Lifeguard Interview Questions

Listen for overlap in both of your expectations. You want your potential candidate to understand the importance of a few key qualities for this position. Make sure that attentiveness and responsibility are two of the traits that they list. You want a lifeguard to be comfortable in difficult situations and to be ready to jump into action the second they spot somebody in need of assistance. What to look for in an answer:

• Attentiveness in a distracting environment
• Ability to handle responsibility
• Willingness to take initiative and reinforce the rules as necessary

This question can give you insight into the candidate’s people skills in difficult situations. Being able to deal with disruptive individuals, whether at the beach or the pool, is vital to a lifeguard’s skillset. They should be firm but gentle enough to avoid making a potentially frustrating incident worse. Understanding de-escalation techniques and being knowledgeable in conflict resolution are both tremendous bonuses in this regard. What to look for in an answer:

• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to de-escalate a potentially difficult situation
• Understanding of the importance of professionalism

Though some equipment may vary depending on whether the lifeguard is supervising a pool or a beach, you want your potential candidate to be well versed with the tools of the trade. Ask them about some of the specific things that they should be familiar with and pay attention to how they prioritize what to bring. There is a baseline expectation to have knowledge of items like first aid kits and spine immobilizer boards. What to look for in an answer:

• Familiarity with basic lifeguard equipment
• Willingness to adapt according to the situation
• An understanding of required first aid procedures

Taking on a supervisory role is a key aspect of a lifeguard’s duties. You want to know that the professional you are considering hiring has worked successfully with others in the past and is comfortable with speaking up in noisy environments that may also be chaotic. A pool filled with young children may be especially loud, so effective public speaking is a necessary part of this job. What to look for in an answer:

• Comfort level with loud, active environments
• Experience with supervising children
• Extra vocational training in public speaking

Avoid working with candidates who do not have their required certifications. A CPR certification is vital to maintaining a position as a lifeguard, especially in the event of a sudden emergency. You want to make sure that the applicant will be able to intervene with career-specific training should someone be drowning or hurt. Make sure that their certification is renewed fairly frequently as well. What to look for in an answer:

• Knowledgeable in the basics of CPR
• Certifications to practice as necessary in the field
• Timely updates of all certification exams

Lifeguards spend hours outdoors in the heat and sunlight. The measures they take to care for themselves throughout their shift have an impact on their ability to watch over swimmers, make rescues or administer medical care. This question helps interviewers decide whether a candidate has the right habits to take care of themselves so they can keep others safe.

The candidate's answer should emphasize:

• Ability to stay hydrated and eat healthily
• Understanding of how their alertness impacts others
• Self-awareness

Here's a possible answer to this interview question: