15 Tips to Help You Prepare For Facility Manager Interview Questions

Facilities management is a thriving industry with a 2020 market value of USD 40.41 billion, and further increase expected in the coming years. After all, facilities managers are an essential part of every organization, who keep the organization running efficiently and productively. Their job description includes providing, maintaining, and developing services like planning installations, inspecting building structures, and managing contracts.

With so many crucial tasks that facilities managers handle and supervise; it is the job that holds any organization together. Thus, it is one of the most sought-after positions in any company with a selective interview phase.

Interviews are stressful, to begin with, but for facilities managers, they can be even more overwhelming. As with any interview, the key is to be prepared. Below, we have compiled a list of facility manager interview questions and some tips that can help you ace your interview.

15 Useful Tips for Interview Preparation

Having reviewed some important questions, here are some general tips that can help you prepare for the interview for the facilities manager position: doing your research about the company, practicing expected questions, keep up-to-date with the trends, and knowing your experiences, strengths and weaknesses among other things.

1. Do Your Homework on the Company

2. Research the Interviewers

3. Practice Answers to Expected Questions

4. Know Your Job Description

5. Prepare Relevant Examples from the Previous Job

6. Read up on the Latest Facilities Management Trends

7. Practice Good Listening Skills

8. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

9. Remember Your Resume Details

10. Prepare Your Questions

11. Get Enough Sleep

12. Pack Your Documents and Essentials

13. Dress for the Job

14. Be Punctual

15. Relax Before the Interview

1. Do Your Homework on the Company

You should know all the details about the company you are interviewing for, including its mission, goals, and competitors. Your research should be thorough and broad so that you can answer why you applied for the facilities manager position there.

Read from multiple sources, including their website and social media pages. Remember to take notes so you can review them before the interview day. Try to align your own goals and needs with the company.

2. Research the Interviewers

Before the interview day, get a list of all the people from the organization you are expected to meet. Apart from their position in the organization, you should find out about their hiring procedures, any specific questions they might ask, and the qualities they are looking for.

This can help you know the company better and increase the chances of being hired for the position by getting to know about the company's personnel. Keep your search to strictly professional capacities, and avoid looking for personal information.

3. Practice Answers to Expected Questions

As mentioned above, the facilities manager interview questions are some of the common questions to expect from the interview. You can find more questions that are specific to the organization relevant to your line of work.

List down any common questions you can think of or are aware of from previous or second-hand experiences and try to practice answering them as if you were sitting in front of the interview panel. When responding, always try to remain concise, professional, and confident.

4. Know Your Job Description

Each company will have its description for facilities management. For example, it can be broadly divided into hard and soft facilities management, physical assets, and employee management.

You must compare the job description to your own goals, skills, and experiences and assess whether you fit those criteria. Most organizations will ask questions related to this topic, so be prepared for it.

5. Prepare Relevant Examples from the Previous Job

Facility manager interview questions will often ask about your previous work experience. For example, you might be asked about a time you managed conflict within your team, an instance you worked well under stress, or any event that showcased your quick decision-making.

You must recall you're relevant experiences before the interview to answer these questions confidently. Writing them down can be quite helpful as well.

6. Read up on the Latest Facilities Management Trends

It is important to know the latest trends even if you are not asked directly in the interview. Knowing the information and skills about the latest trends in the field will help you answer other questions more confidently and show your competence.

Do some research regarding the latest trends in facilities management. Try to expand the scope of your sources and data to get a deeper look into it.

7. Practice Good Listening Skills

Good listening skill is an invaluable asset for facilities managers, but it is also important for successful interviews. You must listen to the questions carefully, think about them, and understand them before answering. During your practice interview, foster good listening skills by pausing after every question, thinking about it, and then giving the best answer. Don't rush into answering.

8. Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses

A commonly asked interview question for any position is to enlist your strengths and weaknesses. It is crucial to know what your strong and weak points are – they can help you answer all questions better and keep you from getting stressed. You can also successfully steer the conversation towards your strengths and away from your weaknesses. The key is, to be honest with yourself.

9. Remember Your Resume Details

You will most likely be asked about your previous work details, which are mentioned on your resume. Sometimes, a detail or two can slip your mind, and it can lead to an embarrassing situation. Be sure to review your resume before heading into the interview. Recall the basic details of your previous positions and a few important experiences that shaped your professional abilities.

10. Prepare Your Questions

The interview is your chance to ask about any aspects of the company you want to know about. This can include the opportunities for growth and promotion, any particular challenges you should know about, and the company's future direction. Think of any questions you want to ask, and note them down. Don't be afraid to ask any questions that you think are important. Please review them before heading in to make sure you don't forget them.

11. Get Enough Sleep

Do not head into the room with sleep deprivation. Finish your research and studying earlier, so you don't have to sacrifice your sleep, and don't lose your sleep by trying to over-prepare for the interview. It's important to get a good night's sleep before an important interview. It will prevent stress from building up and make you refreshed and vigilant enough to answer the questions effectively.

12. Pack Your Documents and Essentials

On the night before the interview, pack your documents and essentials. Documents include your resume, portfolio, references, and cover letters. Pack several copies of each document to be safe. Other essential items include pens, a notepad, napkins, and a water bottle. Pack everything neatly into a bag or briefcase. Recheck the items in the morning to make sure you didn't forget anything.

