Manufacturing Engineer Mock Interview
Master 31 Manufacturing Engineer interview questions covering process optimization, lean principles, and production systems.
Question 15 of 31
How do you work with operators on the floor to be successful at your job?
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It is important that manufacturing engineers are able to establish rapport with the team they will be supporting. Although managing people is not usually a primary responsibility of manufacturing engineers, they do need to be effective at communicating and interacting with teams. A manufacturing engineer will often find themselves in situations where they need to offer direction, guidance, or advice to team members who do not directly report to them. When answering this question, you should show that you can effectively communicate to the hourly team and that you value the input received from team members. Poor communication skills and a negative attitude are common sources of resentment towards engineers, so this is a good opportunity to showcase your emotional intelligence, which may set you apart from other applicants.
"The team members who operate a process each day are usually the most knowledgeable people in the world about that specific process. While I may understand the theory and technical details of the process better than they do, the team members have a much more in-depth understanding of how the process actually operates. I always try to establish a relationship with the hourly team and make sure they know I value their input. When I receive feedback from them, I will always follow up, so that they know that I care. This makes me more effective as an engineer, because I can apply my technical abilities to solving the actual problems the team is experiencing, as opposed to only the problems perceived by management."
Daniel Neuhaus is a Tool Design Engineer with 10 years of CAD experience and 3 years in the manufacturing field. He is a University of Cincinnati Alumni with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Technology.
"Working with operators, it is important to be knowledgeable regarding the equipment they use. Being familiar with their daily procedures, standards, and measuring their production output is key. Aside from the technical aspects, it is important to routinely conversate with them both personably and for work-related topics."
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