It can be tricky to hire an engineer, especially if you aren’t an engineer yourself. But the interview questions you choose can help you get inside the person’s head and understand whether he or she is the right fit for your company.

Here are a few questions to consider when interviewing mechanical engineers.

What Was the First Thing You Designed?

This is a great way to learn more about the candidate and how she sees her role. Some candidates will talk about their first professional design. Others might describe a college project, or even reach back into childhood to discuss something creative designed out of Legos in childhood. There’s no right answer here. Instead, look for passion, creativity, and excitement about the field.

Tell Me About a Mechanical Engineering Skill You Learned in the Past Year

This will tell you whether the candidate is up to date with developments in the field, as well as how interested he is in learning. It doesn’t matter what the specific skill is, only that he can come up with something reasonable and describe it well.

How Do You Avoid Getting Bored at Work?

A lot of day to day mechanical engineering work is highly repetitive. Yet it’s crucial for the engineer not to lose focus. Coming up with a system to stay engaged is an important part of the job. Look for answers that involve creative thinking and self-motivation.

How Would You Explain (Hydraulics, a Wheel and Axle System, etc.) to a Layperson?

You can insert any mechanical system of your choice here, because the point isn’t really the description itself. Instead, you’re looking for two things. First, the candidate should be familiar with how basic systems work. But it’s equally important to be able to break down the description into simple, easy to follow terms. Mechanical engineers pitch new designs or improvements to teams of non-engineers, so they need to know how to effectively communicate their ideas in plain speech.

Why Did You Become a Mechanical Engineer?

When interviewing mechanical engineers, you want to choose a candidate who is passionate about the field. This question lets you separate people who are just looking for a good paycheck from those who are driven to do the work itself.

Build A Forward-Thinking Engineering Team With PEAK

If you are looking for talented engineers who can help your organization achieve its goals in the new year, contact the experts at PEAK Technical Staffing today to learn how we can help you access cutting-edge talent.