If you're hiring a plumber, a great interview is key to finding the right fit. Recruiting skilled plumbers can be challenging, but once they’re in for an interview, asking the right questions is crucial. It helps you gauge their expertise and shows them that you’re well-prepared, knowledgeable, and a solid company to work for.
Avoid asking plumbers generic interview questions meant for office roles, like "How do you handle confidential information?" or "How many words per minute can you type?" Also, steer clear of overly abstract questions such as "If you were a color, what color would you be?"
I have broken the interview questions into 3 categories:
- General Questions
- Behavioral/Situational Questions
- Technical Questions
It’s essential to use a blend of all three types of questions during your interviews, but try to mix them throughout rather than grouping them all together. At the end of this guide, you'll find a template that’s structured to keep the interview flowing smoothly. While these questions are crafted with Residential, Commercial, and Construction Plumbers in mind, they’ll work well for most types of plumbing professionals too.
General Questions
1. Why did you get into the trade?
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This is a great question that can reveal a lot about a plumber's motivations. Often, you'll hear responses like, "I grew up taking things apart and putting them back together," or "My dad was a plumber, and I loved working with him in the shop." These answers usually point to someone who’s genuinely passionate about their work. On the other hand, if someone says, "I thought it was a good way to make a lot of money," it’s not necessarily a red flag, but it might suggest they’re more motivated by financial gain.
2. Why are you available or looking at new opportunities?
Are they recently fired, unhappy with their current boss, seeking higher pay, desiring a different shift, or looking for a job closer to home? Understanding their motivations can provide valuable insight into whether they'll be a good long-term fit for your team.
3. What do you know about our company?
Did they look into your company before the interview? If they did, it’s a positive sign that they’re genuinely interested. If not, it might suggest they’re just in need of a job and might not be too particular about who they work with.
4. Why do you want to work with us?
This helps you understand their motivations and identify the selling points of your features for future interviews with other plumbers.
5. What in your previous experience and/or training makes you feel you would be a good fit for us?
6. What are your wage expectations?
7. What shifts are you available for and what is your preferred shift?
Only applicable if you offer multiple shifts
8. If selected, when are you available to start?
If they are currently employed, aim for them to say they need two weeks' notice. If they say they can start immediately, it might indicate they won't be giving their current employer notice, which is a red flag. Alternatively, it could mean they are aware their company doesn’t accept notice periods and are therefore available right away.
9. Why did you leave your previous employers?
If they have been repeatedly terminated, that’s a red flag. Similarly, if the same issue keeps arising at different jobs, it could also be a cause for concern.
10. Can you supply us with references?
Ask them to email you the references. This will not only provide insight into their written communication and ability to follow instructions but also indicate their level of seriousness about the job based on how promptly they respond.
11. Is there anything that was not covered on your resume or in this interview that you feel we need to know?
Behavioral/Situational Questions
1. Tell me about a situation where you sacrificed safety for speed.
Instead of asking if they've ever sacrificed safety for speed (since they'll likely say no), assume that they have and see how they respond.
2. Tell me about your favorite supervisor or manager that you have worked for, what made them great?
This will help you understand which management style works best for them. Does this align with your shop's supervisor?
3. Tell me about a disagreement between you and another plumber on the shop floor, how was it resolved?
4. If you had the choice would you rather work a day on the floor and get paid time and a half or spend a day receiving technical training getting paid regular wages?
How crucial is training to them? If it’s a top priority, it likely indicates a strong passion for the trade. While accepting a higher salary isn't necessarily a red flag, it could suggest that they might be more inclined to leave your company for better financial opportunities in the future.
5. Would you rather get paid more to work on something you don’t like or get paid less but work on something you love?
6. Tell me about a time that you took ownership of a situation or took the lead on the floor without being asked to.
7. How do you feel about borrowing tools or lending tools to other technicians?
This can be a common problem in a shop. While plumbers who frequently borrow tools can be frustrating, those who won’t lend tools when needed are also problematic. Ideally, the approach should be: "If I need to borrow a tool more than once, I’ll just buy one myself."
Technical Questions
If possible, bring a technical expert to the interview, such as a Service Manager, Supervisor, or lead technician. They can ask in-depth questions and assess whether the candidate truly understands the subject matter.
1. What types/brands/models of equipment do you have experience working on?
2. What types of repairs and maintenance do you have experience with? What type of repair do you specialize on?
3. What are your favorite jobs to do?
4. What are your least favorite jobs to do?
5. What diagnostic tools do you have experience using?
6. In your most recent position, what kinds of jobs did you get a lot of?
This reflects the level of confidence their manager had in their technical skills. If they were tasked with preventative maintenance, it suggested they weren’t viewed as highly skilled. However, if they were handling complex work, it likely meant they were considered one of the top plumbers in the shop.
7. Do you have experience working in the field? If so do you like working in the field?
Fieldwork is generally assigned to reliable technicians who are capable of solving problems on their own and working independently. Having previous field experience is often a positive indicator of their ability.
8. What experience do you have with in-depth plumbing repairs?
9. Do you have a complete toolset?
Ideally, they should provide you with a rough estimate of their tools or their total value. A plumber needs tools to do their job effectively, so you should only hire someone who has at least $10,000 worth of tools. If it's an entry-level or apprentice position, having fewer tools is acceptable. However, quality tools are costly, and a skilled plumber requires a wide range of them to handle various repairs.
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Sample Interview
As noted earlier, your interview should include a blend of general, behavioral, and technical questions. Start with a few easy questions to help ease the interviewee's nerves and build their confidence. This will encourage them to open up and feel more at ease. You can use the following questions as a guide for your next plumber interview.
If you are having a hard time finding plumbers to interview please see our article titled “How to Hire Mechanics – Finding Technicians.” If you need to Recruit Plumbers in a hurry Contact Rockstar Plumbers to get a search started or give us a call at 1-833-937-3546.
1. Why did you get into the trade?
2. Why are you available or looking at new opportunities?
3. What types/brands/models of equipment do you have experience working on?
4. What types of repairs and maintenance do you have experience with? What type of repair do you specialize on?
5. Tell me about your favorite supervisor or manager that you have worked for, what made them great?
6. What do you know about our company?
7. Why do you want to work with us?
8. Why did you leave your previous employers?
9. What are your favorite jobs to do?
10. What are your least favorite jobs to do?
11. Tell me about a disagreement between you and another mechanic on the shop floor, how was it resolved?
12. If you had the choice would you rather work a day on the floor and get paid time and a half or spend a day receiving technical training getting paid regular wages?
13. What diagnostic tools do you have experience using?
14. In your most recent position, what kinds of jobs did you get a lot of?
15. Tell me about a situation where you sacrificed safety for speed.
16. Do you have experience working in the field? If so do you like working in the field?
17. Tell me about a time that you took ownership of a situation or took the lead on the floor without being asked to.
18. How do you feel about borrowing tools or lending tools to other technicians?
19. Do you have a complete toolset?
20. What experience do you have with in-depth plumber repairs?
21. Would you rather get paid more to work on something you don’t like or get paid less but work on something you love?
22. What in your previous experience and/or training makes you feel you would be a good fit for us?
23. What are your wage expectations?
24. What shifts are you available for and what is your preferred shift?
25. If selected, when are you available to start?
26. Can you supply us with references?
27. Is there anything that was not covered on your resume or in this interview that you feel we need to know?
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