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Building Maintenance Technician Interview Questions

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  1. If multiple pieces of equipment or systems in a building broke down at once, how would you prioritize the work orders? See answer
  2. Can you describe a time in which your diligence in inspecting equipment identified the cause of a problem? See answer
  3. How do you handle prioritizing different types of regular maintenance requests? See answer
  4. How would you handle a building tenant who is angry and yelling about a problem they have? See answer
  5. Several machines break down. What is your strategy for repairing them? Please explain your answer. See answer
  6. What are the different types of building equipment you have maintained in the past?
  7. What were your main responsibilities in your previous job?
  8. Tell me about your development in the past year that relates to a building maintenance technician job.
  9. What are your natural traits that suit a building maintenance technician position?
  10. Another building maintenance technician is not complying with safety procedures. What would you do?
  11. Tell me about your favorite repairs.
  12. What are the maintenance tasks that are a challenge to you?
  13. We offer our building maintenance technicians training. Are there any maintenance skills we could help you to improve?
  14. Tell me about the strategies you use to find out why a piece of equipment is not working properly.
  15. Another technician is hostile to you. How do you handle it?
  16. Tenants are dissatisfied with your performance, but you’ve been doing your job competently. How would you communicate this to them?
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6 Building Maintenance Technician Interview Questions and Answers

Q:

If multiple pieces of equipment or systems in a building broke down at once, how would you prioritize the work orders?

A:

The ideal building maintenance technician has excellent time management and prioritization skills. Their ability to recognize what is most urgent in unpredictable situations is critical. A candidate should have a good understanding of both their own skills and limitations and should know when a repair is complicated enough to require contacting a licensed professional, such as an electrician or an HVAC specialist.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Demonstration of time management skills
  • Knowledge of what is an urgent problem
  • Ability to recognize their own skill limitations

Example:

“I prioritize multiple work orders based on the risk to tenant safety, how many people the problem is affecting and how severely they’re affected.”

Q:

Can you describe a time in which your diligence in inspecting equipment identified the cause of a problem?

A:

A building maintenance technician should be familiar with the condition and age of the equipment, materials and structure of the building. Noticing a change that could indicate a problem or could potentially cause a problem in the future shows that the building maintenance technician is observant, careful and attentive during routine checks. The ideal building maintenance technician can identify a problem in a building before it gets severe.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Familiarity with typical appearance and sounds of equipment
  • Knowledge of structural hazards
  • Demonstration for a routine of inspecting equipment and materials

Example:

“On my monthly air filter check, I noticed a crack in the air conditioner’s drain pan. Replacing the pan prevented an estimated $4,000 repair.”

Q:

How do you handle prioritizing different types of regular maintenance requests?

A:

The building’s manager, tenants or residents may have different maintenance requests for a building maintenance technician. There may be more than one priority request at a time. The ability to prioritize maintenance requests shows competency and the ability to perform under pressure. It also shows the ability to handle more than one task.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Objective procedure for prioritizing work orders
  • Decisiveness when setting priorities and ability to multi-task
  • Ability to communicate workload and a priority level to tenants

Example:

“From the beginning, I aim to set reasonable expectations for tenants and managers and to make sure I communicate clearly and provide status updates if needed. I prioritize all work orders to the best of my ability with an eye for safety and preventing further damage in time-sensitive cases.”

Q:

What are the types of building equipment you have maintained in the past?

A:

This question shows the building maintenance technician’s work experience and comfort with performing different types of maintenance tasks. Look for a candidate with familiarity working with the types of equipment that are in your building and the capability and willingness to learn and grow in their role. The ideal building maintenance technician will know how to troubleshoot multiple makes and models of common building equipment such as boilers and door buzzers.

What to look for in an answer:

  • Familiarity with common building equipment
  • Demonstration of technical skills and the capacity to learn as needed
  • Ability to identify the make and model of building equipment

Example:

“I have repaired and replaced door keys and deadbolt locks by Kwik-Set, Honeywell and Schlage and garbage disposals by Frigidaire, InSinkErator and Waste King.”

Q:

How would you handle a building tenant who is angry and yelling about a problem they have?

A:

Some tenants will expect to have their problems solved immediately, even if their issue is not a priority. The ability to be patient with someone who is impatient is a key skill in a building maintenance technician. A strong candidate will be able to keep their emotions in check while communicating with frustrated tenants, and will not give any tenants preferential treatment outside of how work orders are typically prioritized.

  • Ability to listen calmly
  • Effective communication and customer service skills
  • Examples or experience in diffusing a tense or stressful situation

Example:

“I listen to the person, calmly restate their problem to make sure I understand their concerns properly and tell them when and how I will be able to attend to their situation and then offer them a way to follow up with me.”

Q:

Several machines break down. What is your strategy for repairing them? Please explain your answer.

A:

Building maintenance technicians should be able to manage their time effectively to provide an administrative support service. An employer can use this question to find out if a candidate has the skill set to be a reliable hire for this position. A skilled building maintenance technician candidate would demonstrate their ability to prioritize tasks and support business operations.

A candidate's answer should emphasize:

  • Ability to perform effectively under pressure
  • Evidence of being a dependable worker
  • Strategy, time management and problem-solving skills

An example answer to this question can look like this:

Example:

"Based on my damage evaluations, I would repair the machine that is the most valuable, in relation to operational value, first if each restoration is likely to take as long as the others. If I have to wait for a spare part or another worker to restore that one, I would start working on the next priority while coordinating what needs to happen to start the most essential repair."

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