As we stumble out of a worldwide pandemic, the economic consequences of the same confront us. In the current economic scenario, landing a job is pretty hard, so you don’t want to miss any of the shots you have.
This will be a wide overview of the interview process, something most of us dread and worry about. However after you’ve gone through this quick guide, you should be pretty well prepared for a normal interview. Specifically, we’ll tell you what to expect in an interview, the kind of questions you will probably be asked, and suitable answers for the same.
Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself?
This is a question you can expect without fail. Usually asked at the very beginning of an interview, your answer will set the tone for the entire interview. Give a brief and clear answer, highlighting the most relevant facts about yourself. There’s no need to give an overly extensive answer.
The key is to be short and clear, relevant work experience, relevant personal details, and a general comment about being happy to be at the interview will suffice. The interviewer is looking to know what your current situation is and an outline of why you fit the position.
Sample answer: “I have been working as a production worker at X, for the last few years. My duties include packaging and sorting, preventing damage and breaking by ensuring that the articles are in the proper place. I liked my job but I’ve been looking for a new position because of [specify reason]. I came across this position and thought it would be a perfect fit for my skills and would allow me to grow.
What are your professional strengths as a factory worker?
The interviewers are giving you a chance to highlight your professional strengths as a factory worker. The key to a good answer is to give a clear answer as to what your strengths are professional, without bragging or overdoing it.
You don’t need to give a speech about how great you are as a factory worker. Doing that is a pretty sure-fire way to leave a negative impression. So be honest about your strength, be specific and try to give an example of an incident that highlights it.
Sample answer: My greatest professional strength as a factory worker is XYZ. It has been what set me apart from other workers in the past. There was an incident at a previous job that I was able to solve because of XYZ.
What is your weakness as a production worker?
Everyone has a weakness, so there’s no need to pretend you don’t have one. In addition, do not try to pass off strength as a weakness. So, avoid saying my greatest weakness is my dedication to working long hours and so on.
Both of these will make the interviewer view you negatively. However, you also don’t want to say something that is an immediate deal-breaker. The best answer would highlight a specific weakness and would detail what you did to overcome that weakness. It is important to emphasize this subtly, in order to show that you can recognize and take necessary measures.
Sample Answer: My biggest weakness is X and I realized that it was holding me back at the workplace. Hence I have been taking the necessary steps to overcome this weakness. So far I’ve made considerable progress and I have significantly improved.
Why did you leave your previous job? (Related questions include, what you liked most or what you liked least, about your previous job)
This is a tricky question and has to be dealt with nuance. Try to be honest about made you leave your previous job but at the same time avoid making the answer sound too negative.
So avoid pinning all the blame on your previous employer, avoid making it sound like you left because of intense disappointment and such. You should try to paint a balanced picture that suggests that the job you’re applying for is the natural progression.
Sample Answer: I left my previous job because I realized it was time for me to move on. While the work was fine, I realized that I needed some new challenges and experiences. This was what led me to apply here as I think there’s considerable scope for new challenges.
What makes you right for this position?
This question is a crucial one in the interview process. Answering this well substantially increases your chance of being selected for the position.
What you need to show is that you know what they’re looking for and you can fit those criteria well. In order to answer this well, you need to have looked up what the position requires and have a basic understanding of the companies profile.
Sample answer: I feel that I have the qualities that are needed for this position. I’m hard working and have previous experience in the same sort of role.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Another extremely common question is about your future goals. This is a tricky one as you don’t want to say something that will make the interviewer think you’re going to leave the position quickly or that you don’t have any ambition at all.
Answer honestly, keeping in mind the possibility of progress in the job, the personal professional goals in your mind, and the company’s profile. If it’s a position that has good scope for progression don’t be hesitant to say that you see yourself moving up the ladder eventually. This also tells the employer you’re committed to the position.
Share a time when you willingly took on additional responsibilities or challenges. How did you successfully meet all of the demands of these responsibilities?
This is a good chance to impress the interviewers. If you’ve had any past experiences where you took on responsibilities and performed the tasks well, you should certainly give a detailed account.
In case you haven’t had any experiences you can simply talk about challenges you faced on the job. So if you had an incident where your work was stalled, you could talk about you solved it.
Share an experience in which you’ve successfully learned how to handle a new piece of equipment?
As a factory worker, you’ll be around machines for a huge part of your work. The current job market looks for employees who are flexible and quick to learn when introduced to new techniques and machines. So this is a question you can expect.
If you’ve had experience handling and adapting to new machines, be sure to present them. This question is looking to see how flexible a worker you are so don’t mention that you like sticking to old methods or that you find mastering new machines a hard thing to do.
Sample answer: I’ve always been very quick and eager to learn new methods and operate the machines. In my past job, there was a situation where a part of our manufacturing process was mechanized with a machine and I was quick to learn and adapt. This was helpful to my employer and I learned a lot in the process.
