Plant Supervisor Interview Questions: Mastering the Art of Effective Interviewing

Because the job comes with such big responsibilities, hiring managers will only pick people who can show they can lead and solve problems.

In this article, well show you exactly how to demonstrate those traits during your production supervisor interview. We’ll talk about 30 of the most common interview questions and give you tried-and-true answers that will get you the job.

10 Additional Production Supervisor Interview Questions for Employers

• Could you tell me about your experience setting up and managing production schedules and making sure they are followed correctly and quickly?
• What steps do you take to make sure that production processes meet quality standards and government rules? What do you do if something goes wrong?
• Can you talk about your experience keeping an eye on and improving the performance of production lines to cut down on downtime, boost throughput, and start continuous improvement programs?
• Explain how you manage inventory, such as keeping track of stock levels, working with procurement teams, and avoiding waste or having too much inventory.
• Have you put in place any specific safety rules or programs in the past? If so, how did you make sure they were followed and keep accidents and incidents at work to a minimum?
• Can you talk about how you’ve coordinated and communicated with cross-functional teams like engineering, maintenance, and logistics to keep production running smoothly and solve any problems that come up between departments?
• Have you worked with any specific technologies or pieces of equipment for manufacturing? If so, describe how well you know how to use and take care of them, as well as how well you can teach and oversee production staff as they use them.
• What is your approach to managing your employees, such as assigning tasks, scheduling shifts, and keeping an eye on their work to make sure they are productive and engaged?
• Could you talk about the quality control measures you’ve put in place and oversaw, such as inspections, quality assurance protocols, and dealing with non-conformance issues?
• Have you worked on any projects to make processes better? If so, describe what you did to find places to improve, make the changes, and see how they affected the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of production.

20 Production Supervisor Questions and Example Answers

To help you prepare for your interview, we have put together 20 common interview questions. We have also included some production supervisor behavioral interview questions. When you go on your own interview, make sure you use your own words instead of the ones we gave you as examples.

