Preparing for an interview for a janitorial supervisor position can be as daunting as the interview process itself. Insecurity and lack of confidence are almost always prevalent even if you have plenty of experience in hand.
Things can become quite tricky if you do not prepare for an interview before you appear for one.
Even if you feel confident that you can the janitorial supervisor interview, take some time out to prepare for the interview. A little bit of extra effort at this point can save you from a lot of grievances at a later stage.
For a janitorial supervisor position, have a look at the following set of interview questions and answers:
Janitorial Supervisor Interview Questions and Answers
1. Why are you interested in this position?
I have been associated with the same field for the past 5 years and this vacancy is very nearby my place of residence. Also, your team has a very well-known reputation and I would like to be a part of it.
2. Out of all the other candidates, why should we hire you?
You should hire me because I offer a successful track in managing the cleanliness needs of large facilities. I bring top leadership qualities, as well as skills in janitorial staff management. Moreover, I am exceptionally talented in:
- Creating and implementing schedules for janitorial staff members
- Ensuring that they are provided with the tools and supplies that they need to work with
- Overseeing janitorial activities to ensure that they conform to standards and policies
- Assisting staff members by providing deep insight into handling difficult tasks
- Making sure that staff training and development needs are fulfilled
- Handling recruitment and induction activities
3. What are your top three professional strengths?
I believe my strong interpersonal and communication skills, expertise in team management and staff scheduling, and understanding of sanitation guidelines are my top three professional strengths.
4. What type of skills does one need in order to work successfully as a janitorial supervisor?
The ability to effectively create and lead a team of janitorial staff members, exceptional organizational skills, deep knowledge of safety precautions and regulations, the capability of providing ongoing training to staff members, and insight into using and maintaining tools and equipment associated with the trade are just some of the main skills that a janitorial supervisor requires in order to work effectively.
5. What is the maximum number of people that you have supervised?
In my previous job, I was responsible for overseeing the work of 2 janitorial teams – each team has 12 members in it.
6. How do you ensure the efficacy of so many team members’ work?
I am a great communicator and I believe that solid communication between people is the key to ensuring that everyone works well within their assigned areas. I strive hard to make sure that I keep in constant touch with my team members to ensure that they know what they’re supposed to be doing.
7. Where safety measures are concerned, what is your particular way to deal?
I take the safety of my staff, people within the building (executives, visitors, and customers), and the building itself very seriously. My staff receives constant training to ensure that they use cleaning equipment and supplies by following certain protocols, and I make sure that cautionary boards are placed on all dangerous surfaces.
8. What made you choose this work as a career?
It took 6 years of working as a janitor to train me for the position that I am working in now. I have always been obsessed with cleaning and maintenance and figured that making a career out of it is just what I need to do to be happy with my work!
9. Share a difficult situation you faced at your previous job and how you handled it.
Last year near Christmas I was short of staff. Three workers took a vacation to visit their hometown and two fell ill. It was a particularly difficult time, I held a meeting with my team, explained the situation, and asked for their cooperation. They filled in and were paid for extra hours and thus I was able to handle the situation.
10. What kind of work environment do you like best?
I like work environments where every employee is valued and listened to. I believe if the team is strong it is always more productive.
11. What is your leadership style?
I would say authoritative. I do give direction but I allow the employees to choose their means of attaining the defined goals and fulfilling the given tasks.
12. Tell me how you think other people would describe you?
Other people would describe me as a strong communicator, a good manager, and a detail-oriented individual.
13. What can we expect from you in your first three months?
You can expect me to take up the assigned roles and deliver my duties satisfactorily within the first three months of employment.
14. What criteria do you follow when assigning tasks to janitorial staff?
I assess each staff member’s strengths and weaknesses and then while scheduling I keep these in mind, however, I also make sure that the work distribution is balanced.
15. How do you address the issue of recurring staff absences?
If a staff member is recurrently absent, I call them to the office and explain to them that this is not acceptable, and if the behavior persists then I issue a written warning that leads to termination upon recurrence.
16. How do you make sure that all janitorial staff is performing efficiently?
I maintain the staff’s weekly progress charts and carry out routine checks to gauge their performance by inspecting the assigned areas.
17. How do you handle a situation where a staff member is underperforming?
I call the worker to the office and politely explain the lacking of their work quality. I also provide training in the lacking skills. Usually with constant follow-ups, the employees learn the lacking skills and become productive workers very soon.
18. Share a recent experience where you worked with your hands.
I am often doing tasks where I am required to work with my hands. For example last month one of our heavy duty vacuum cleaners broke. I worked on it manually for 2 hours and got it fixed.
19. How do you train new staff members?
New staff receives an orientation in their first week in which their roles, job duties, and work-related expectations are clearly communicated to them. After that, they are attached to a senior worker for two weeks to gain hands-on experience, upon completion of the training period they are assigned independent tasks.
20. Are you capable of fulfilling the physical demands of the position?
I am a physically fit individual with strong eye-hand coordination and the ability to stand up for long periods of time. I am fully capable to fulfill the physical demands that come with this job.
21. How do you evaluate success as a janitorial supervisor?
I set targets for my team as issued by my employers and completion of those targets pertaining to maintenance and cleanliness is considered a success in the capacity of a janitorial supervisor.
22. What measures would you take to control the spread of disease in a facility?
I ensure regular sanitization and fumigation of the premises and all countertops and points of contact for customers are sanitized on regular basis to control the spread of any disease. The disposal of garbage is also done in a safe manner to further ensure the same.
23. How do you handle issues related to damage to cleaning equipment?
If any cleaning equipment is damaged I investigate the matter, if there is any ambiguity regarding who caused the damage then I include other workers/ witnesses in my investigations or refer to CCTV footage if available. After ascertaining the loss due to damage and the intention that caused it, I follow company policy for penalty or fine imposition as and where applicable.
24. How do you ensure that all cleaning equipment is in order and functional?
I have developed weekly checklists and Performa to ensure this. All cleaning equipment and machinery are regularly checked for functionality and periodic services are also done to ensure the longevity of the same.
25. How do you forecast stock inventory needs?
I maintain the stock inventory regularly and update it daily which enables me to reorder the stock timely.