What motivates you at the workplace?
Employers want motivated workers, who are quick to take initiative and eager to work. So the interviewers will be expecting an answer that shows that you are an eager worker. A good answer to this question will be specific and believable.
Avoid vague generalizations and more importantly, never make the answer unbelievable. At the same time, avoid giving an answer on the lines of “I need to pay my bills”.
Sample Answer: I’ve always liked working with my hands and solving immediate issues and making things. Manufacturing involves all of that, so often I find the work enjoyable.
Tell me about a time when you helped resolve a dispute among your coworkers?
Since manufacturing jobs often involve close cooperation with your coworkers and working on products that need absolute attention. So, a workplace with disputes is not desirable.
Employers thus seek workers who are good at negotiating workplace disputes and dealing with their fellow workers. The answer to this question should be tailored to show that you helped them solve the issue in a civil manner.
This is also an opportunity to show your leadership skills. If you don’t have any disputes you mediated or helped resolve, you can talk about how helped prevent disputes by being a calm presence and defusing potential disputes.
Either way, don’t put all the spotlight on yourself and narrate it in such a way that it seems your mediation was low-key and normal.
Sample Answer: In my last workplace, there was a dispute between two fellow workers over a small matter in the cafeteria. I sensed that this might be a lead-up to a larger and more intractable dispute, so I talked to each of them separately and helped them see the other person’s perspective. It was helpful in solving the dispute.
Are you willing to work overtime or odd hours?
As a factory worker, often there will be periods where production might need to be increased drastically.
This calls for all workers to work longer times, and such matters often arise at short notice. Thus employers will be looking to see how willing you are to work late or unusual hours. While answering this question, be honest and state whether you’re willing or not, directly.
There’s no point in telling the employer you’re willing to work odd hours and then be upset when they ask you to do so. If you do tell them that you’re willing, lay out some clear boundaries and make your expectations clear. Overtime and extra work should be compensated fairly. In addition, you should be clear that such occasions for extra work must be rare.
Sample answer: As a worker, I’m willing to work the occasional odd hours and do some overtime work. In my previous job, I often had working hours that were unpredictable and I was able to deal with it successfully. I expect that such work is adequately compensated and is not a regular occurrence.
How do you prioritize your work?
As a factory worker, you’ll often have a lot of tasks on your hands, each of which might have a certain time period in which it has to be completed. In such a scenario, the ability to prioritize is absolutely crucial.
Employers will be looking for workers to possess such qualities and your answer should convince them you’re able to prioritize and manage your workload.
Thus your answer should tell them your personal method of managing your tasks. More importantly, you should tell them that you have a strong track record of delivering on time. If possible, tell them of a time where there were multiple competing tasks that were urgent and how you dealt with that situation.
Sample Answer: I’ve become capable of prioritizing tasks and ensuring that everything is done on time, mainly because of my previous work experiences. At my last job, there were times when I had to attend to multiple things in a very short period of time and I’ve designed a system that works for me.
Tell me about your ability to work under pressure?
This is closely related to the question above. Handling pressure is something that every manufacturing worker must be able to do. Hence workers should prepare their answers such that it is clear that they have the ability to work under pressure.
As in other cases, the best way of showing this is by giving examples of times you’ve worked under pressure in the past. This need not be in a manufacturing position, what is important is that you should be clear that you work well under stress.
Try to keep your answer direct and short. A good answer will briefly tell the interviewer about your comfort with working under stress and give an example.
Sample Answer: I’ve learned to work well under stress. My previous jobs were in positions that were under time constraints and hence there was a lot of pressure to deliver on time. I was able to do my job well as I was able to keep a cool and calm head.
Could you give an example of a time when you faced a challenge or conflict at work? How did you resolve it?
Workplace conflicts and challenges are inevitable in a worker’s life. These can pop up over any issue, no matter how small, and can make a big impact on how well a worker does his job.
A distracted worker is more likely to make mistakes, thus putting him and others at risk. So employers are keen to hire employees who are good at diffusing conflict and work through proper channels to resolve workplace conflicts. Your answer should highlight your ability to face a challenge or conflict and give examples of past difficulties you overcame.
In case you are asked about challenges in your workplace, remember to keep the focus on how you solved the issue and moved on. Employers will be quick to note if your answers dwell excessively on the problems with management or workplace issues.
Sample Answer: At my last job, the packaging of the products was handled by me and another worker. There was a period in which he would slack off, thus leading to delays and overtime. I resolved this issue by discussing it with him and swapping certain duties. This was a mutually beneficial decision and we worked much better after that.
Give me an example of when you thought outside of the box. How did it help your employer?
Employers are looking for people who will innovate and increase production. Workers who can be out-of-the-box thinkers are highly valued for the benefits they bring the firm.
