Engineers are problem solvers with a passion for accuracy. Whatever sector of engineering your company is in, there are many different nuances that can go into forming your engineer interview questions. When hiring a new Engineer to your team, you want to make sure that they have the skills required to fulfill their duties.
These engineering interview questions are a good foundation to assess candidates for their technical capabilities to ensure that they have the expertise to meet or exceed your expectations. You should also adapt these questions to cater to whatever branch of engineering your company is in.
“Tell me about a time when a project or assignment didn’t go as planned. How would you approach the situation differently in the future?”
Strong engineers are strong problem solvers. A problem solver is reflective about their actions and implements change in future projects. Issues are bound to happen in any field, so how does this candidate handle mishaps? How delicate is their ego? Do they accept blame or do they blame others? This question is vital in seeing how they will learn and grow.
“What is the most enjoyable part of being an engineer? Your least favorite part?”
This is a great get-to-know-you question as you can see what they are passionate about, leading you to determine if their strengths are what you need to add to your team. Additionally, knowing their least favorite part of being an engineer can help you place them, as well.
“Tell me about a time when you encountered a hazardous condition. How did you handle it?”
The answer to this question will reveal if they are proactive or reactive. You want an employee who is proactive to reduce any hazardous conditions and doesn’t wait until something bad happens to take action.
“What is the most challenging engineering project you have ever been involved with? How did you overcome challenges?”
This question will reveal the way their mind works and how they navigate road bumps. The answer to this question further assess their strengths and weaknesses to see if they have the right skill set for your organization.
“Have you ever developed a process that enhanced the performance capabilities of a program? What impact did it have in your department or company?”
Most engineering roles are process oriented. The candidate should have a story that describes a process they helped build and how they work in a team. Their answer should include how their process made an impact on their organization; for example: their process reduced manufacturing time.
“What practices do you have in place to lessen mistakes?”
This question is all about accuracy and checking their work. Any carpenter would say “measure twice and cut once”. Any Engineer would need to have subconscious or conscious systems in place to help them stay organized and accurate. An ideal candidate should be able to effectively reduce the margin of error to improve the quality and productivity of their work, which in turn increases the profitability of your organization.
We hope these interview questions will give you a sturdy foundation to create a well-rounded engineering interview process that finds you the right candidate for your facility. We strongly advise using our Interview scorecard template as you assess your candidates so that you can identify the best candidate for your position.
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