Hiring in Florida: An 8-Step Blueprint for Firms in the Construction Industry | Step 4. Interviewing Candidates: How to Interview Like a Pro
- 17 hours ago
- 5 min read
Step 4. Interviewing Candidates: How to Interview Like a Pro
You’ve written the job description, posted the ad, and sorted through applications. Now it’s time to interview and find the right fit for your crew.
Interviewing is your chance to go beyond the resume and see how someone communicates, handles pressure, and fits with your team. A good interview process helps you make smart hiring decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
Start with Preparation
Before you meet with candidates, take time to get organized.
Review resumes carefully: Look for relevant experience, certifications, and signs they’ve worked on similar projects.
Know the role inside and out: Be clear on what the job involves and what success looks like.
Identify key traits: Think about what matters most: technical skills, safety awareness, teamwork, and adaptability.
Structure the Interview
Having a consistent format helps you stay focused and fair.
Start with a welcome: Let the candidate know what to expect.
Ask a mix of questions: Include technical, safety, behavioral, and situational questions.
Let them ask questions: Their questions can tell you a lot about what they care about.
Wrap it up clearly: Explain next steps and thank them for their time.
During the Interview, Look For
Clear communication: Especially important if your crew speaks different languages.
Relevant experience: Ask for specific examples from past jobs.
Safety awareness: Make sure they take it seriously and follow procedures.
Team fit: Skills matter, but attitude counts too. Look for people who stay calm, solve problems, and work well with others.
Ask Open Ended Questions
Open-ended questions can’t be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” They invite candidates to share experiences, explain reasoning, and provide insight into their skills and personality.
Why are open-ended questions important in an interview?
These questions reveal communication style, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. They go beyond the resume or application and create a dialogue that helps assess fit for the role and company culture.
Tips for using open-ended questions effectively:
Listen actively: Focus on the candidate’s thought process and perspective.
Ask follow-ups: Encourage deeper responses for clarity and context.
Stay objective: Evaluate answers based on job relevance, not personal bias.
Encourage reflection: Let candidates connect past experiences to the role.
Examples for construction roles:
What types of projects have you worked on?
How do you handle conflicts on a job site?
What safety training have you completed?
How do you manage physical demands or irregular schedules?
What about this job appeals to you?
Which parts of your previous job did you enjoy most?
General examples:
Can you tell me about a time you faced a difficult challenge at work?
How do you prioritize tasks when everything feels urgent?
Describe a time you worked with a difficult colleague.
How do you handle feedback or criticism?
Open-ended questions help employers gain meaningful insights and make informed hiring decisions.
Ask the Right Questions
Beyond open-ended questions, focus on areas that matter most:
Safety First: Ask how they identify hazards, follow safety rules, and handle incidents. Look for real examples.
Technical Know-How: Explore experience with tools, materials, and methods relevant to your projects.
Problem-Solving: Present a scenario and ask how they’d handle it. You want someone who can think on their feet.
Adaptability and Resilience: Ask how they’ve managed setbacks or shifting project scopes.
Leadership and Project Management: For supervisory roles, ask about managing crews, budgets, and timelines. Have them walk through a project they led, what went well, what didn’t, and what they learned.
Soft Skills: Communication, teamwork, and attitude matter. Ask how they’ve worked with others, resolved conflicts, or led a team.
Open-ended and targeted questions together give you a full picture of the candidate’s skills, mindset, and fit for the role.
Let Them Ask Questions: Encourage candidates to ask about the role, your company, or the crew. Their questions can show you what they value and how well they’ve prepared.
Consider a Team Approach: If possible, include other team members in the interview. Different perspectives can help you spot strengths or concerns you might miss. One person can focus on technical skills, another on team fit or leadership.
Think About Cultural Fit: Ask about their work style, values, and goals. Do they seem like someone who would thrive in your environment? Would they get along with your crew?
Don’t Ask the Wrong Questions
Stick to job-related questions. Avoid anything that could be seen as discriminatory. Follow equal employment rules and focus on qualifications and experience.
The following are off-limits:
Race, gender, age, or marital status: These are illegal under discrimination laws. Age-based decisions are only allowed when required by law (operating heavy equipment, working on roofs or scaffolding, demolitions, or handling explosives).
Family plans or status: Do not ask about marriage, children, or pregnancy, current or future. Family status questions, including hypotheticals, are prohibited.
Health or disability: You cannot ask about medical history, disabilities, or past workers’ compensation claims.
Instead, ask: “Can you perform the job duties, with or without reasonable accommodations?”
Religion or national origin: Questions about faith, holidays, birthplace, or accent are illegal.
Examples of what not to ask:
Where were you born?
Where’s your accent from?
How did you learn [foreign language]?
Citizenship: Do not ask if someone is a U.S. citizen.
Ask: “Are you legally authorized to work in the United States?”
Language Requirements: In Florida, hiring based on language ability is legal when tied to job duties, such as fluency in Spanish for working with Spanish-speaking crews. Employers may consider reading, writing, speaking, or understanding a language if it’s essential for the role, but not as a pretext for discrimination. Rejecting someone solely for having an accent or speaking English as a second language is unlawful.
Illegal questions should never be part of an interview. Stick to job-related inquiries to ensure fairness and compliance.
Navigating Salary Expectations
Even if you listed a salary range in the job post, handling pay discussions during interviews requires preparation and tact.
When to discuss salary:
Bring it up after covering job details so the candidate understands the role.
Confirm you want to move forward before discussing pay.
How to ask:
Direct approach: “What are your salary expectations?”
If they seem hesitant: “Where do you need to be in terms of salary?”
Open to negotiation: “The salary I have in mind is $XXX. Does that align with your expectations?”
Firm offer: “The maximum salary for this role is $XXX. Knowing that, would you like to continue?”
Prepare for different outcomes:
Candidate won’t discuss salary: will you proceed?
Their number is higher: can you offer perks or flexibility?
Their number is lower: will you raise your offer to stay competitive?
They need time: will you wait or move on?
Salary talks can feel challenging, but preparation makes them easier. Enter the conversation with research, clear goals, and flexibility to ensure a fair process for both sides.
Red Flags to Watch For
Be cautious with candidates who:
Have language barriers that affect communication
Have a spotty or inconsistent work history
Avoid giving references or documentation
Can’t explain their experience or skills clearly
Dodge follow-up questions
Show little understanding of safety practices
Blame others for past issues
Get flustered easily or avoid responsibility
Don’t understand the job expectations
Hiring the wrong person can slow down your projects, create safety risks, and hurt morale. But with the right questions and a little prep, you can spot red flags early and choose someone who helps your business grow.
