What Data centre job candidates can expect at technical interview

The NINETEEN most frequently probed areas of wannabe Data Centre technicians.

Technical interviews for data centre job candidates are designed to assess hands-on capability, operational discipline and the ability to respond effectively to incidents in a ‘live’ environment, where the focus is on execution, physical layer expertise, and adherence to process.

Aspiring data centre technologists and technicians should expect evaluation across the following five key areas, writes Michael Aspinall, a director at First Point Group, a recruitment agency specialising in telecoms, data centre, and technology placements.

1. Core hardware & infrastructure competency

Interviewers of data centre job candidates typically confirm foundational capability within the physical data centre environment, including:

• Equipment installation: Safe racking and mounting of servers, storage arrays and network appliances, with awareness of weight limits and proper handling techniques.

• Cable management: Best-practice for copper and fibre routing, labelling, patch panel discipline, and maintaining organised pathways that support airflow and traceability.

• Asset management: Understanding equipment lifecycles, serial number tracking, inventory updates and experience using Data Centre Infrastructure Management (DCIM) tools.

Data Centre Interview Top Tip

Be prepared! Technicians may be asked about working in cold aisles, appropriate PPE and their ability to lift and manoeuvre equipment safely.

2. Diagnostics & break/fix scenarios

A core differentiator in data centre interviews is the candidate's ability to diagnose and resolve real faults.

Therefore, expect scenario-based, step-by-step problem-solving questions, such as:

• Structured troubleshooting: Approaches to identifying power, connectivity, or component failures.

• Remote access proficiency: Comfort with out-of-band management tools like iDRAC, iLO, KVM-over-IP, or BMC platforms.

• Basic OS interaction: Using simple command-line tools to confirm device health, connectivity or status.

Data Centre Interview Top Tip

Interviewers of both contract and full-time applicants for data centre roles like to assess not just technical precision, but the ability to stay methodical under pressure, and that’s particularly relevant in SLA-driven environments.

3. Data centre networking fundamentals

While this is not a networking engineer’s interview, contractors going forward for data centre assignments should understand how physical connectivity supports service delivery. Would-be data centre employees should also be ready to be quizzed about:

• Layer 1 knowledge. Understanding transceivers, patch types, link budgets and optical cleaning practices.

• Patching & provisioning. Correct port mapping, patch execution and verification procedures.

• Basic IP fundamentals. Awareness of addressing, ping/traceroute usage and simple network validation checks.

4. Operational procedures, SLAs & compliance

Operational excellence is non-negotiable in a 24/7 facility.

Data centre candidates will therefore typically be tested on:

• Method of Procedure (MOP): Understanding how to follow, verify, execute, and document formal instructions with complete accuracy.

• SLA awareness: Demonstrating how incident response times, priority levels and customer impact influence decision-making.

• Safety & environment: Electrical safety principles, awareness of fire suppression systems, and monitoring of temperature, humidity and airflow anomalies.

• Documentation discipline: Writing clear logs, maintaining runbooks, and ensuring ticketing systems reflect accurate, real-time updates.

Data Centre Job Interview coming up?

Another practical area to prep for is shift work awareness.

Candidates may be asked about experience in 24/7 rotating shifts, lone-working readiness, and how they maintain consistency and alertness during night or extended shifts.

5. Communication, escalation & team interaction

Data centre technicians act as the physical hands of remote engineering teams.

Therefore, their interviewers look for clarity, accountability, and judgement:

• Ticket handling: Ability to write concise, complete, meaningful updates and handovers.

• Escalation paths: Understanding when an issue should be escalated and to whom, while balancing thoroughness with urgency.

• Collaboration: How the technician will interact with NOC teams, field engineers and shift partners.

Data Centre Example Interview Questions

Employers interviewing data centre job applicants commonly use scenario questions to assess reasoning and behaviour.

Three common examples that data centre job candidates face, are:

1. “Walk me through your troubleshooting process when a host shows as unreachable.”

2. “Explain how you ensure accuracy when following a MOP.”

3. “Describe a time you escalated too early or too late - what did you learn?”

Candidates should prepare practical, lived examples that demonstrate adherence to procedure, good judgement under pressure, and the ability to deliver accurate communication in a time-sensitive environment.

TLDR: Technical Interviews for Data Centre Jobs be like…

To succeed in 2026, data centre job interviewees must demonstrate structured problem-solving skills, and potentially make that demonstration under pressure, in relation to the 19 interview question areas listed here.

In addition, it's beneficial for would-be data centre technicians to have knowledge of cloud environments, cybersecurity fundamentals, diagnostics/break-fix scenarios and data centre networking fundamentals. Finally, effective communication skills, notably for incident management and team collaboration, are a must.