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Interview questions for machinist...top 5

vonblowseph

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 11, 2010
Location
athens ohio
Howdy,

I'm hiring my first employee since I am the shop manager now. Tomorrow is the first interview candidate. The position we are hiring for is machinist/welder/toolmaker.

Gimme your top five questions for this person.

I'm trying to find the perfect employee keep in mind.

sample questions?
1. Do you attend practical machinist website chatter?
2. Do you enjoy smoking or chewing in the shop?
3. How have the Chinese affected your employment?
4. Do you think a Bridgeport style vertical mill is an insult to the machine shop when compared to a horizontal mill?
5. Do you mind Michael Jackson's music in the shop?

see it's easy.

thanks,
Joey
 
Ask what type of cell phone he uses and if he's heard of texting, if he spends more than 3 seconds telling you about all its snazzy features, I'd tell him to google map his way home.

" can we pay you Net90? " aha :D
 
I think one of the best and legal ways to find information is to say "Tell me a little about yourself", then give them a chance to respond. If you keep quiet they usually will get into why they are looking for a job, hobbies, family, stuff they don't put on their resume. I've learned to take notes when interviewing if you are going to interview several.
 
Ask them, if the put salt on their watermelon.

Also do they mind if they "weigh in" when coming to work and "weigh out" when leaving.

To see if they have taken anything. ( Or have extremely large bowel movements.):D






JAckal:cheers:
 
First show him...

... around the shop and encourage questions. Ask him about where he worked or works. What equipment they had. What did he like about his last job, what he did not like about it.

After you have returned to the interview room, have three parts sitting on the table. Hand him the easiest part and print first, say "Based on the equipment here, how would you make one of these?"

Then take the next toughest part and print and ask him how he would make 10 of those? Same, with the last part, but now, how about 1000 of them.

Alternately, as for the toolmaker side, ask him how he would make a fixture to say... bend a part or hold a part for welding or machining.

Ask him how he would weld a part you have.

You learn a lot this way and say as little as you can guiding him. Only answer questions he ask.

1) You can tell if he can read the print.

2) If he can plan out his job.

3) How much supervision he would need. How independently he can work, is he self starting, with minimal instructions or would you need to give him a lot of step by step instructions.


4) What equipment he can use in your shop based on what he picks to use.


6) Listen closely to what he says, if somethine he makes no sense to you, then ask him to explain that detail because he may be trying to BS his way through. Then steer him back to the original point in the conversation, don't let it get sidetracked.


Try not to do too much talking, as most of your information about him will come from his talking.

Steve:codger:
 
... around the shop and encourage questions. Ask him about where he worked or works. What equipment they had. What did he like about his last job, what he did not like about it.

After you have returned to the interview room, have three parts sitting on the table. Hand him the easiest part and print first, say "Based on the equipment here, how would you make one of these?"

Then take the next toughest part and print and ask him how he would make 10 of those? Same, with the last part, but now, how about 1000 of them.

Alternately, as for the toolmaker side, ask him how he would make a fixture to say... bend a part or hold a part for welding or machining.

Ask him how he would weld a part you have.

You learn a lot this way and say as little as you can guiding him. Only answer questions he ask.

1) You can tell if he can read the print.

2) If he can plan out his job.

3) How much supervision he would need. How independently he can work, is he self starting, with minimal instructions or would you need to give him a lot of step by step instructions.


4) What equipment he can use in your shop based on what he picks to use.


6) Listen closely to what he says, if somethine he makes no sense to you, then ask him to explain that detail because he may be trying to BS his way through. Then steer him back to the original point in the conversation, don't let it get sidetracked.


Try not to do too much talking, as most of your information about him will come from his talking.

Steve:codger:

That was really good, and worth reading again.
 
That was really good, and worth reading again.

Agreed.

Also if his cell phone goes off during the interview that's a major strike against him, if he answers it show him the door. Even in this economy a good potential employee will already have a job, but he may be searching for a better option. Just make sure he's not using your offer to up his pay where he currently employed.
 
Howdy,

I'm hiring my first employee since I am the shop manager now. Tomorrow is the first interview candidate. The position we are hiring for is machinist/welder/toolmaker.

