17 Interview Questions You Shouldn’t Ask A Mechanic

When conducting an interview with a prospective mechanic, it’s crucial to create an enjoyable and comfortable atmosphere rather than making it feel like an interrogation. Mechanics are in high demand, and the technician you’re interviewing likely has multiple other interviews lined up. To stand out and attract the best candidates, you must ensure that your interview process is welcoming and respectful. Remember that when candidates receive similar job offers from different shops, they are more likely to choose the one where they felt the most at ease. To ensure a smooth interview process, it’s important to avoid certain types of questions.

When interviewing a Mechanic that you want to bring on board it is important that you make this an enjoyable process. An interview should never feel like an interrogation, ideally, it should feel more like a comfortable chat.

Can’t Ask – Prohibited Questions

Before diving into the questions you should avoid, it’s essential to be aware of your local employment laws. Every state or province may have specific regulations governing what you can and cannot ask during an interview. In general, it’s best to stick to work-related questions and avoid delving into personal matters. Here are some questions that, while not blatantly illegal, can get you into trouble in many places:

1. What are you currently earning?
   1. Many states including Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington have banned prospective employers for asking about previous Salary HistoryThere is traction for this to continue and it is likely that a Federal Ban may come into place in the near future
   1. Instead of asking what a candidate is currently earning or what they have earned in the past, instead, ask what they are looking for.
2. How Long Have You Been Working as a Mechanic?
   1. This can be seen as a way of trying to figure out how old a candidate is and could be interpreted as discriminating based on age.
3. What Country Are You From?
   1. You can not discriminate based on a person’s origin, instead, you can ask if they are legally authorized to work in the country
4. Can You Pass A Criminal Background Check or Pre-Hire Drug Test?
   1. Instead, you can inform a candidate that as part of the selection process, there is a pre-hire screening that includes criminal background as well as drug screening and ask if they are comfortable with that.
5. Are You Married or Do You Have Children?
   1. In most areas, it is illegal to discriminate based on family status
   1. Many times with Remote Field Service Technician jobs there may be a concern that technicians with a family may not be able to travel as much as is required. Instead of asking about the family, clearly outline the travel that is required and ask if they would be comfortable with that type of schedule.
6. Who did you Vote for?
   1. Discrimination based on political affiliation is prohibited in most places
7. Do you require time off for any religious holidays?
   1. Asking questions about religion or other affiliations is prohibited in most places. You are permitted to ask if they have upcoming vacation time that they will need to take off.
8. Where Do You Live?
   1. According to Recruitee, This could be used to discriminate based on location and/or socioeconomic status
   1. Instead, ask if they are comfortable with the location of the job
9. Any question that has anything to do with Race, Nationality, Sex, Orientation, Gender, etc.
   1. Avoid all questions that could lead to any sort of discrimination, keep it focused on the job.

Shouldn’t Ask – Overly Creative Questions

Some companies like to ask unusual questions to assess a candidate’s ability to think on their feet and be creative. However, for mechanic roles, these types of questions are not helpful in evaluating their qualifications. They can catch candidates off guard and make the interview feel more like a test. Interviews should resemble a friendly date where both parties get to know each other. Some common creative questions to avoid in mechanic interviews include:

• If you were a fruit what kind of fruit would you be?
• If you could have a superpower what would you choose?
• What is your favourite colour?
• What 3 items would you bring with you to a deserted Island?
• Would you rather be Batman or Robin?

Thanks to Fit Small Business for these.

I Wouldn’t Ask It That Way – Negative Questions

Many standard interview questions can be rephrased in a more positive manner. Here are a few examples:

• What is your biggest Weakness?
  • Instead ask about strengths, what type of repairs are they best at or what type of repairs do they like the best
  • Alternatively, if you want to find out where they may be lacking as a technician you could ask, If you could receive training in any aspect of mechanics what would you choose?
    • Similar question but framed around how to get better as opposed to picking on a weakness
• What did you dislike the most at your previous job?
  • Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, find out what they liked the best
  • Try to keep the interview positive, this will help candidates leave with a positive opinion, if you focus on the negatives the whole time they will likely leave with a negative feeling
• What bugged you about your previous Service Manager/Foreman?
  • Instead, ask what they liked about their previous managers, and find out what worked well for them. Does this align with your current manager?

By avoiding the above-mentioned questions, you can ensure a positive and legally compliant interview process for candidates. For a list of questions you should ask in a mechanic interview, refer to our post, 27 Interview Questions To Ask A Mechanic.

If you are having a hard time finding the right Mechanic to interview, Rockstar Mechanics can help. We specialize in helping companies in Canada and the USA find and hire their Mechanics. We can help in any State/Province and have experience with all types of Mechanics including Diesel Technicians, Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Automotive Service Technicians, Trailer Mechanics, Marine Technicians, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and more. Give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 or e-mail info@rockstarrecruitinggroup.com