21 Construction Interview Questions for Hiring a Better Team
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21 Construction Interview Questions for Hiring a Better Team
In the construction industry, various trades require many skills at different levels of experience and management. Therefore, companies need to make sure the hiring team is equipped with a standard set of important construction interview questions based on unique skillsets. Looking for a new hire can be a daunting experience, especially when you’ve only reviewed a resume and don’t know what to expect when interviewing someone in person. Those pre-interview nerves are healthy and can be felt from both sides of the equation: the interviewer and interviewee. There’s one secret, however, to nailing an interview and potentially landing the dream candidate you’ve spent all your time and efforts searching for: preparation.
Preparing the right interview questions will allow the candidate to have an idea of what it would be like to work for your company. In return, you’ll be enabled you to make sure you’re hiring someone who fits your company’s culture and skill set needs.
Having prepared, well-thought-out, and strategic interview questions are essential. That’s why we pulled our resources and made you a list of the top asked construction interview questions.
Project Manager
When considering a project manager, you should look for someone who displays excellent leadership and communication between the field and office. A project manager should know how to maximize company resources to get the job done in a timely and accurate manner.
Some construction interview questions to help determine a good hire include:
1. Give me an example of a failure and how you changed the outcome to make it a success.
2. Tell me about a time when you had multiple projects to complete at once, how did you prioritize them?
3. Have you been in a difficult situation with a GC, and how did you handle it?
4. How do you budget for a project?
5. Tell me about the most significant project you’ve negotiated with a GC.
6. What are the biggest roadblocks you’ve encountered during a project. How did you resolve them?
7. What makes you a better project manager than the other candidates we’re interviewing?
Foreman
A foreman is naturally the leader on the construction site; companies who are hiring a supervisor will be looking for strong leadership skills. They are looking for the perfect liaison between management and the workforce, someone with lots of experience on the job site. As you prepare for an interview, try to incorporate some of the following construction interview questions:
8. How have you demonstrated the ability to cultivate and manage contractor relationships? How will you incorporate that knowledge into this foreman role?
9. What experience do you have with walking an untouched lot (i.e., still wooded, hasn’t been cleared for building yet) and what do you look for?
10. Have you ever had a time where you disagreed with another foreman on the jobsite? How did you handle it?
11. What would you do if there was a problem on the jobsite, such as the workers doing something unsafe?
12. What steps do you take to ensure problems don’t arise before you get in the field?
13. How do you delegate tasks to your workers?
14. What equipment do you work best with and feel comfortable supervising a team to use?
Construction Worker
Construction workers are the driving force on a project. As a management team, you need to be able to trust your workers and know that they’ll get the job done. Focus on asking questions directed towards their work ethic, how dependable they are, and what skills and expertise they will bring to the construction site. In preparation for the interview, try the following construction interview questions:
15. Tell me about a time when safety equipment prevented an accident or saved you in a dangerous situation.
16. Have you ever gotten into a disagreement with a foreman on the job site, and how did you handle it?
17. Are you prepared for unpredictable hours and travel?
18. How quickly can you learn new software?
19. Tell me about a suggestion you made on the job that your previous company implemented.
20. Give me an example of a time when you had little or no direction in solving an issue. What happened? What did you do? What was the outcome?
21. What concerns you most about being on the construction site?
Conclusion
Job boards such as Monster and Indeed also provide sample interview questions to try out in your next interview. You can always visit a company’s Glassdoor page and see what questions your competitors are asking for different positions.
Another great way to prepare for an interview is to review the job description for the position you are trying to fill and come up with questions based on the skills you require. For example, if you’re looking for someone who needs to work independently, ask them to tell you about a time they had to complete a job with little or no resources. If you need someone to learn your company’s new software, ask about how they adapt to learning new technology.
The best way to have a successful interview is to ask questions that allow your candidate to tell a story to provide you with a perspective on what it would be like to have them on your team. In return, your candidate should be asking the management team questions as well. Well-thought-out and planned responses to potential questions your candidate will ask you give the impression of a confident and organized management team – an attractive quality to new hires. Remember, interviews are a two-way street, use the conversation to envision if the applicant would be a fit and vice versa.
