations and the skills they've developed working in those situations.
32. Please explain a time when you accomplished something in the role of a facilities manager?
I managed to reduce the cost of maintenance work by hiring and training a maintenance team from within the custodial staff. This resulted in the company saving $8000 annually – money that they spent in outsourcing maintenance work.
Reveal possible strengths/weaknesses.
34. Tell us what are your weaknesses as Facilities Manager?
Another tricky one. The purpose of this question is to see how you view and evaluate yourself.
One the one hand, if you suggest you don't have any weaknesses, your interviewer will almost certainly see you as a lair, egotistical, or both.
Don't fall into the trap of trying to present a positive skill in disguise as a weakness, like “I work too hard” or “I am a perfectionist”. Any experienced interviewer will see through this in a heartbeat.
Additionally, revealing that “I'm not really a morning person and have been known to come in late” raises immediate and obvious red flags.
Ever since my first paper route at age 10 I've been doing something to keep myself busy and earn money. Back then, it was obviously about earning some spending money. What I didn't realize was that I was actually starting the journey of establishing what I liked to do and how I fit in to the grand scheme of things. I then worked as a junior computer tech in my last 2 summers of high school. It was here that I discovered what I was passionate about and what I wanted to do. I enrolled in college to get my degree in computer sciences, and I have been working around technology ever since.
