What to Look For in a Construction Employee

Posted by hiringhelper on January 30th, 2014

In the construction field, you want to find the right employee who will get the job done. Even small mistakes can be costly and job sites are no place for someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. As an employer, you want someone who will be able to deliver and provide quality work. Below are some qualities to look for when interviewing candidates for a construction job, whether you need a project manager, a heavy equipment operator, a construction cost estimator or a contractor.

Ability to Learn

Technology is quickly becoming a large part of the construction industry, with the Cloud and tools like BIM software being incorporated into daily use. For some construction companies, technology is as important as finishing a concrete slab or painting a wall. If employees lack the skill set to do their job or use new equipment, they should not be on the job.

When you are considering a new hire or interviewing them, ask about their experience with new construction products or technology, their ability to adapt and how quickly they learn new systems, practices, and technology. This is especially important if you are hiring superintendents, architects, engineers, accountants, designers or other positions that will require daily use of technology. It is still important for skilled tradesmen to understand certain software as well, as delivering blueprints and renderings on tablets or computers becomes the new norm on job sites.


Record of Success

How well did the potential employee do in previous construction jobs? What types of projects did they work on and how successful were they at carrying everything out on time and in budget? Did they work well with others on the crew? A good employee will be able to demonstrate prior accomplishments, whether it was building design, construction, management, or any of the countless fields in the building industry.

While employers care about experience, it can mean very little unless that experience shows a hard working and capable individual. Make sure to look deeper, whether in background research or in an interview, to see how well the potential employee did in their previous jobs. Experience is one thing, but success is another.


Autonomy

An employee that can get the job done without reminders or constant supervision is a valuable employee to have on your team, especially in the construction industry. Construction company owners are busy with other tasks in construction management and operations, and if there is no on-site project manager they cannot afford to spend excessive time supervising employees on one job site. Tradesmen need to be aware of the construction schedule and be able to deliver on time while working safely.

Administrative and construction accounting employees need to be self-sufficient as well. Business owners have to visit multiple job sites, meet with current or prospective clients, work with vendors and much more. If there is data that needs entered into your construction project management program, your ideal accountant or administrator will do it independently. If a blueprint needs editing, a good architect or designer will do it without having to be micromanaged. This allows the owner to get back to their own work, and keeps the whole construction company running more efficiently.

Jobs in construction are varied and unique, and there are many traits that are necessary for a successful construction employee, regardless of the field. When searching for construction employees, make sure you fully understand them and what they can bring to the table. It will save for many headaches in the long run.


Construction Connection:
ConstructionConnection was created out of a need for a more effective and streamlined way for construction industry professionals to get matched with the right industry jobs and with the right industry opportunities. The founders of Construction Connection, both industry professionals themselves, listened to both company and individuals’ dissatisfaction with the traditional job boards, the paid resume blasts, the overpriced resume services and overall lack of sympathy toward the individual candidate. They also listened to the dissatisfaction from companies who post jobs only to get many irrelevant results or have to purchase high priced ads to showcase their company. Construction Connection is a patent-pending, one-of-a- kind profile creating / match-making system. The system delivers effective results. Construction Connection saves time, money and aggravation by matching people to people, people to companies, companies to people, and company to company.

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hiringhelper
Joined: November 20th, 2013
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