17 Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions For Growing Your Business

Maintenance Electrician Job Description

Maintenance electricians install, maintain, repair, and service existing electrical systems in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants. The job requires a thorough understanding of the National Electrical Code (NEC), as well as strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

Maintenance electricians can repair normal wear on the electrical system, replace a damaged or defective mechanical part, or perform routine maintenance for better performance. They work on circuit breakers, read schematics, and even fix electrical components in HVAC systems. 

Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions: General

1. Why do you want to work as a maintenance electrician?

2. Why did you apply for a position at our company?

3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

4. Why are you pursuing a new job?

5. Can you send me a list of references?

General maintenance technician interview questions allow employers to evaluate common skills needed for any job or position, and allow job seekers to elaborate on their work experience, training, and other applicable skills or certifications.

It's also the perfect time to assess an applicant's attitude or personality to determine whether they're a good fit for your business. The maintenance electrician will be the face of your company in the field, so make sure to ask strategic questions and ensure the candidate meshes with your vision and company culture.

1. Why do you want to work as a maintenance electrician?

This question enables hiring managers to learn why the candidate chose to start a career in the electrical industry. It allows candidates to share why they have a passion for working with electricity, and how they want to continue their knowledge in the field. 

Also, check to see if the candidate maintains eye contact, listens attentively, offers a firm handshake, and displays confident body language. These soft skills provide a glimpse of their communication skills, as well as how they’ll engage with customers.

2. Why did you apply for a position at our company?

This allows maintenance technician candidates to showcase their knowledge of your company and its key values. Find out what the applicant knows about the company and what type of work they expect to perform. Consider it a good sign if the candidate comes prepared. 

How did the candidate hear about your company? What do they like about your business? What are their schedule expectations? Can they work nights and weekends? Asking these questions puts their expectations, and yours, on the table for everyone to see.

3. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

This question provides insights about the applicant’s long-term career goals. Whenever you hire a new tech, you’re making a significant business investment, so you want to ensure the candidate feels committed to your business and their career plan. Be wary of any candidate who mentions working in a different industry or doesn’t express interest in pursuing a life-long career in the electrical field.

4. Why are you pursuing a new job?

In a way, this allows you to ask about previous employment without directly asking, “Why did you leave your previous job?” Listen intently to how the candidate responds. Do they harbor negative feelings about their current or previous employer? Did the candidate get fired? 

Often, electricians switch companies simply to earn better pay and benefits, for a better work-life balance, or to work for a company with a stellar reputation. 

5. Can you send me a list of references?

You can assess the candidate’s written communication skills, as well as the ability to follow directions, by asking them to send you a list of references. You can also gauge their interest in the position by how quickly they submit their references. Ask them to explain their relationship to the reference, how long they’ve known each reference, and to provide contact information. 

Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions: Behavioral/Situational

1. Can you give an example of a time where you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied customer? 

2. How would you handle resolving an argument with a coworker?

3. How do you prevent mistakes on the job?

Asking behavioral interview questions helps you discover the attitudes of your applicants, and to gain insights into how they approach problems, resolve conflict, and interact with others. Interviewers need to evaluate the candidate’s ability for troubleshooting electrical repairs, following safety precautions, overcoming disagreements with coworkers, and putting customers at ease.

1. Can you give an example of a time where you turned an unhappy customer into a satisfied customer? 

Electricians who practice excellent customer service and support play a critical role in generating customer satisfaction—and ultimately five-star reviews. Satisfied clients turn into repeat business, often via follow-up calls or direct referrals. Electricians who listen to customers, show empathy, clearly explain the job, and educate them on all available solutions provide better customer service.

2. How would you resolve an argument with a coworker?

Maintenance electricians don’t just need to solve complex electrical problems, they need to possess solid conflict-resolution skills, too. You need your field techs, dispatch, and management team to work together in harmony to achieve business success. Petty arguments or employees who seek out conflict with others can negatively impact your company culture, and make it even harder to hire new electricians down the road.

