Custodian Interview Questions

The interviewer wants to know that you clean restrooms in a set order that actually removes germs, not just makes them look clean. Walk through your steps from start to finish and explain why the order matters. Sample answer: "First I put out a sign or block the door so no one walks in on wet floors. I pick up trash and check what supplies are low, then restock paper, soap and seat covers so nothing gets missed later. I spray disinfectant on sinks, counters, toilets and urinals and let it sit for the time the label gives. While it works, I clean mirrors and wipe high surfaces like partitions and door handles. Then I wipe sinks and counters with one color of cloth and toilets with another, doing toilets last. I finish with the floor, working from the back of the room to the door, and take a last look before I remove the sign." Pitfalls to avoid: using one cloth or mop for everything, wiping disinfectant off before it has time to work, and forgetting to restock until someone complains.

The interviewer wants to see that you match the cleaning method to the floor, so floors get clean without damage. Go through the floor types you know, what you use on each and why. Sample answer: "Carpet gets vacuumed, with extra passes at entrances and spot treatment for stains as soon as I see them. On tile and sealed concrete I always dust mop or sweep first, because mopping over grit just moves it around and scratches the finish. Then I wet mop with a neutral cleaner mixed to the label, and I change the water when it gets cloudy. In large areas like hallways or a cafeteria I use an auto scrubber if one is available. Wood floors get a dust mop and only a lightly damp mop, never a soaked one. Anywhere I wet mop, I put out signs first and keep people off until it is dry." Pitfalls to avoid: using the same strong cleaner on every surface, mopping before sweeping, and skipping wet floor signs.

The interviewer wants to know that you read and follow the instructions for chemicals and machines, because a shortcut can ruin a floor or hurt someone. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: what you were cleaning, what the instructions said, what you did and what it prevented. Sample answer: "We got a new floor cleaner for the lobby, and a coworker said to use it the same way as the old one. Before I mixed it, I read the label and saw it needed much less concentrate and was not meant for the marble near the entrance. I diluted it as the label said, tested a small corner first and kept using our neutral cleaner on the marble. Later I heard another site on the same contract had dull, etched marble from using the new cleaner full strength. Our lobby was fine, and my supervisor asked me to show the crew how to mix it." Pitfalls to avoid: picking a story where you skipped the instructions and got lucky, being vague about what the label said, and leaving out protective gear when it mattered.

The interviewer wants evidence that you can be counted on to help beyond your assigned cleaning area while keeping your own work covered.

Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Explain the extra need, your usual assignment, and the work you volunteered to take on. Describe how you coordinated priorities and finish with an honest account of what was completed.

Sample answer: "A coworker was out, and the stairwell near their floor had a sticky spill. I offered to help after checking priorities with my supervisor. I cleaned the spill first because people were using the stairs, then returned to the restrooms and trash in my own area. I also covered the other floor's trash. Before leaving, I told my supervisor which extra tasks were finished and which still needed attention. My assigned area was ready, and the extra work was clearly accounted for."

Avoid making the example about unpaid hours, blaming the absent coworker, or claiming all the cleaning was done when you left known gaps.

The interviewer wants to know that you treat lockup and safety checks as part of the job, not an extra. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: what you found, what you did right away and who you told. Sample answer: "I was the last one out of a two-story office building, and my routine was to check doors, lights and the break room before setting the alarm. That night I found a side door propped open with a wedge, and in the break room a coffee maker was still on with an empty, scorched pot. I unplugged the coffee maker and let the pot cool in the sink. I removed the wedge, checked that the door latched and walked the hallway to make sure no one was still inside. I wrote both items in the night log and texted my supervisor, who reminded the tenant about the door the next day." Pitfalls to avoid: saying it was someone else's job, skipping the report, and claiming you handled a real threat yourself instead of calling security or the police.

The interviewer wants to learn whether your attention while cleaning helps you catch building or equipment problems before they get worse.

Use Situation, Task, Action and Result to organize one real example. Briefly name the area you were cleaning and the sign that caught your attention. Explain your own checks, keeping them within your training, then describe how you reported the problem or kept people away from a hazard. Finish with the outcome and what you learned to notice.

For example: "I was mopping a restroom when I noticed water returning near a sink after I dried the floor. I looked under the sink and saw a steady drip. I placed a wet-floor sign, kept people clear of the wet area and told my supervisor exactly where the leak was. Maintenance repaired it, and I checked that the floor was dry afterward. I learned to look for a source when water returns after mopping."

