Questions Hiring Teams Need to Ask in a Plastics Interview

Hiring for the plastics industry can be a tricky job. For one thing, it is a niche industry that requires a specialized set of skills.

Thus, as a leader or a member of a hiring team, it is imperative to ask questions that will enable you to get information within the shortest possible time about whether the candidate is a good fit for the position and whether they have any other soft skills.

In this piece, I will share some ideal potential questions that your hiring team can ask your prospective employees during interviews to determine whether they are the right fit for your organization.

1. What would you do if you were assigned a difficult client as a fabricator in the plastic industry?

This question can let you know how the interviewee manages conflict and how they cope with stress. You can then determine whether they can work under pressure or not, and you can get a first-hand look at their ability to work with clients who may complicate life for a company.

In the plastics industry, you will have to work under heavy pressure sometimes and be able to perform in those situations. You have to determine if the candidate can cope from the get-go.

2. What health and safety checks do you undertake before starting any project?

The plastics industry takes safety incredibly seriously. Thus, as part of a hiring team, finding out what the potential employee knows about safety is an excellent way to tell whether they are as qualified as they claim in their resume.

Especially with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, more industry health and safety checks are now mandated for the plastics fabrication industry. How familiar the candidate is with these new checks will determine how conversant they are with modern practices in the industry.

3. How did you learn about this vacancy or opportunity?

This question might look innocuous, but it can help your hiring personnel to determine how much industry knowledge the candidate has. For example, if the candidate heard about the job from an industry professional, that means the person has connections within the industry and is current, which clearly benefits the candidate and may very well benefit the hiring teams as well.

This kind of question can also help you determine how familiar the potential employee is with communication tools and how well they can network in the industry. If they find the vacancy in an online ad, they can use the internet for research and targeted work.

4. What made you leave your previous job?

Many employees find this question to be very intrusive, but it is a very valid question for you in the hiring team. The question helps you discover what is most important to the employees and what their motivations are.

Asking the question also allows the employer to understand the likes and dislikes and the strengths and weaknesses of possible future employees. The trick for you as an interviewer who chooses to ask this question is to ask it in a polite, non-threatening manner and to make the candidate feel comfortable. This way, you can gain the most information without coming off as rude or ignorant.

Being a member of a top hiring committee in the plastics industry can be a tricky endeavor. However, if you research the proper hiring practices, it can be a straightforward process, benefiting everyone involved.