What makes a good electrician—and how do you spot them? These interview questions will help you identify ability and prowess in your next electrician. Here, you’ll find questions to help assess a candidate’s hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Use these questions to identify a candidate’s technical knowledge and abilities
Use these questions to determine how a candidate handled situations in the past
Use these questions to assess a candidate’s personal traits and cognitive skills.
Top hard skills interview questions for electricians
What types of safety protocols do you follow to keep yourself and others safe on the job site?
Why this matters
An electrician’s skills and experience will vary depending on their expertise—whether residential, commercial, industrial, maintenance, or installation electricity. It’s important to note the areas they’ve worked in and whether their experience pertains to your needs, as each area carries with it specialized rules and regulations, safety protocols, and best practices that may not apply to the position you’re hiring.
What to listen for
- Candidates whose expertise will complement your business’ objectives and existing team.
- Listen for any extra certifications, specialized training, or apprenticeships they may have.
- A candidate with versatile and transferable skills is a plus.
Can you tell us about a challenging project you’ve worked on in the past? What made it difficult—and what made it a success?
Why this matters
This question allows you to get a sense of which parts of the job the candidate finds challenging, but more importantly, helps you assess their level of technical and theoretical knowledge. It’s also important to get a sense of the candidate’s ability to improvise when necessary and leverage nuanced skills in complex situations.
What to listen for
- Specific mentions of electrical systems they worked on and tools and equipment used.
- Instead of focusing on what they found difficult, pay attention to the way they responded and rose to the challenge. Did they improvise? Were they collaborative?
Tell us about a time you had to solve an urgent problem on a job site. What was the problem and how did you fix it?
Why this matters
When electrical problems strike—from outages to malfunctioning equipment to workplace injuries—they require immediate attention and swift, effective troubleshooting skills. This question will help you gauge your candidate’s responses to urgent, complicated issues, and their ability to maintain their composure in high-stakes situations.
What to listen for
- A great answer will explain how the issue was discovered, what they did to fix it, and what they did to prevent it from repeating in the future.
- A discussion of teamwork and the communication involved—did they delegate and consult with their management team as needed?
What would you do if you noticed a team member working unsafely?
Why this matters
An electrician’s job is dangerous—even when conducted responsibly. It’s absolutely critical that candidates are willing to point out sloppiness on job sites and correct behavior that may endanger health, safety, and the ultimate success of the entire project. This question gives the candidate a chance to showcase their interpersonal skills and their ability to manage conflict.
What to listen for
- A willingness to hold colleagues accountable for negligent behavior.
- The best answers might reference a past experience in which the candidate gave helpful advice or guidance to a colleague in response to a challenging situation.
What techniques do you use to manage your time effectively, and why do you think this is important?
Why this matters
Electricians often work alongside several other tradespeople on the same worksite, including designers, construction workers, plumbers, painters, carpenters, and more. It’s important to be able to coordinate with other contracted teams to make sure projects are completed smoothly, and take other workers’ timelines into consideration.
What to listen for
- Experience coordinating timelines with teams from other industries.
- An understanding that several other tasks may depend on the electrician’s work to be completed. Great candidates will respect how their work relates to others.
Can you tell us about your experience with renewable energy?
Why this matters
As more businesses adapt to green technologies and sustainable business practices, it’s important to look for candidates who share the vision of a more sustainable future. Apart from showing their knowledge of sustainable practices, this question will clue you in to the candidate’s values and deepen your understanding of their experience as it relates to your organization’s sustainability efforts.
What to listen for
- Familiarity with various forms of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy.
- If they lack experience in this area, a willingness to learn new skills is important.
Credit: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/resources/interviewing-talent/electricians