Avoid taking credit for maintenance work someone else did, describing unsafe testing, or leaving out what happened after your report.

The interviewer wants to see that you check your own work and catch misses before anyone else does. Use Situation, Task, Action, Result: what was missed, how you caught it and what you changed. Sample answer: "At the end of each shift I walk my area with a short checklist, looking at the things people notice first. One night I found the soap dispenser in a second-floor restroom was empty, even though I had restocked it earlier. When I looked closer, the refill was the wrong size and had not seated, so it was not dispensing. I put in the right refill, checked every other dispenser on that floor and found one more with the same problem. I told my supervisor about the wrong refills in the supply closet so they could be swapped. Since then I press each dispenser once after refilling it." Pitfalls to avoid: picking a miss a supervisor found for you, skipping how you caught it, and ending without the habit you changed.

The interviewer wants to learn whether you can be trusted with valuables and private information you find while cleaning.

Build your answer around one real situation. Set out the Situation and your Task briefly: where you were cleaning and what you found. Spend most of the answer on your Action, including how you protected the item, followed the site's procedure and notified the right person. End with the Result and a lesson you carried into later cleaning work.

For example: "While emptying wastebaskets in an office, I found a wallet beside a desk. I kept it closed and took it to the supervisor, as our site's lost-item procedure required. We recorded where I found it, and the supervisor secured it for the owner. The owner collected it later. That reminded me to check around wastebaskets before removing trash and to leave private belongings alone."

Avoid describing private details from papers you found, suggesting you would keep unclaimed cash, or giving only a hypothetical instead of a real example.

The interviewer wants to see whether you can work with little supervision, set your own direction, and still deliver.

Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Pick one of the two options in the question rather than trying to cover both. Explain why no one was directing the work, what you decided to do on your own, and how you kept yourself on track. Show the result and how others responded.

Sample answer: "Our team's files were spread across several shared folders, and finding old documents took a long time. No one owned the problem, so I proposed a simple folder structure and naming rule to my manager. With their OK, I moved the files in short sessions over three weeks, between my regular tasks, and wrote a short guide. People stopped asking where files were, and new hires used the guide in their first week."

Pitfalls: Don't describe going around your manager without telling anyone. Avoid a task you were closely supervised on. Don't make the story about doing something only because it was required.

The interviewer wants to see that you can work well with a team while still bringing your own judgment, and that you know when to speak up and when to go along.

Start with a short answer about how you balance the two, then give one example. A good example shows you sharing your own view, listening to others, and then supporting the team's decision even if it wasn't yours.

Sample answer: "I try to form my own view first, share it clearly, and then commit to whatever the group decides. On one project, the team wanted to launch a new form right away. I thought we should test it with a few users first and explained why. We agreed on a one-week trial. Testing found a confusing field, we fixed it, and the full launch went smoothly."

Pitfalls: Don't present yourself as someone who always goes along or always insists on your own way. Avoid a story where you ignored the team's decision. Don't skip the example.

The interviewer wants to know whether you step up without being asked and can handle the extra load without letting your regular work slip.

Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Say why you took on the extra work, then focus on how you managed it: what you planned, what you set aside or handed off, and who you kept informed. Finish with the result for both the new duty and your usual work.

Sample answer: "When our team lead went on leave, I offered to run the weekly status meeting and track open issues on top of my own tasks. I blocked an hour each Friday to update the tracker and asked my manager which of my lower-priority tasks could wait. Over six weeks every meeting ran on time, my own deadlines held, and the lead kept the tracker format when they came back."

Pitfalls: Don't describe extra work you were simply ordered to do. Avoid claiming you did it all with no trade-offs. Don't leave out how your usual work was affected.

The interviewer wants to see how you think and act under pressure, and whether you stay effective when things go wrong.

Use Situation, Task, Action, Result. Set the scene quickly: what made it stressful and what was at stake. Spend most of your answer on what you did: how you steadied yourself, what you dealt with first, and who you told. Close with the outcome and what you would repeat.

Sample answer: "An hour before a client presentation, the file with our final numbers was corrupted. I told the team we had a problem and a plan, split the work so two of us rebuilt the charts from the source data while another person checked them, and let the client know we might start a few minutes late. We started on time, and afterward we set up automatic backups for shared files."

Pitfalls: Don't say you never feel stress. Avoid stories where the stress came from your own avoidable mistake unless you explain what you changed. Don't skip the result.