How to hire crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. • Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials. • Notify supervisors of needed repairs. • Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions. • Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms. • Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems. • Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes. • Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong monitoring, active listening, reading comprehension and speaking skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.34 an hour ($48,540 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to notify supervisors of needed repairs. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders do
- Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
- Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.
- Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
- Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
- Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
- Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems.
- Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -1.7% over ten years, little or no change · about 2,300 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Iowa | $62,590 |
| Nevada | $60,180 |
| New York | $58,090 |
| Minnesota | $56,550 |
| Wisconsin | $54,580 |
| Ohio | $43,850 |
| Tennessee | $42,950 |
| Arkansas | $38,910 |
See crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.