Interview scorecard template

Pool Technician interview scorecard

Evaluate Pool Technician candidates across 4 weighted areas: hands-on competence, safety discipline, fault finding, and reliability and conduct. Hands-on competence leads at 35%, so check hands-on range: balancing free chlorine, pH, alkalinity and cyanuric acid with a Taylor K-2006 kit, backwashing sand or DE filters, replacing pump seals and salt cells. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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skilled trades technical operationscpo certifiedfiltration systemspool maintenancewater chemistry
TL;DR
For hands-on competence, look for evidence the candidate names specific target ranges, LSI balancing, and repairs done solo on Pentair or Hayward pumps, heaters and chlorinators. For safety discipline, look for evidence the candidate describes never mixing acid with chlorine, cites SDS practice, and recalls refusing a job over a missing anti-entrapment cover. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.

01
Evaluation factor

Hands-on competence

35% weight

Check hands-on range: balancing free chlorine, pH, alkalinity and cyanuric acid with a Taylor K-2006 kit, backwashing sand or DE filters, replacing pump seals and salt cells.

Evidence to listen for

  • Names the equipment, materials, and tolerances they work to
  • Can describe a job start to finish without hand-waving the hard parts
  • Holds the tickets, licences, or certifications the work requires, and they are current
  • Knows what they are not qualified to touch

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Cannot describe the work concretely; lacks required tickets or licences.

2
Needs Improvement

Basic familiarity; needs supervision on routine tasks.

3
Satisfactory

Competent on standard work; slower or unsure on unfamiliar jobs.

4
Very Good

Skilled and independent across the normal range of the role.

5
Excellent

Names specific target ranges, LSI balancing, and repairs done solo on Pentair or Hayward pumps, heaters and chlorinators.

02
Evaluation factor

Safety discipline

30% weight

Probe muriatic acid and chlorine handling, separate chemical storage, PPE use, VGB compliant drain covers, and bonding or GFCI checks before touching wet electrical equipment.

Evidence to listen for

  • Treats procedure as protection rather than paperwork
  • Can describe a time they stopped work and why
  • Knows the specific hazards of this trade and the controls for each
  • Reports near misses instead of hiding them

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Casual about safety; describes shortcuts with pride.

2
Needs Improvement

Follows procedure when watched; cannot name the hazards that matter.

3
Satisfactory

Sound safety habits; less certain on unfamiliar hazards.

4
Very Good

Safety is instinctive; can describe stopping work over a real concern.

5
Excellent

Describes never mixing acid with chlorine, cites SDS practice, and recalls refusing a job over a missing anti-entrapment cover.

03
Evaluation factor

Fault finding

20% weight

Test diagnosis of cloudy water, persistent algae, chloramine odour, low flow, and heater lockout codes; ask how they isolate suction leaks versus a failing impeller.

Evidence to listen for

  • Has a method for narrowing a fault rather than swapping parts
  • Reads schematics, manuals, or error codes and acts on them
  • Knows when to escalate rather than guess
  • Can describe a fault that took real work to find

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Parts-swapper; no diagnostic method.

2
Needs Improvement

Fixes symptoms; cannot explain how they found the cause.

3
Satisfactory

Solid on familiar faults; less structured on new ones.

4
Very Good

Clear systematic method with a real hard-fault story.

5
Excellent

Walks a logical sequence from test results to filter, flow and equipment checks, then names the actual root cause found.

04
Evaluation factor

Reliability and conduct

15% weight

Assess route reliability: pools serviced per day, clean driving record, customer gate and pet protocols, service logs, and handling an HOA complaint about a green pool.

Evidence to listen for

  • Turns up, on time, prepared
  • Handles shift work, callouts, or travel as the role requires
  • Documents work so the next person can pick it up
  • Deals with customers or site staff professionally

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Unreliable attendance; unprofessional on site.

2
Needs Improvement

Inconsistent; documentation is an afterthought.

3
Satisfactory

Dependable; paperwork is adequate.

4
Very Good

Consistently reliable, documents well, professional with customers.

5
Excellent

Cites consistent route volume, documented service tickets, low callback rate, and calm handling of a demanding homeowner or property manager.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Pool Technician

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    What previous experience do you have as a pool technician?

  2. 02

    Can you work with both residential and commercial pools?

  3. 03

    Are you comfortable servicing different types of pools and hot tubs?

  4. 04

    Do you have experience with chemical testing and balancing?

  5. 05

    What steps would you take if a pool's water quality was poor?

See the complete Pool Technician question set
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