Dispatcher interview questions and answers

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Dispatcher Interview Questions

Dispatchers are important links of communication between interested parties. They may be found in shipping companies where they assign jobs to truck drivers and serve as their point of contact, handle incoming calls at emergency response facilities or be employed as flight dispatchers.

There are no fixed educational requirements for this role although a form of certification may be needed (e.g. emergency dispatch). Some experience in dispatching or call centers can be useful. However, if you have the time to train new hires, they can learn skills such as use of dispatching equipment or radio operating processes on the job.

During the interview, you should tailor your answers depending on the role. For example, crisis management skills may be more important in emergency response facilities than in other settings. Knowledge of the law may also be critical for that role. Generally, all candidates should be evaluated according to their communication skills, ability to remain calm in high-stress situations, critical thinking and ability to work independently. Use behavioral and situational questions for this purpose.

Operational and Situational questions

• Have you ever used dispatching equipment?
• How familiar are you with this county’s criminal law?
• If you received a call from a panicked person who was speaking unintelligibly, how would you handle it?
• Imagine one of the truck drivers calls and informs you angrily that they have been assigned the wrong cargo. What would you do?
• How do you feel about being constantly on the phone?

Behavioral questions

• Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult decision when your supervisor wasn’t around
• Have you ever felt overwhelmed by stress? What did you do to keep performing your duties?
• Recall a time you had to multi-task. Were you successful?