Facilities Manager Interview Questions

Facilities Manager interview questions:

The responsibility for maintaining a safe and well-maintained workspace rests on the shoulders of the Facilities Manager. They are tasked with overseeing daily space utilization while striving to minimize operational expenses.

Educational requirements can vary, ranging from high school diplomas to bachelor’s degrees, contingent on the role. Industry experience, coupled with a managerial background, is often a prevalent requisite. Certification options are accessible for facilities managers, serving as a screening criterion depending on the role’s scope.

Given the diverse range of situations facilities managers encounter, behavioral or situational questions serve as an effective means to gauge their proactiveness, critical thinking, and reliability. Additionally, probing their familiarity with standard protocols (such as selecting facilities service providers) and compliance mandates is crucial. As they will be overseeing personnel, inquiries that unveil their leadership and communication proficiencies are pertinent.

Role-specific questions:

• How frequently did you conduct premises inspections in your previous role?
• Can you list some areas where a facilities manager is accountable for legal compliance?
• Can you share your familiarity with Business Continuity Planning?
• What records is a facilities manager required to maintain?
• In your opinion, how do COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations impact our business?
• Could you elucidate the criteria or process you employ to select service providers?
• What are your sentiments regarding participating in manual labor when the need arises?
• Could you provide insights into the software you have utilized as a facilities manager?

Operational and Situational questions:

• If tasked with identifying energy-saving measures, what ideas would come to mind?
• Suppose you’ve engaged a contractor for a renovation project, and you notice inadequate utilization of safety equipment. How would you address this situation?
• If I informed you that we are planning an event for customers and vendors within a few days, what actions would you take to prepare the facilities for the occasion?

Behavioral questions:

• Could you share an instance when you encountered difficulty in coordinating various individuals for a maintenance project? How did you manage to address this issue?
• Can you describe the most significant challenge you encountered while attempting to minimize operational expenses?
• Tell me about a situation when your department’s budget came close to being exceeded. How did you handle it?
• Have you ever experienced diversity-related challenges within your team? If so, how did you navigate and rectify the situation?
• Recall an occasion when you identified a potential hazard within the premises. What steps did you take to rectify the situation?