Building a Successful Team: 5 Steps for Hiring the Right People

By Scotti Ian Ogden
Owner of Ogden Contracting LTD.

Are You Struggling to Find Staff?
This System Presents the Perfect Candidate.

Finding staff is one of the biggest pain points for construction business owners. An even bigger struggle is finding good staff, people who are qualified, well attributed and skilled. I’ve systemized the hiring process and found success in finding reliable employees.

When I started my company, I never knew how to find qualified people. I would place a short ad at the local employment office, stating, “looking for a carpenter that has two years’ experience, a car and a valid driver’s license.”

The ad was effective, as I would receive numerous calls from everyone and anyone looking for a job. I would hire the first person that
showed up. We spent many hours and resources training the wrong people to later let them go and start the same process over again. I learnt to be more proactive and created a systematic way to find the right candidate.

5 Steps for Hiring the Right People

Our structured approach to hiring the right candidate for the job follows these simple steps.

1. Write an Ideal Candidate Profile

Before you write a job ad, It is important to create an Ideal Candidate Profile so you can clearly define the qualifications, skills, and experience required for the role. This profile serves as a guideline to ensure you attract candidates who possess the necessary attributes, abilities, and attitude for the role.

What to include in an Ideal Candidate Profile:

• The mission for the role
• Culture and core values
• Determine deliverables for the role
• Preferences and abilities for the role
• Skill set and experience needed for the role

2. Write a Compelling Job Ad

A well-crafted job ad is based on your ideal candidate profile. Writing a compelling job ad will eliminate the tire kickers. A person looking for a career is more likely to spend the time reading your detailed ad. Try to include details of why your company will be a great career
opportunity, with pathways for growth and education.

What to Include in your Job Ad:

• Job title and description
• About our company
• Attributes and abilities
• Responsibilities and duties
• Qualifications and skills
• Salary and benefits

(Post your ad on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and indeed, and have a landing page on your website where the candidate can explore your company, getting a feel for what you are all about)

3. Create a Conversion Call Template

When the potential candidate calls, have a Conversion Call Template prepared. The template includes some essential questions to ask the candidate before scheduling an interview.

What to include in your Conversion Call Template:

• Candidate details (name, phone number, email, date)
• Ask them about their current situation (work, school, etc)

Questions:

• What type of role are you looking for?
• What type of company are you looking to work with?
• What are you good at? (Push for specific examples)
• What are your weaknesses?
• What are you interested in learning?
• What are job ‘deal breakers’ for you?

Job Helicopter Tour:

• Explain your company’s values to the potential candidate
• Explain the duties and hours of the role

If the candidate is a good fit, schedule an interview with them.

4. Conduct a Focused Interview

A focused interview process helps you assess candidates thoroughly and determine their stability for the role. By preparing targeted questions and evaluation criteria in advance, you can dive deeper into their qualifications, experience, and fit within the organization. I like asking open-ending questions to allow the candidate to openly talk about situations and past experiences. Listen carefully and read between the lines. You can get a feel for their character through the way they talk about themselves and others.

For best practices we have our project manager do the interviewing. This pro tip is successful by showing the potential candidate that the leadership staff is empowered by its owners and helps the candidate relax and be more genuine. This structured approach ensures you gather relevant information and make informed hiring decisions.

Interview Questions Example:

• Tell me about your role in your last company? A typical day? What were you hired to do?
• What was the hardest part of the job? What made it hard?
• Specifically, tell me about the hardest day, week, or month and how you handled it?
• How long did you do this job for?
• Why did you leave?
• Tell me about a situation where you were expected to work hard to meet a deadline?
• Tell me about a time when you had to deal with conflict with your boss or a co-worker.
• How did you handle the situation? How did you resolve it?
• Tell me how you’re going to commit to be on time and work the minimum required hours?
• How do you manage time and priorities?

5. Interview References

Conducting reference interviews is an essential step to validate a candidate’s qualifications and work history. The candidate should be willing to give you any references you asked for. By reaching out to previous employers or professional references you gain valuable insights into the candidate’s performance, work ethic, and reliability. A credibility check is important to the successful outcome of the hire. One of the most important questions to ask the reference is “Would you hire this person again?”

Here are six questions that you could ask the candidate’s former employers:

• Can you confirm the candidate’s employment dates and job title while working at your company? This question is important to ensure that the candidate’s resume and work history are accurate.
• What were the candidate’s primary responsibilities and duties while working for your company? This question helps you understand the candidate’s previous job roles and whether their experience matches the job requirements.
• How did the candidate handle difficult situations, such as tight deadlines or stressful projects? This question can help you gauge the candidate’s ability to handle pressure and work effectively under challenging circumstances.
• How would you rate the candidate’s work quality and productivity? This question helps you understand the candidate’s level of performance and whether they met or exceeded expectations.
• Can you describe the candidate’s working style and how they interacted with colleagues, clients, and superiors? This question provides insights into the candidate’s communication skills, teamwork, and ability to work with others.
• Would you rehire the candidate if given the opportunity? Why or why not? This question can provide valuable information about the candidate’s overall performance and whether they were a good fit for the company culture.

Thank You for Reading. If you found this helpful, let us know. Don’t hesitate to reach out with further questions. If you’re interested in reading more blog posts, follow us on instagram or facebook for updates on new content.