Ask and Evaluate Nott begins the interview by noting the appearance of the potential employee. “Tattoos or piercings are a negative. Our prerequisite is for them to look professional,” she says. Owner DeCiantis also evaluates the appearance of their truck. Faller says that taking a person’s conduct into account is important. He also points out that for some jobs, taking note of body language is particularly significant: “If you’re looking for a lead carpenter — which requires confidence — that is telegraphed through eye contact and body positioning.” But be aware that body language does not always provide accurate information.
Avoid asking questions that lead the interviewee to the answer you want to hear. “For example, a contractor will say, ‘In this company, keeping jobsites clean is important. What do you think?’” Faller says. “We’ve already told them the right answer, so they will just repeat it in a different form.” Instead, he recommends asking questions that elicit the applicant’s opinion, such as “What do you think is the number one thing to do for client satisfaction?”
Cofield says that instead of asking, “How good are you at stucco?” a contractor should ask specific questions about stucco, such as “What do you have to do to match existing stucco?” He also asks about how the applicant might handle certain situations with clients, code inspectors, subcontractors, and so on.
If they say that they are a team player or that they can work independently, Adam asks them for an example of how they did that in past jobs. “I like to ask questions that put them on the spot,” he says.
But Adam also likes to help the interviewee relax by asking about hobbies. “You see if they are enthusiastic — if they have a passion for it,” he says. However, sometimes they mention hobbies that they don’t really have. Cofield has had the same experience, so he no longer asks about hobbies. “When people tell you their hobbies,” he says, “they tell you about what they would like their hobbies to be rather than what is true.” He prefers to ask how they spend their day (and, if they mention that they have children, what their favorite activity is with the kids).
Ben Tyler, president of Ben Tyler Building and Remodeling in Louisville, Ky., says that if a potential employee responds to the hobby question by talking about team sports, that is a bonus. “Someone who grew up playing team sports is more likely to get along with people and understand the team concept more than someone who did not,” he says. He also asks how they would handle an irate customer. “The correct answer is to let the customer vent and to let them know that you will make it right,” Tyler says. “You want someone who will take charge of the situation.”
Nott says that De-Ciantis likes to ask interviewees about the authority figures in their life. “I don’t know how to interpret that — John does. I think you get too much personal information,” she says.
Cofield throws out one odd question: “If you could be any living thing other than a human being, what would you be?” He says “the question is so unusual that people answer from the top of their heads. When you match the attributes of these living things with how that plays into their position, you get a pretty vivid picture of their personality.”
Faller says that contractors should tell the applicant about the company’s benefits. “If they want to join you, they have the right to know. Give them the low and the top end of wages,” he says. “Tell them that you don’t know where they will place until they are on the jobsite.”
Also, when the applicant asks questions, you should listen closely because these questions can reveal their motivation. “If they only ask about pay, you know that is one of their priorities. That tells you about where their heart is. That’s fine if you want people on your staff who are driven by money,” Faller says.