Describe the job as it is
Maintenance candidates need to know the assets they will touch and the situations they will face. Name the types of equipment, controls and utilities, the planned-versus-reactive work mix, and whether the role includes callouts. State the shift, overtime expectations and salary range up front.
Separate required skills from skills that can be taught. If a candidate can diagnose a motor circuit and read electrical prints but has not used your exact PLC platform, decide whether that gap is trainable before calling it a requirement.
Interview for method, not just vocabulary
Give candidates a realistic fault scenario and ask them to talk through safety, diagnosis, communication and documentation. Listen for a systematic approach and for the point at which they would ask for help. This often reveals more than a checklist of equipment brands.
- What information would you gather before opening the machine?
- How would you distinguish a mechanical problem from a controls problem?
- How would you hand off the issue to the next shift?
Plan the first weeks
A strong onboarding plan includes equipment access, safety procedures, schematics, a named colleague for questions and time with operators. Agree on the first set of assets the new technician will learn. This makes expectations clear for both the hire and the production team.