• Welcome to The Building Code Forum

    Your premier resource for building code knowledge.

    This forum remains free to the public thanks to the generous support of our Sawhorse Members and Corporate Sponsors. Their contributions help keep this community thriving and accessible.

    Want enhanced access to expert discussions and exclusive features? Learn more about the benefits here.

    Ready to upgrade? Log in and upgrade now.

Interview Questions?

Mr. Inspector said:
When I was interviewed in Allentown PA for an inspection job the most important question the interviewer asked was would I pass a final inspection that doesn't comply to code if the mayor told me to. I said no. This question gave me second thoughts about working in this city. A few months later the mayor went to jail on corruption charges. I would not work at a place like that.
Click to expand...
I worked for Los Angeles County. There are many cities that have a contract with the County for building dept. services. That provides a city of limited resources with expertise way above what the city could afford.

I was forced to interview for the position of inspector at a tiny city. The city manager said, "We have several contractors that live and work in our city. They expect preferential treatment. Will you give them preferential treatment?" I replied, "While I can accomodate such things as timely inspections, the code is the same for everyone." Thankfully I didn't get assigned to that city.
 
steveray said:
All touchy feely and not technical?
Click to expand...
Well, I think that they were under the assumption that since I have many ICC certifications and am licensed as an architect and that I had 15 years of experience in inspections and plan reviews and another 15 years in the design and building of structures and that I was a board member of my local Building Official chapter that I could figure the technical stuff out. I mean, it was a requirement of the job that they wrote up.

What they wanted to know was how I would handle staff, residents, trustees, issues, problems, hiring, firing, angry and abusive people, interpretations and differences of opinions etc, etc, etc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ICE
I'm holding an apple, "What color is it?"

I was asked in an interview "What happens if someone offers you a bribe, what do you say?"
I asked, "why has that happen here?" and three of the interviewers laughed and the guy that asked the question was dead serious!

I didn't get the job!
 
rktect 1 said:
Well, I think that they were under the assumption that since I have many ICC certifications and am licensed as an architect and that I had 15 years of experience in inspections and plan reviews and another 15 years in the design and building of structures and that I was a board member of my local Building Official chapter that I could figure the technical stuff out. I mean, it was a requirement of the job that they wrote up.

What they wanted to know was how I would handle staff, residents, trustees, issues, problems, hiring, firing, angry and abusive people, interpretations and differences of opinions etc, etc, etc.
Click to expand...
I guess if you were the only applicant and that qualified it makes sense....I like to ask questions that people won't necessarily know outright to see how they respond sometimes...Do they BS an answer? Do they give up and say "I don't know"? Do they say "egress lighting is in Ch. 10 of the IBC and I don't know that answer offhand, I know where to get it"? Those three people are very different people and I only want one working for me...Unless I am hiring entry level and even then it is debatable...
 
A lot of questions I've experienced (on both sides of the table) are "situational" questions. Personally, I don't like asking them on an interview, but I don't mind so much answering them. One I had recently was something like this: "An auto body shop is preparing for a grand opening party, the mayor and several council members plan on attending. Upon final inspection, the inspector cited that the paint booth is not UL listed and failed the inspection. What would you do?" These types of questions give the opportunity for the applicant to show their knowledge, problem solving abilities, and general "soft skills".
 
Joe.B said:
A lot of questions I've experienced (on both sides of the table) are "situational" questions. Personally, I don't like asking them on an interview, but I don't mind so much answering them. One I had recently was something like this: "An auto body shop is preparing for a grand opening party, the mayor and several council members plan on attending. Upon final inspection, the inspector cited that the paint booth is not UL listed and failed the inspection. What would you do?" These types of questions give the opportunity for the applicant to show their knowledge, problem solving abilities, and general "soft skills".
Click to expand...
Tell them to not use the paint booth and enjoy the party....
 
