The 10 Best Interview Questions to Ask Your Candidates for a Factory or Warehouse Job

If you run a factory or warehouse, you know how difficult it can be to hire the right staff. Whether you’re filling full-time or part-time roles, it is challenging identifying the right people that will fit in with your company and get the job done. An important part of hiring is the interview process. Even if you only spend ten minutes talking to the candidate, you can learn a lot about them and ascertain whether they are the right person for the job – only if you ask the best interview questions. If you ask the wrong questions, you’ll just end up with information that isn’t useful to helping you make your hiring decision. Instead, go with these tried, tested, and true questions.

The 10 best interview questions to ask your candidates

1.    Why are you applying for this position?

It’s a simple question, but it’s worth asking. Typically, people apply for jobs at factories or warehouses because they need an income. However, often, there are other aspects of the job that might appeal to them, such as flexible scheduling or the job’s location. Learning what appeals them about the role is a good place to start the interview.

2.    What skills and strengths can you bring to this position?

This question helps you determine whether the candidate is a fit for the position. If their answer matches up with your job requirements, it’s a good sign. If it doesn’t, they might not be right choice. For example, if you’re looking for someone who is highly organized but the candidate says their strengths lie more in communication rather than logistics, than you may need to go with someone else.

3.    Do you prefer to work alone or as a team?

There is really no right or wrong answer to this question, but it’s a good one to ask depending on the type of job you’re looking to fill. There are many roles in a factory or warehouse that are largely solitary, and these may be a better fit for people who prefer to work alone. However, if you put someone who prefers to work in a team in a solitary role, they may not perform as well as if they had a role working with others.

4.    Can you tell me more about your current (or previous) job?

More than anything, this question helps you understand how well the candidate communicates. However, it can also be a window into the kind of work they did, what they liked about it, and where they had any difficulties. The answer will also help you understand how much the candidate understood about their role and their value to the company.

5.    How would your previous coworkers describe you?

This is question helps the candidate show off their personality a little bit. Learning how others who work with them view them is important so you can determine whether this kind of person will fit in with your current employees. It also gives the candidate a change to highlight their best traits. For example, if the candidate says their coworkers would describe them as talkative and friendly, but most people on your team are quiet, they may not fit in as well.

6.    Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with your boss or colleague and how you handled it.

This isn’t an easy question to answer and most candidates will have trouble with it. However, disagreements happen in the workplace – it’s a natural occurrence. How someone deals with them tells you about their character and integrity. It also helps you understand how the candidate may deal with conflict at your factory or warehouse.

7.    How well do you work under pressure?

Many warehouses and factories have specific quotas the employees need to meet on a daily basis, and can this can put pressure on the team to excel in their performance. If the candidate says they balk under pressure, it may be a sign that they won’t be able to meet the quotas for the role. It could also mean they haven’t developed the skills needed to work under pressure.

8.    Tell me about an accomplishment that makes you proud outside of work.

People are so much more than their output at work. it’s nice to be able to give candidates an opportunity to talk about other aspects of their lives, such as their family, their home, or their hobbies. You may learn more about them through this question which will help you see whether they are right for your company. For example, if the candidate is most proud of building their own deck in the backyard, for example, it shows they are handy, can learn new skills, and like DIY projects.

9.    What is a weakness you’re working on?

Nobody is perfect, and every candidate has a weakness. The important part is that they recognize they have something about them they need to improve and that they take steps to work on themselves. This is an important question to ask, especially if you’re hiring for a team leader or manager position. This position should lead by example, so working on their weaknesses is key.

10. Do you have any questions for me?

Always provide the candidate with an opportunity to ask you questions. Many candidates have specific questions regarding start dates, pay, benefits, and schedules, and it’s good to talk about all of these aspects upfront. It shows that the candidate takes this interview seriously and are looking forward to getting to work at your factory or warehouse.

You don’t have to go through the hiring process alone!



If you don’t have a dedicated human resources person that focuses on hiring new staff, then you’re probably overwhelmed with this task. Don’t worry – you’re not in it alone. When you work with Noble Human Resources Solutions, we handle all the details of hiring for you – including asking them the best interview questions to determine whether the candidate is right for your company. All you have to do is tell us how many staff you need, for which roles, and when, and we’ll do the rest. All of our talent has completed safety training and is ready to get started at your factory or warehouse today. Just fill out this Employer Contact Form and we’ll do the rest for you.