When you're interviewing for a plumbing position, it's essential to come well-prepared. Remember, an interview is a two-way conversation. While you'll be asked a variety of questions (to get ready for these, check out our article on 27 Interview Questions for Plumbers), you should also come with your own questions to ask.
Coming prepared with questions demonstrates your seriousness about the job and your career. It also helps you determine if this position is the right fit for you. Since changing jobs is a significant decision, make sure you have all the necessary information before making the move.
1. Why are you hiring plumbers?
Ideally, new hires at a shop indicate positive growth or recent promotions of existing technicians. If the shop is expanding and needs additional plumbers to manage the increased workload, it's a promising sign of success and development.
However, if the hiring is due to someone being fired, this could be a red flag. In such cases, it’s important to understand why that person was let go and whether the shop frequently experiences turnover. Similarly, if a plumber has quit, it’s worth investigating if this is a common occurrence.
You might want to follow up with questions such as, “What is your turnover rate?” or “On average, how long do your plumbers stay with the company?” This will help you determine if you’re entering a workplace with a high turnover rate.
2. Overtime, what is the OT Availability and is it mandatory?
Most technicians earn a significant portion of their income through overtime. If this applies to you, it's important to ensure the shop stays busy enough to offer overtime opportunities. Additionally, you should familiarize yourself with the shop's overtime policy—whether it’s mandatory and if senior technicians get priority access.
3. Do you send techs for training?
Ideally, you should choose a shop that invests in OEM training for their plumbers to keep them up-to-date. Plumbers who work at shops that don't provide this training may find their career growth and skills stagnating.
4. What is the career growth potential?
You might want to find out if they usually promote from within. If there's no opportunity for advancement, that's okay, but it's good to be informed. On the other hand, if you're not interested in moving up the ladder, there's no need to ask about it.
5. Why do you like working here?
If you want a genuine insight into what it's really like to work there, asking "What do YOU like about working here?" will yield a more honest response than asking "Why do people like working here?" The latter often prompts the standard company line, while the former encourages a personal and truthful opinion.
Hopefully, these questions help make a better choice. If you have an interview coming up I also recommend our guide on How To Ace The Interview.
If you are looking for work and not getting enough interviews contact Rockstar Plumbers and we will get you interviews scheduled for your dream job. Or give us a call at 1-833-937-3546 and we can go over some options for you.