13. Dress for the Job

The facilities manager is a prestigious job that requires the proper attire. Dressing appropriately for the interview is a professional requirement and confidence booster. It also creates an excellent first impression.
So pick your finest professional outfit with good fitting. Make sure everything is ironed and clean. For a significant interview, consider keeping a backup outfit in case you spill something on your clothes.

14. Be Punctual

Being punctual is not only an important worth ethic, but it also saves you from a lot of unnecessary stress. Leave your house early, and be at the given address at least half an hour earlier. Keep track of the traffic to make sure you don't get stuck on the road. Leave according to the road situation, and arrive early to give yourself time to settle down.

15. Relax Before the Interview

Interviews are stressful and nerve-racking, no matter how many you have gone through. Therefore, right before the interview, it is important to try to relax. After making sure you have all the essentials and reviewing your notes, you must take some time to calm your nerves. Take a few minutes to gather your composure so you can answer the questions calmly.

Facilities Manager Interviews: Top Questions

Let's look at some facilities manager interview questions as asked by the interview panel and their answers. Whether it is a remotely conducted interview or an in-person interview, these facilities management job interview questions and answers will help you.

1. In your opinion, what is the most important quality a facilities manager should have?

There are several valuable and important qualities a facilities manager should have. These include personal qualities like listening skills, motivation, proactivity, and professional qualities like data analysis, technological prowess, and quick decision-making.

It would help if you answered by considering your own experiences. Be sure to substantiate your answer with reasons and examples. If, for instance, you say that quick decision-making is the most important quality to have, then elaborate on how decision-making can boost the organization on multiple levels.

2. How do you use data and statistics for decision-making?

This is one of the most important facility manager interview questions. Analyzing, interpreting, and creating all kinds of data, including statistics and metrics, is one of the most important skills to have as a facilities manager.
Here it would be best to give examples of how you have used data in your previous job. For example, you can talk about how you interpreted market trends from graphs and numerical data to promote your company's sales.

3. How do you keep up with the latest facility management trends?

Facilities management is a dynamic field. Therefore, it's important to keep up with the changing trends by knowing about them and developing the new skills required to succeed. Here, you can highlight your experiences of how you keep updated using internet resources like blogs and articles to gain information about the changing trends, take new courses, and attend workshops or seminars for skill development.

4. How would you manage your team as a facilities manager?

This is one of the most common facility manager interview questions out there. It would be best if you answered with experiences and the skills that are important in team management. Mention the significance of effective communication through good listening and flexible thinking. Motivation and empowerment of your team members by creating a safe, competitive, and professional environment that fosters the growth and potential of each individual and promotes teamwork.

5. How do you deal with stressful situations?

The nature of the facilities manager job demands that you effectively handle stressful situations. Stress management and being composed in stressful situations is thus an invaluable asset of a facilities manager. You can narrate instances of high-stress situations which you successfully dealt with. Focus on how your composure and judgment positively helped the organization, for example, averting a financial crisis that led to a boost in the company's sales.

6. How do you infuse technology at the workplace to deliver a superior workplace experience?

A big part of facilities management is to use software-based solutions and strategies to boost efficiency and save time – this can be especially useful as one of the facility management electrical interview questions. You should mention relevant experiences and skills with basic and advanced IT. One of the best answers that showcase your technological inclination is to mention the use of Mailroom - it is one of the finest mailroom management software. This not only shows your tech-savviness but also that you prioritize efficiency, organization, and cost-effectiveness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I prepare for a facilities manager interview?

Do your research about the company, prepare a list of expected questions, and keep up with the latest trends in the field. Generally, being punctual, knowing your resume, dressing professionally, and maintaining composure are good ways to be prepared.

Q. What makes you a good fit for the role of facility manager?

Being a good fit for the position is about having the right skills and experience. Important skills include composure, communication, IT and data analysis proficiency, problem-solving, and decision-making. Experience for facilities manager positions can include leadership roles, crisis management, team-building, and administrative tasks.

Q. What are a facilities manager's responsibilities?

Facilities management includes all the tools and services that integrate and support the operation of an organization's property, assets, and infrastructure, but exact responsibilities can vary. Some responsibilities include management of human resources and projects, communication and coordination, and technological integration.

Q. What should a facility manager know?

Many skills are important for a facility manager; these include communication, risk management, performance and quality, leadership, decision-making, and technology management

Q. Who does the facilities manager report to?

That depends on the size, structure, and nature of the organization. For example, a facility manager can report to the CEO, regional director, operations head, or account manager, depending on the organization.

Q. Why is facilities management so important?

Facilities management is an important sector of any organization because it helps manage and maintain the personnel, assets, and buildings, enables cost-effectiveness, improves efficiency, and maintains compliance within the organization.

Facilities managers are some of the most crucial members of any organization, which means high demand for the position. Therefore, interviews for the job can be quite competitive and selective. +To be successful for your facilities manager interview, go through the questions mentioned above, and use the tips to prepare for the interview. With sufficient preparation, the facilities manager position is as good as yours!