• Tell me about yourself. The interviewer will usually ask this question at the beginning of the meeting. Make sure that your answer highlights the skills, experiences, and accomplishments that are important to the question. As an example, I’ve worked as a production supervisor at XYZ Company for nine years. During my time there, I learned a lot about how to run a team, make sure quality is maintained, and run efficient manufacturing processes. In my last job, I was in charge of production schedules and made sure they were followed. I also made changes to the schedules as needed to meet customer needs. I know how to keep an eye on and maintain product quality while working closely with cross-functional teams to make sure that quality standards and legal requirements are met.
• Why do you want to work here? This question is usually meant to see how much you know about the company. Your answer should reflect your genuine interest for the company. Make sure that your values match those of the company. Example Answer: I want to work here because the company has a great reputation and is dedicated to being the best in the manufacturing industry. I really like how you focus on new ideas, quality, and making customers happy. I believe those are important aspects to a successful workplace. On top of that, I like how you stress employee development and a collaborative work environment. I believe that money spent on employees’ growth and well-being leads to higher job satisfaction and better work overall.
• “Why should we hire you?” is the question you need to answer to sell yourself. You should talk about your unique skills, relevant experiences, and how you can help the company. Answer Example: I’ve been in charge of production for nine years. During my career, I’ve shown that I can improve operational efficiency, make production processes more efficient, and make sure that high-quality work is produced. Strong leadership skills help me be a good boss and get my team excited about work. I want my team to have a good work environment where people can work together and talk to each other freely. I think my skills and experience make me the best person for this job.
• That’s what interviewers want to know: where do you see yourself in five years? What are your long-term plans and goals? You should be clear in your answer about how you want to grow with the company. The answer is: “In five years, I see myself as a leader who can make a difference in the production processes.” To do this, I want to learn more about performance management, process optimization, and lean principles. I’m going to keep up with changes in the business world and in technology. I’m also excited about making a difference in the growth and success of the company. It’s my hope to be a part of strategic projects like increasing production. My ultimate goal is to become a leader in the organization that people trust and respect.
• What are your good and bad points? Everyone has them. When asked about your weaknesses, you should be honest and thoughtful about your answer. This shows that you know yourself and are willing to learn and grow. Example Answer: My greatest strength would be my organizational skills. I’m great at making and sticking to production schedules, organizing tasks, and making sure projects are finished on time. I’m very organized, but I tend to be too careful with my work. I’ve learned how to balance my need to pay close attention to details with the need to be flexible and adaptable in a past-faced setting.
• Tell me about your experience working in manufacturing environments. It’s not enough for production managers to just be good managers in general. Additionally, they must show that they know how to use and are skilled with standard manufacturing processes, tools, and equipment. Show off your education and experience, and talk about a success that shows how knowledgeable you are in the field. Make sure to talk about the result of your work instead of just the tasks you completed. Quantify that result as well. Answer: I have a master’s degree in mechanical engineering and have worked in factories for more than eight years. During my last job as a production supervisor, I created new and improved manufacturing procedures that raised our overall production efficiency by 6%. These procedures were used to make products for major retailers like Lowes and Home Depot.
• What kinds of manufacturing and management software do you know how to use? You should list some of the most common and important software you know how to use, but you should also say that you’re ready to learn any tools for the job quickly. I use Microsoft Staffhub and Sharepoint to keep track of my employees’ schedules. I’m also very good at AutoCAD, which I use a lot to make model designs for pre-production. Most importantly, I’m a quick and hard worker who will quickly learn any new tools that are needed.
• You see that one of your workers isn’t wearing the safety gear that’s required. What would you do? One of the most important jobs of a production supervisor is to know and follow safety rules. Stress how seriously you take these kinds of cases and how quickly you would act. First, I would make sure that every new employee knows the safety rules and how seriously we take not following them during the onboarding process. If I see or hear that an employee is breaking those rules, I would meet with them right away and ask them to explain. I would use my communication skills to stress how important it is to follow safety rules and encourage them to do so. After the meeting, I would keep an eye on the worker to make sure they changed how they behaved and would punish them if they didn’t.
• What would you do if an employee wasn’t doing a good job on the production line? In manufacturing, deadlines and production goals are often very strict. Production supervisors must use their own judgment to decide when to coach underperforming employees to improve relationships with coworkers and when to get rid of them and focus on meeting production goals. I always try to meet with employees who aren’t doing their jobs well in person to find out what problems they’re having and how I can help. By focusing on those problems, I can usually come up with and get them to agree to a plan for improvement. After that, I keep an eye on their work to make sure they’re fixing their mistakes. On the other hand, if an employee consistently fails to meet our production goals, I think about taking more serious action.
• Tell me about a time when you improved a process. Do not forget to use the STAR method when you answer any situational or production supervisor behavioral interview questions like this one. The most important thing is to talk about how you added value to a potential employer. As a production engineer at Jenkins Industrial, it was my job to find a way to speed up the production of one of our contracted goods because we were running behind schedule. I did a thorough analysis of our plant’s operational processes right away and found a number of inefficiencies that were slowing down production. I used what I knew about engineering to come up with better ways to do the same steps in the manufacturing process. I then gave my report to management. The company was able to meet its production goals for 2012 on time and under budget thanks to the changes I suggested.
• Let’s say a bunch of important machines break down, and you have to meet a strict deadline. How do you answer? Stress how important it is to be ready and show that you’re open to change. Answer: I always plan for what could go wrong ahead of time because I know that nothing always goes as planned. This means having extra tools on hand, or if they’re too expensive, making deals with other businesses so that you can borrow each other’s tools when needed.
• Explain the six sigma process. The six sigma process is a common way for manufacturers to make small but steady improvements to their work. The six sigma process has five steps: define the problem; measure your current process; look for inefficiencies; make your process better; keep an eye on it and keep improving it;
• What does HACCP stand for? Why is it important at work? Example answer: HACCP, which stands for “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points,” is a way to keep manufacturing industries like food production safe. One bad batch made with weak safety standards could do a lot of damage to the final consumer. It could also lead to lawsuits and do a lot of damage to the company’s reputation.
• How important do you think reports are? Are they just more paperwork? Good production supervisors know how important data is for figuring out how to make operations run more smoothly. Example answer: I think it’s important for any production facility to have detailed and correct reports. I always hire engineers and data analysts to find ways that our processes could be better. Their reports help me make better choices about how to run our business so that it is as efficient as possible and goes above and beyond what our clients expect.
• How do you make sure that a team meets the quality standards for production? Quality management is one of the most important parts of being a production supervisor. In your answer, show that you have both leadership skills and a technical understanding of the best ways to ensure production quality. Answer: I always set up several internal quality assurance steps that goods must go through before they are considered finished. If even one unit doesn’t meet the standards, you should look into the whole batch to find out what went wrong. To keep quality high, you should always take flaws seriously and never ignore what might be causing them.
• Tell me about your experience with lean manufacturing. As a production supervisor, you need to know how to use lean manufacturing practices to get the most work done with the least amount of waste. Make sure to go over the main points and stress how important it is. As a production supervisor at John Deere, one of my main jobs was to put lean manufacturing practices into place. I did this by looking at how we work and making a map of our value stream. Using what I learned, I set up a pull system that I improved over time using kaizen. It was finally possible for me to raise productivity rates by 2017% across five different plants while simultaneously lowering our waste by 2012%.
• How do you make tough choices when you don’t have enough information and still meet production goals? You’ll often have to meet very tight deadlines, which means you won’t have as much time to make important choices as managers in many other fields. Make sure you have a range of leadership skills, such as the ability to be flexible, think critically, communicate clearly, and make decisions. For example, when I have to make a choice, I try to gather as much information as I can to help me make it. This means talking to experts and asking the right departments questions, then sharing the information that is most useful. If it doesn’t work out, I quickly look at what happened to see what we can do to make things better.
• Here are some of the benefits of contract manufacturing: Example answer: Lowering costs for things like energy, taxes, and overhead; making it possible for products to be sold in more countries; and being able to drop-ship more easily.
• How do you keep your team members focused when the company has to meet tight deadlines? Being able to effectively encourage team members is an important leadership skill for any manager to have, especially in manufacturing where production goals are very strict. Display to the hiring manager a range of skills and techniques that will help you connect with different types of employees. Answer: I always listen and learn about my employees to get a better sense of what drives them. To reward great work, I’ll offer things like vacation time, promotions, and bonuses when we have to meet tight deadlines. I always make sure to thank top performers for making an example for others in public.
• Some changes in industry trends that you’ve seen and how did you handle them? Being able to adapt is important because as a production supervisor, you’ll have to deal with many unexpected situations that would normally slow down work. In this case, the most recent and most important change I had to deal with was how the coronavirus pandemic affected manufacturing. The last plant I was in charge of lost over $400,000 every day we had to shut down. As soon as the reopening guidelines came out, I spent the whole night reading them and coming up with new ways to do things that would work with them. The next day, I told my team about the changes right away and taught them how to use them. Because I took decisive action, the plant opened in two days and was producing as much as it did before within three weeks. Its estimated that this saved the company over $9 million.

Plant Supervisor Interview Questions