As we know all too well, there is a talent shortage plaguing the construction industry right now. It is making hiring extremely difficult for many firms. The process is not cheap, and it can be frustrating to search for top talent and continually come up short.

This is why many times, hiring managers either settle for someone less than ideal, or take a chance when they aren’t sure if someone is a great fit. Someone in the field is better than no one in the field, right? Well, not always.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of interview questions that will help you quickly identify top talent when it does walk through your door.

The Basics

  • Can you walk me through your resume and project list?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What are you looking for in a career opportunity?
  • What do you want to learn?
  • What are some relevant skills you have that aren’t on your resume or project list?
  • How do you prioritize tasks?
  • What do you know about this job/company?

Experience

  • Tell me about an example of how you responded to conflicts or challenges on a site?
  • Have you worked with blueprints and electrical plans?
  • Have you been involved in or witnessed a serious accident on site? What did you do? What could have happened differently?
  • Have you ever made a suggestion that was utilized on a job? How did that go?
  • Have you ever had to make a decision on site without direction? What happened?
  • Have you completed safety training?
  • Have you ever had to make up lost time on a job? How and why?
  • Have you ever worked with an untouched lot?

Skills and Process

  • What personal safety measures do you think are important?
  • What do you make sure you do before you leave a site?
  • How comfortable are you with mathematics?
  • What do you do if someone has a question or complaint about your quality of work?
  • What tools and machines are you comfortable with?
  • Do you work with software? How quickly can you learn to use software?

    • If you would like some more assistance finding top talent, please reach out to one of the expert recruiters at Michael Page, or submit a job description here.