If you’re not exactly the innovative type, you might feel that you’re in trouble. Don’t worry too much as the interviewers usually don’t expect every candidate to be an innovative problem solver.
You could try to answer by narrating some past difficulties you had at work and how you resolved that. At the very least it shows that you are a problem solver. If you do have a great example, be sure to highlight it. A good answer to this particular question can go a long way in ensuring that you clinch the job.
Sample Answer: At my last job, there was a lot of delay on the production floor due to the layout of certain workspaces. I suggested changes that ensured that the flow was much smoother, this lead to a cut down in production time and a subsequent increase in productivity.
I like what I’m hearing but we’ve got a ton of great candidates. Why should we hire you?
This is an invitation by the interviewer to make a strong pitch as to why you should be hired. Giving a great answer to this question often means that you can get the job.
As a rule of thumb, a good answer to this question would cover your strengths, how you are a good fit for the position and how the company can benefit. The important thing is to make the interviewer see that hiring you will be a benefit to them. Thus make sure that your answer is framed with reference to the company.
Sample Answer: I think I would be a great addition to your company as I’m a dedicated and disciplined worker who has previous experience in the field. I have considerable experience and that coupled with my flexibility and willingness to adapt will make me a natural fit for the position.
How did you come to find out about our company and what do you know about us?
This is a question which when answered correctly could show your interest in the field and for the job. Make sure to have researched the company’s background, specifically their history and performance over the last few years.
If they’ve been in the news for something positive or if they’ve won an award, be sure to mention those. You could also highlight that you came to know of the hiring in a pandemic, which shows that the company is sure to grow surely and steadily.
These are broadly the questions you can expect to be asked in an interview for a factory worker. These questions are a mix of general and specific questions, designed to see how good a worker you are in general.
Questions about Manufacturing
There are also specific questions you could be asked regarding manufacturing. Answering these questions requires that you have a background in and firm understanding of the manufacturing process. You’ll need to rely on yourself and be prepared before the interview. However, there are some manufacturing questions that are common. We’ll look at a few of them here.
Were there times when you found it difficult to operate or fix a piece of machinery? How did you resolve it?
You can expect to be asked this question if the position deals with operating machinery or if you’ve said that you have previous experience with heavy machinery. Answer this question to the best of your knowledge. You might want to stress how you learned to fix and keep the machinery in working condition.
What are some factors that can impact the process of manufacturing?
Employers hiring for the position of a manufacturing factory worker will expect you to have an overview of the process of manufacturing. This will include an idea as to what sort of factors impact the process.
Thus, it is important to demonstrate your familiarity with the manufacturing process. The major factors are the people on the job as well as the equipment and the supplies necessary to manufacture items.
Can you explain the importance of a quality management system (QMS)?
A big part of being a factory worker is understanding how your firm makes products. This is going to be information that is very valuable and should not be shared.
In addition, there will be a certain specified procedure to be followed while manufacturing, which will be designed to be compliant with the relevant laws. All of this is part of the quality management system or QMS. It controls the information about how the company creates a product, including safety checks and quality control.
Knowing what QMS means is proof that you understand the importance of company information, including safety procedures and documentation. Highlight the impact QMS has on work in a factory and on the business as a whole.
Can you explain the acronym “BOM?”
A BOM or a “bill of materials,” is used to list the things that are necessary for production. This is common terminology within the industry and you will be expected to know it. Answer briefly, stating what the term refers to and your previous experience in dealing with it.
Explain the difference between lean and just-in-time manufacturing.
This has become an important question, especially after Covid. Just-in-time manufacturing is a method of manufacturing that emphasizes a continuous process of reducing time within the production system.
This includes reducing the time between the transfer of products from supplier to manufacturers and from manufacturers to distributors. Reducing waste without sacrificing the efficiency of a production line is the task of lean manufacturing.
Much of global manufacturing was structured around just-in-time manufacturing and this lead to problems as countries shut down their borders. This might lead to a change in the production change in the future and knowing this shows you’re aware of the larger contexts of the industry.
Conclusion
As with a lot of other things, manufacturing hit a massive roadblock due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This led to a lot of initial layoffs and closures of factories but things are slowly going back to pre-pandemic levels.
This means that there are going to be a lot of openings for factory jobs. Another important piece of the puzzle is the probable reshaping of global supply chains, which will again give rise to jobs in the manufacturing sector. So getting a job will allow you to gain experience and progress quickly. With this guide, hopefully, you are prepared to face an interview.
Doing well in an interview often just boils down to how calm you are, so make sure that you’re in a cool state of mind while you enter the interview. Keeping the pointers in mind will enable you to craft answers that are likely to impress employers. If you have a lot of tension, you can practice a day or two beforehand, by asking your friends or family to conduct mock interviews.
You should look at the interview as a minor step and not stress unduly. We wish you all the best and do tell us if our tips helped you clear that interview. Best of luck!