Facilities Manager

☛ At which point do you find it necessary to bring others into your decision-making process? Why?

☛ Describe your approach to making decisions and solving problems. Why do you do it this way?

☛ When you recommend something to management, what approach do you usually use?

☛ How do you assemble relevant data to make your decisions? How do you know you have enough data?

☛ How much leeway do you give your employees to make decisions? How do you still maintain control?

☛ How do you go about developing the people you manage?

☛ How do you help your employees become committed to a job or to the organization?

☛ How do you deal with an “attitude” problem?

☛ How often do you think it is necessary to meet with your employees?

☛ How have you handled “complainers?”

☛ How do you deal with an employee who needs to be disciplined? Explain your strategy.

☛ What sort of employee training do you think is necessary to offer?

☛ How do you handle a, personnel situation, which might have a, potential legal impact?

☛ How do you develop trust and loyalty in your employee?

Shows willingness to comply with rules.

On the surface, it may seem that an organization is doing well without the contribution of a facilities manager. In actuality, a facilities manager can streamline a lot of systems within the organization, making business processes smoother and easier to handle.

Demonstrates time management skills.

While this question is an invitation to do some chest pounding, remember to illustrate strengths that will benefit the employer and are relative to the position. For example:

☛ being a problem solver

☛ being a motivator

☛ being a natural leader

☛ the ability to perform under pressure

☛ a positive attitude

☛ loyalty

Are typically all solid strengths, but again, consider the position. For example, mentioning you are an excellent “team player” in a job where you largely work alone suddenly becomes irrelevant to the employer and demonstrates a genuine lack of self awareness.

Facilities Managers often deal with workers who are unhappy with building services. In such events, candidates need to utilize good listening skills to understand what their concerns are and keep them informed as to the status of maintenance or repairs. Always keeping them informed is critical.

Demonstrates technical skills.

Candidates should describe adopting a methodical, highly organized approach to managing their workload. Look for candidates who keep detailed accounts of all business activities and undertake preemptive action to ensure their needs are always met and that candidates never fall behind with their duties.

This is a question where you can showcase your expertise on what is relevant in the industry and the research you've done on the facility. Demonstrate your grasp of the latest environmental codes and standards safety, water, emergency and energy management, and JCAHO requirements. Share your viewpoints on the effectiveness or ROI on different medical devices or energy saving plans, though be sure to be tactful in case it is something the hospital currently uses. Not only does this question give you the opportunity to discuss your ideas, it demonstrates your industry expertise, ongoing education and your ability to plan for realistic goals.

Reveals more about work history.

This one is all about job commitment.

Some people make job hopping a career in of itself, and your answer here can be telling. Here, your interviewer is determining if you are:

☛ someone who sets goals

☛ someone who has a vision

☛ someone who is reliable

☛ someone who demonstrates commitment

☛ someone who is loyal

Companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job they are applying for. With that, you should have a good answer as to why you want the job. Hospitals rely on Facilities Managers to keep the workplace safe and functioning, and to solve any problems that inevitably come up to maintain safety for staff and patients. When answering this question you should identify a couple of key factors that makes the position a great fit for you and share what you love about the hospital.

The interviewer would like to know what led you to a career in maintenance. How did you arrive on this career path? Talk to the interviewer about why you chose this career and briefly discuss what keeps you engaged.

I was once assigned a building which was literally in tatters, but the owner still wanted it to be operational for his workers. After much convincing through reports and physical inspections, I was able to persuade him that the building was uninhabitable until a thorough renovation could be performed on it. I believe that this was the biggest challenge that I have come across, because if I hadn’t been able to convince him, it meant harming the people who would eventually work there.

This goes back to researching the company before you have the interview. This also ties directly into the position itself because as Facilities Manager, you are expected to be a leader in the organization. To do your job properly, you must be familiar with every part of the facility you work for and the healthcare industry at large. When researching the hospital, go beyond the mission statement and look for information that you can relate to your passions and experience.