39 Common Quantity Surveyor Interview Questions With Answers
1. How did you learn about this job opening?
2. Why would you like to work for this company?
3. Why have you decided to work in quantity surveying?
4. How did you get into this field?
5. Where do you see yourself in five years?
6. Why are you leaving your current employer?
7. What's your biggest weakness as a quantity surveyor?
8. What part of working as a quantity surveyor do you consider the most
challenging?
9. How would your former colleagues describe you?
10. What's your salary expectation?
11. What's your ideal work environment?
12. What would you like to achieve in the first three months at this
company?
2. What's your strategy for working with suppliers and contractors during
a project?
Interviewers may ask this question to see if you understand the specifics of the
field. It's important that you know how to demonstrate your previous
experience working with suppliers and contractors. In your answer, you may list
key skills that you use to communicate with them and how your approach helps
you meet deadlines within a project.Example: 'I think that the most important
thing about working with suppliers and contractors is communication. I make sure
that everything I share with them is clear and that both sides understand each
other's expectations. This allows me to protect the company and my clients when
someone fails to deliver their promises or causes delays in the project. If a situation
like that occurs, I make sure to remain assertive and keep contractors, suppliers and
myself accountable so we can come up with a backup plan that the client can
accept.'
3. Give me an example of when the materials weren't up to the standard.
This is a common question that interviewers ask to see if you can take
responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. If you hear this question
in an interview, you may consider using the STAR response technique to
formulate your answer. Using this technique allows you to clearly describe the
situation, your role in it, what actions you took to solve the problem and what
was the outcome of those actions.Example: 'One time during a complex project
for one of our long-term clients, I identified that materials from one of our main
suppliers weren't up to our standards. Upon making this discovery, I quickly reached
out to my team and organised an urgent meeting to see if we can find a solution
before the deadline. Luckily, we were able to reach out to a few of our smaller
suppliers who agreed to help us at a standard price even though we asked for
express delivery.At the same time, I've decided to hold the previous supplier
accountable. I analysed our contracts and reached out to them the next day. I
demanded that they return the full amount that we paid for the materials, including
what we paid for delivery. Although they hesitated at first, I was able to convince
them that paying the full amount back to us is the best option in a situation like
that.'Related: How To Use the STAR Interview Technique in Competency-
Based Interviews
4. How do you maintain a good network of subcontractors?
This question tests your networking and relationship building abilities.
Maintaining a strong network of contractors is essential to meeting project
deadlines and minimising costs in construction. In your answer, consider
sharing your strategy for building and maintaining healthy professional
relationships and explain how it helps your projects succeed.Example: 'I believe
that building relationships with subcontractors is one of the most important things
in this profession because they play an important role in the day-to-day progress of
a project. I always make sure to reward my subcontractors and show appreciation
for their work. It's my priority to ensure the company pays them on time and
recognises their efforts. It's also important for me to maintain an open line of
communication, as this allows me to alleviate any tensions and quickly resolve any
conflicts that arise.'
