Your skills as a technician are in high demand. That means you’ll probably have plenty of opportunities to choose from as you pursue a new role.
Every time you apply for a new job, the company evaluates your abilities, experience and personality to determine whether you fit its needs. But evaluations do not need to stop there.
Instead, you should take the opportunity to find out everything you want (and need) to know about the company. A great way to do this is by asking questions.
Limited face time with each potential employer means you need to make the most of your opportunities to ask questions.
So what questions are most important to ask in a diesel technician interview?
What information should you make sure to find out before accepting a position?
At RDO Equipment Co., we interview thousands of diesel technicians every year to fill positions all over the U.S.
As you can imagine, we hear many questions during these interviews and learn what diesel technicians value most in a new company, including what they want to understand about a job before they start.
So you know exactly what you’re getting with every employer, here are 12 questions you should consider asking — and why they’re important.
Questions to Ask During a Diesel Technician Interview
- What will my hours be?
- What does the benefits package include?
- What kind of training can I expect?
- What is the culture like?
- What is the pay review structure?
- Do you have a career path for mechanics?
- Do you have any tool programs or tool reimbursements?
- What kind of specialty tooling is provided?
- Do you offer profit sharing, bonuses or gain sharing?
- What does the company do to ensure a safe work environment?
- Do technicians ever get opportunities outside of the shop?
- What is your diesel technician turnover like?
What Will My Hours Be?
This one is critical. As you probably know, a diesel technician’s schedule may change depending on where they work, what industry they work in and even the time of year.
Ask this question to determine whether you can expect a consistent 40 hours per week (or more), how much overtime potential there is and what shift you’ll be on.
Many employers have multiple diesel technician shifts, you’ll want to understand which one you would be working on so you can plan accordingly.
What Does the Benefits Package Include?
Think about your benefits package as an extension of your pay. Most employers offer their full-time diesel technicians (those working at least 40 hours per week) benefits such as vision, dental and health insurance.
Beyond this, you may be eligible for other employer-sponsored benefits like life insurance, a health savings account, a 401k (with a match), paid time off and even pet insurance.
What Kind of Training Can I Expect?
The best companies invest in employee training and development. As a diesel mechanic, there will always be something new to learn. Whether it’s from an equipment manufacturer (like Peterbilt or John Deere) or internal, you deserve to receive adequate training from your employer.
Make sure to ask what kind of training you will receive so you can understand how a company invests in its employee development.
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What is the Culture Like?
Workplace culture plays a big role in employee satisfaction. Before you take a new job, you might want to understand what it’s like to work at the company each day.
While you don’t have to ask “What is the culture like here?” exactly, try to find out some information about the overall experience of working there. This might include. . .
- What the people are like
- How much collaboration there is
- How people get along
- What people love about working there
With these insights, you’ll have a good idea of what working as a diesel technician for a company would be like — and whether you’ll like it.
What is the Pay Review Structure?
At some companies, your technician wage may be evaluated more or less frequently than at others. Most places review pay on an annual basis. However, it’s also not uncommon for a technician to have these evaluations (and pay increases) as often as quarterly.
At RDO, for example, our technicians sit down for a career-path performance review four times per year.
Asking about a company’s specific structure will help you understand how often you can expect your pay to change.
Do You Have a Career Path for Technicians?
Depending on where you want to take your career, you may want to ask if the company you’re considering has a structure for professional progression.
This could be a built-in system where after a set amount of time or number of jobs completed, you can rise in job title — from Service Technician Level 1 to Service Technician Level 2, for example.
At RDO, for instance, leveling up is based on training credits completed, building up efficiency on jobs and consistently performing quality work.
Do You Have Any Tool Programs or Tool Reimbursements?
As you know, heavy equipment/diesel technology tools are expensive. Like, really expensive. Although it’s usually up to a diesel technician to acquire tools to perform their work, some companies provide assistance.
Tool reimbursement programs are especially impactful for new technicians, but technicians of all ages/experience levels can benefit from them. If this is something you’re concerned about, find a company that offers some support.
What Kind of Specialty Tooling is Provided?
Nearly every machinery manufacturer requires some specialized tools to fix their equipment. Usually — especially in a dealership setting — these tools are provided for service technicians. These tools, like others, can be expensive, so it’s important to know if you’ll be required to purchase your own.
Do You Offer Profit Sharing, Bonuses or Gain Sharing?
Some companies give their technicians perks in the form of bonuses and profit sharing. Paid out regularly (monthly, quarterly or yearly), these payments can be a really great incentive alongside your standard compensation.
Not every company structures its compensation like this, so if you’re curious, ask — it certainly can’t hurt.
What Does the Company Do to Ensure a Safe Work Environment?
Feeling safe at work as a technician is the most important aspect of your job. You deserve to work for a company that prioritizes your safety above all. To make sure, ask a potential employer about the systems it has to ensure safety in and out of its shops.
This should include things like:
- Personal protective equipment
- Regular safety training
- Ergonomics systems
- An open and accessible safety team
- Standard safety protocols
If a company you’re interviewing with can’t give you a confident answer here, it might be best to look elsewhere.
Related: Service Technician Safety: 9 Things RDO Does to Ensure a Safe Work Environment
Do Technicians Ever Get Opportunities Outside of the Shop?
This is another future-oriented question. Working on heavy machinery and equipment can be hard on the body. After a while (this could mean decades), you might want to explore routes out of the shop.
This should not be a foreign concept for a company—it’s not uncommon for a technician to request a change. In fact, the best businesses do everything they can to retain good employees, and internal career alternatives are just one method.
You may want to ask this question to find out what this has looked like for the business in the past and what your options might be, if any, in the future.
What is Your Diesel Technician Turnover Like?
The last question on this list is certainly not least. Turnover — the elephant in the room. Turnover, although uncomfortable for an employer to talk about, can give job candidates like you a good idea of what it’s like to work in a particular position.
Don’t be afraid to ask about the diesel technician turnover at a company. In fact, it’s probably best that you do. While it shouldn’t be the only factor you consider, it’s a red flag if a company has hired and lost a lot of diesel mechanics within a given period of time.
If you’re uncomfortable asking about turnover directly, consider asking, “What is the average tenure among your technicians?” Tenure is another factor to consider.
Ace Your Next Diesel Technician Interview!
Asking the right questions of an employer is important for three reasons:
- It gives you insights into what working for the company will be like
- It helps you learn more about the ins and outs of the role so you can compare it to others
- It lets the employer know you’re serious about the opportunity
Use these 12 questions to ensure the next job you choose is the best one for you!
Asking the right questions is only one piece of selecting an employer, here are seven more tips to consider.
Consider a Service Technician Position at RDO
RDO Equipment Co. is a large construction and agriculture machinery dealership based in Fargo, ND. Across 80+ locations in 12 states, we hire service technicians to work on new and used equipment from brands like John Deere, Wirtgen, Topcon and Vermeer.
Take the next step in your journey toward becoming a service technology leader at RDO, where we:
- Prioritize training and development
- Offer profit-sharing incentives
- Give service technicians full benefits (and then some)
- Encourage career pathing discussions
- Have an established career path for technicians
- Offer overtime regularly
Find an open position near you, or touch base with a recruiter today.
Shawna Garza
Shawna has been with RDO Equipment Co. since 2005. Over the years she has excelled in a number of roles across our organization – first as a service administrator, then as a sales coordinator before transitioning into management. Today, Shawna serves as the regional aftermarket manager for North TX (Ft Worth, McKinney, and Irving) where she utilizes her leadership skills and industry knowledge to work alongside her team to grow RDO’s ability to find the best solution to each customer need.