3. How do you prevent mistakes on the job?

Working around electricity is dangerous—and even deadly—so safety is paramount. Ask about the candidate's reasoning and thought process to detect mistakes, and how they avoid them on the jobsite. This question reveals if they have a strong accountability process and how thoroughly they complete their work (mistake-free). 

Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions: Technical Skills

1. What are the top 3 issues you typically see when inspecting/repairing a circuit breaker?

2. What was your most challenging project, and what did you learn from it?

3. Do you have any experience troubleshooting a PLC (programmable logic controller)?

Asking technical questions confirms the candidate truly possesses the necessary skills to work as a maintenance electrician. Questions about types of electrical wiring, fixtures, and switches, as well as working on complex electrical systems, help to uncover technical abilities. Maintenance electricians who service residential, commercial, and industrial customers need to know how to take the right precautions to ensure safety and efficiency.

1. What are the top 3 issues you typically see when inspecting/repairing a circuit breaker?

Maintenance electricians often make routine service calls, and frequently need to inspect, troubleshoot, and repair circuit breakers. While this question may appear relatively basic, the candidate’s responses will provide a clear picture of the depth of their knowledge and experience (or lack of) for servicing circuit breakers. 

2. What was your most challenging project, and what did you learn from it?

This question elicits insight into a candidate's knowledge, strengths, and desire to grow, as well as their ability to articulate the problem and solution. A maintenance electrician needs to clearly communicate the problem and all available fixes while speaking to customers. Employees who can quickly learn and adapt to new challenges strengthen projects and, in turn, your company.

3. Do you have any experience troubleshooting a PLC (programmable logic controller)?

PLCs translate user commands for electronically controlled machines. Common reasons why PLC control systems fail include module failure, loss of power, moisture, overheating, and bad network connections. A knowledge of PLCs is especially important for electricians working in commercial and industrial settings.

Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions: Technology and Tools

1. Are you familiar with job costing software?

2. What is your experience with using mobile technology on the job?

3. How does electrician software provide a better client experience?

Ask technology-based questions to see how much the interviewee knows about industry trends and customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as ServiceTitan Electrical Contractor Software, to automate processes, enhance the customer experience, and grow average ticket size. Real-time project data and enhanced communication between the office and field ensures projects wrap up on time and on budget. 

1. Are you familiar with job costing software?

Job costing software enables the front office to track actual versus budgeted costs at every stage of the project, from processing expenses and purchase orders, to tracking labor hours through mobile timesheets. Asking the candidate about their familiarity with the technology helps you gauge their current state, as well as the amount of training required to get the candidate up to speed.

2. What is your experience with using mobile technology on the job?

This question helps you understand a candidate’s previous experience, as well as their level of comfort using technology on the job. It’s also a good indicator of the amount of training the candidate requires. Maintenance electricians deliver estimates, communicate with your office team, and collect payments from their mobile devices. 

3. How does electrician software provide a better client experience?

If the applicant has experience using customer experience software, they should be able to articulate how it enhances coordination and communication between the maintenance tech and the customer. Electrician software allows managers to coordinate with technicians and communicate progress to customers in real time. 

Maintenance Electrician Interview Questions: Payroll

While some maintenance electrician applicants may feel uncomfortable talking about salary details, it’s important to discuss your compensation package, available benefits and perks, as well as performance-based bonuses. As a business owner or hiring manager, you need to be prepared to pay competitive salaries and offer exciting benefits to attract top talent and reduce costly turnover rates, especially in a field with a finite number of potential applicants.

Does your company offer performance pay or hourly rates? Maintenance electrician candidates need to understand how your commission and bonus structure works. If you expect electricians to sell more services on the jobsite, be sure to make that clear.

Some simple payroll questions include:

1. What are your wage expectations?

2. Have you ever worked for a company that uses performance-based pay?

3. What are your expectations for bonuses or sales performance incentive funds (SPIFs)?

In a highly competitive job market, it's important to ask the right questions to identify the best candidates. The ideal maintenance electrician will stick around and grow as you scale your electrical business.