Many years ago for an inspector position I was asked how many basketballs would fit in the room we were in. I was really caught off guard. The best I could do was quickly try to calculate the cubic foot of the room and divide by one. So I looked up, counted the ceiling tile, estimated to height etc. I think I said I don't like to guess at things as an inspector and if I didn't have a code section I never make it up, but that if I had too I would guess at ###(insert whatever number I came up with).

After I got the job I asked the interview what the point was. They said they look for someone who looks up to count the tile. At first, and especially before I understood their intent with the question, I thought it was stupid. Now I don't. Critical thinking is the single most glaring ability lacking today. Apparently in that moment I displayed some.
 
The lasted one I heard is they ask if you want a cup of coffee and after the interview they see if you make an effort to take the cup, ask what to do with it or if you leave it, your not getting hired.
 
My son in-law works in a gated facility and when an applicant drives through the security gate the guards send him a video of the vehicle they are driving. If it hasn't been washed in a while and the interior is cluttered especially the back seat it is a short interview because it is a representation of the type of worker he probably is. Disorganized, sloppy and will put in minimal effort.
 
You have conducted a fire/life safety inspection on an apartment complex and have found several violations. One you believe to be a serious life safety issue that should be dealt with immediately. You bring it to your supervisor’s attention, and he instructs you to follow the standard notification and 30 day correction time frame allowed in the code. How would you feel about this? What would you do to try and get immediate action on this violation?

I want someone who will comeback and bring this to my attention again (challenge my response). There are a number of reasons that I may have failed to understand the seriousness of the violation he was communicating.
 
1740609948288.png

HR did not like this one but it really shows how indecisive some one can be.


We normally do a background check on candidates prior to hiring them, is there anything in your background that we may find out during the check that you wish to tell us about?

This will get them talking about past indiscretions that will never show up in a background check.
 
Have you ever had to work with difficult and/or challenging clients (customers)?

How do you (or would you) handle conflict between yourself and other staff?

What do you feel contributes to a healthy workplace?

What does “being part of a team” mean to you?

How would you describe your ability to manage workloads, prioritize tasks, and communicate effectively?

What is your favorite type of work? (What do you enjoy most?)

What is your least favorite type of work?

Would you consider yourself to be a “people person”?

Do you feel that it’s more important to finish a task on time, or do it well?

Do you feel it’s better to ask for help or show independence?
 
mtlogcabin said:
My son in-law works in a gated facility and when an applicant drives through the security gate the guards send him a video of the vehicle they are driving. If it hasn't been washed in a while and the interior is cluttered especially the back seat it is a short interview because it is a representation of the type of worker he probably is. Disorganized, sloppy and will put in minimal effort.
Click to expand...

That's a false correlation. I'm a widower who lives alone. I haven't had a passenger in my car for a decade. The interior is extremely disorderly. Mechanically, it runs perfectly. When I was married to my second wife, the top of her dresser was pristine but the drawers looked like someone had set off a hand grenade in each of them. By contrast, the top of my bureau was visually messy but the drawers were Army inspection neat and organized. My plan review reports are concise, accurate, and informative. I usually have random papers lying on my desk, but the computer documents are organized and saved according to a strict organizational structure so that anyone in the department can find any one of my reports almost instantly.

Someone once said (or wrote) "A neat desk is a sign of a sick mind."
 
mtlogcabin said:
I have said that a few times when my desk is cluttered and messy
Click to expand...
On the first day of my current job they showed me to my office. My desk top had a couple coffee cup stains on it. The Village Manager came in and saw it and said she would get the desk re-finished. I told her not to worry as in a few days nobody is ever going to be able to see them.
 
She asked "Do you provide a laptop, and can I work from home?"

Are you a team player? "Not really, I play tennis and golf!"
 
I had an assistant office manager come to the contract city that I was assigned to while I was on vacation. She cleared it off my desk. There was fancy organizers. I had to call her at least a half dozen times to find out what she did with stuff. On the bright side, I found some things that I had given up on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top