Gimme your top five questions for this person.

I'm trying to find the perfect employee keep in mind.

sample questions?
1. Do you attend practical machinist website chatter?
2. Do you enjoy smoking or chewing in the shop?
3. How have the Chinese affected your employment?
4. Do you think a Bridgeport style vertical mill is an insult to the machine shop when compared to a horizontal mill?
5. Do you mind Michael Jackson's music in the shop?

see it's easy.

thanks,
Joey

I would show him/her some, chips, a broken tool, a scrapped part,.. etc, and ask him/her to tell you what happened.


3.
4. CNC??
5.
 
After the tour, ask 'What surprised you about what you saw here?'

How did you get along with your previous employers? (if he hated them, he'll hate you too.)

Does does criticism affect your day?

What is your idea of the ideal employee? (My preferred answer is 'someone who looks for new ways to contribute' but I haven't had it yet.)

Ask open ended questions, that allow/require him to answer at length. No yes/no answers.


What would you be doing if money and time were no object? If he says traveling/fishing/golfing, etc he's more concerned about time off than working. If he says opening my own business,(and what kind of business is relevant) or racing or something ambitious, he likes to work.

Most people never get these kind of questions, so be prepared for a deer in the headlights look. Make him comfortable so he can relax and think about his answers.
 
Agreed.

Also if his cell phone goes off during the interview that's a major strike against him, if he answers it show him the door. Even in this economy a good potential employee will already have a job, but he may be searching for a better option. Just make sure he's not using your offer to up his pay where he currently employed.

Sounds like me at the last job I had, was in the office with my boss and the HR guy, they were in the middle of their "We think your more of a self employed type person" speech and my cell goes off, its my main customer with a $15,000 order.
 
Sounds like me at the last job I had, was in the office with my boss and the HR guy, they were in the middle of their "We think your more of a self employed type person" speech and my cell goes off, its my main customer with a $15,000 order.


Love it! "You're right, seeya!"
 
The first thing I would do is hand the guy/gal a mic that's set to something like 0.2757" and ask him to tell you what the reading is. Then hand him a 6" scale and say "show me where 3.400" is on this scale". Then move up to the more advanced questions that "scadvice" suggested. You may end the interview a lot sooner than if you give the guy a tour, etc. Which could be a waste of your time if he doesn't know the basics.
 
questions

1,Ask him if he would consent to a drug test,and criminal history evaluation

2, Ask him sports questions, If he rattles on and on, you can bet he'll spend a lot of time at the water cooler, distracting others.[We had guys that could tell you every point spread,and every statistic] But couldn't read a rule.

3 , Ask him to solve some math problems.

4 , Ask him if he has health problems or allergies,IE coolant,cutting fluids, welding fumes,
afraid of heights or tight spaces,

5 , Ask him what is the correct color; To paint a 50 year old South Bend, and if it will still operate satisfactorally without an original work light.

6, Ask him if he's ever been banned on Practical Machinist, for potty mouthing the moderator

7, My favorite from high school[50 yrs ago] Was an instructor gave us a timed written test,
The top had a fill out for your name and address. The first line on the sheet had the directions, Do not fill out the answers to the following questions.
followed by 20 or so questions of varying complexity.

This was a test to see if we could follow written directions. More than 50% of the class failed.
dave [acme thread]
 
Howdy,

I'm hiring my first employee since I am the shop manager now. Tomorrow is the first interview candidate. The position we are hiring for is machinist/welder/toolmaker.

Gimme your top five questions for this person.

I'm trying to find the perfect employee keep in mind.

Joey

Helo there Mr ... Joey...

First question....Does this job pay $20/hr plus bennies??
If it does, we can talk... if not....see ya later.... find another "Joey"
 
The first thing I would do is hand the guy/gal a mic that's set to something like 0.2757" and ask him to tell you what the reading is. Then hand him a 6" scale and say "show me where 3.400" is on this scale". Then move up to the more advanced questions that "scadvice" suggested. You may end the interview a lot sooner than if you give the guy a tour, etc. Which could be a waste of your time if he doesn't know the basics.

Better yet.... ask him to mike a pin, Watch how he handles the tool.
 








 
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