Construction Management Interview Tips

Construction Management Interview Tips

When hiring a construction project manager, you need to be sure that the person is up for the job. Managers must be an expert in all things construction, extremely detail oriented, excellent in time management and experienced in overseeing dozens of employees. As you can imagine, this is no easy task. So, how do you find the right person for the job? Below, I will go over a few interview tips that will help ensure you hire the right person for the job the first time around!

Construction Interview Tip #1

Create a list of qualities

While you likely won’t find the “perfect” project manager with every single skill and quality that you want, creating a list of ideal characteristics in your prospective PM can be extremely useful. Make sure that you create this list before the interview process so that you can compare candidates against this list.

Ex. Detail-oriented, great at time-management, leader, analytical, problem-solver, etc.

When making a list with qualities such as these, put them in order of importance. This will help you differentiate between the must-haves and the preferred wants.

Construction Interview Tip #2

Craft the right job description

This may seem obvious, but it’s very important that you craft a precise and detailed description if you want to attract the right individual. Many companies will write a vague description and end up with piles of unqualified individuals. By including exactly what you want and need, candidates will know right away if they qualify for the job and you will avoid receiving underqualified applicants.

A few examples of what to include in your job descriptions are:

Ex. Duties, responsibilities, years of experience needed, preferred skillset, etc.

When it comes to duties and responsibilities, include things such as, budgeting, coordinating, scheduling, obtaining permits and anything else specific that they will be in charge of doing.

Construction Interview Tip #3

Ask the right questions

A solid and comprehensive set of interview questions is key to finding the perfect candidate. This means steering away from the standard and often vague types of questions and moving towards unique, job-specific types of questions.

A few examples of excellent interview questions include:

Ex. What don’t you want to work on?

This gives you the chance to see if this person fits your project’s needs. If you have a project working on a residential building and they say that they don’t like residential projects, you’ll figure out very quickly that this person isn’t right for the job.

Ex. What’s the most important thing for a project manager to do?

This question gives insight into what an individual’s priorities are as a project manager. This should give you a clear picture of whether or not this person is the right fit for your team.

Ex. How have you improved project management processes at your current firm?

A question like this gives an interviewee the chance to offer real-life examples of their work. If they can’t think of anything, it’s probably a sign that they aren’t the right person for the job!

Conclusion

Hiring the right project manager can be difficult, but these construction interview tips can help ease the process. With a little preparation and time, you can find a talented individual that is perfect for the job and your company!