35 Excavator Interview Questions & Answers

01 How do you handle stressful situations? BEHAVIORAL

02 What is your ideal company to work for? DISCOVERY

03 What do you like most about operating an excavator? DISCOVERY

04 Tell me about your education and training. EDUCATION

05 Why did you choose this career? DISCOVERY

06 What is your greatest personal achievement? DISCOVERY

07 Why should we hire you? DIRECT

08 Do you have previous excavation experience? DISCOVERY

09 What do you know about our company? DISCOVERY

10 How would you describe your work style? OPERATIONAL

11 How did you hear about this position? DISCOVERY

12 As an excavator operator, what do you like least about your job? DISCOVERY

13 Our company only buys Komatsu equipment. How familiar are you with operating a Komatsu excavator? OPERATIONAL

14 Why did you leave your last place of employment? DISCOVERY

15 What is your greatest strength? BEHAVIORAL

16 What hobbies or activities do you enjoy doing in your free time? DISCOVERY

17 Our company performs random drug testing as part of our safety protocols. Will you have an issue with random testing if hired? DIRECT

18 What do you feel is the most important skill for an excavator operator to possess? DISCOVERY

19 Tell me something about you that is not on your resume. DISCOVERY

20 If I called your previous supervisor, how would they describe your punctuality and work attendance last year? DISCOVERY

21 Where do you see yourself in five years? DISCOVERY

22 You are working on a project and have a client that is angry with you. How would you handle this situation? SITUATIONAL

23 What three words would your former supervisor use to describe you? DISCOVERY

24 Are you familiar with the acronym ITCS? TECHNICAL

25 What control pattern are you used to running? OPERATIONAL

26 You notice the bucket has a cracked or missing tooth at the start of your shift. What would you do? SITUATIONAL

27 All utilities have been marked prior to digging on a new project. While you are digging a trench, you nick a gas line. What would you do in this situation? SITUATIONAL

28 You show up to a jobsite that was vandalized overnight, and your supervisor says law enforcement is on their way to take a report. When inspecting your equipment, you notice granulated white powder near the fuel tank. What would you do? SITUATIONAL

29 What is the purpose of a lockout tagout? TECHNICAL

30 You are working a pipe job and are responsible for placing a precast pipe into a trench. You have two people on the ground giving different hand signals. What would you do in this situation? SITUATIONAL

31 You are working on a project and the excavator needs to be moved a few miles down the road. The equipment is loaded onto the trailer, and the driver is going to move the equipment without securing it to the trailer. What would you do? SITUATIONAL

32 How important is safety to you on a construction site? DISCOVERY

33 How do you ensure there are no underground utilities before you dig? OPERATIONAL

34 If hired, part of your responsibility will be performing light maintenance on your equipment. How often do you like to grease your excavator? OPERATIONAL

35 Do you have any questions for me? GENERAL

Excavator Mock Interview

You show up to a jobsite that was vandalized overnight, and your supervisor says law enforcement is on their way to take a report. When inspecting your equipment, you notice granulated white powder near the fuel tank. What would you do?

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35 Excavator Interview Questions & Answers