When it comes to interviews, many topics should be consciously avoided.  Interview questions are mostly all about judging your ability and skills for the position; however, a few questions might indicate discrimination. Ensure that you know what not to ask a candidate during an interview. Here’s a list of a few questions to avoid during an interview:

1. Have you been arrested?

Every organization does a background check to find out whether the potential candidate has ever been convicted or not. At several organizations, you will also find that question such as “have you ever been convicted of any crime?” appears on the application form. This question can also be asked in an interview; however, the question “have you ever been arrested?” is a strict no-no.

2. Are you married or single?

You cannot ask this question to the candidates for several reasons. First, this is a subtle way of inquiring about the sexual orientation of the candidate. Second, this question can be looked upon as a way to know more about the candidate’s (especially in the case of women) future family plans – such as if the candidates are married and if their spouse gets transferred to another city are they going to relocate and leave the job? The candidate might think that such information might have implication on the decision-making process.

3. What’s your nationality?

Nationality should never be a topic of discussion during an interview. When you find the candidates have a different accent than yours, you will have this urge to know their country of origin. You can, however, ask them that whether they are legally authorized to work in the US or not and whether they have a valid work permit or not but the issue of nationality should be off limits.

4. Do you have kids? Or Do you plan to have kids?

Personal questions like this often put the candidates in an awkward position (especially women). This makes them feel that they might be overlooked for the position if they have children as the employer might assume that the candidate may demand fewer work hours. In the same way, asking about plans to have kids make the candidates feel that the company may not want to invest in them as they might go on a maternity leave soon.

5. What is your commuting time?

You might think that it’s okay to ask where the candidate is living; however, this might have serious implications. You can ask the candidates whether they will be able to get to work by 9 AM ever day or whether they can relocate (if they are staying in another city) if they get the job or not. However, if you ask the commuting time, the candidate might think that it could affect his or her application as candidates who live nearby might get the preference.

Avoid these questions to keep the interview process fair and judge the candidates by their skills.

Looking for construction jobs? We can help. We are the best construction staffing agency in Texas. Our construction recruitment agency has an expansive network of Real Estate organizations, Architectural and Engineering firms across North America. Contact us today at https://www.constructionhunters.com/contact/

Interviewers start assessing you the moment you walk through the doors. They not only assess your attitude but also, the way you present yourself. And to crack an interview for the position of civil engineers, you must be clear about a few things:

• The way you want to contribute to the success of the organization
• Why you are willing to work for the organization
• How much you are willing to learn

A few Tips for Answering General Question

Whether you are appearing for an interview conducted by the construction staffing agency or by the organization, most of the interviews start with an informal conversation and a round of introduction before the interview panel becomes more specific about their questions. This is the time when they judge your communication skills and your enthusiasm for joining the organization. This acts as a warm-up for you before getting into further technicalities. So, when facing this round, always:

• Speak clearly and focus on your tone modulation to show that you are interested and enthusiastic about the opportunity.
• Do not hurry. Take your time to think about the questions before answering them. This ensures that you give a good response.
• Listen carefully. Let the hiring manager lead the conversation. If you are not able to understand any question, do not hesitate to ask the hiring manager to explain it to you.
• Always give examples from your experience to show that you have the desired knowledge and skills.

Here are a few questions faced by Civil Engineers during an interview:

1. Tell us about yourself.

This is one of the most critical questions that Civil engineers face in the job interview. If you nail the response, chances are high that good news will follow. When answering this question summarize your studies or work whatever is relevant to your position. If it’s an opening for experienced Civil Engineer, it’s better to your focus on your relevant experience. Discuss your personal and professional goals and where you want to achieve in your next career move.

2. Why do you want to work for the organization? Or why we should hire you?

The recruiter will always try to judge your enthusiasm about joining the company. They want to see whether you share their goals and passions or not. To answer this question, conduct thorough research about the company and the job role.

3. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Always emphasize on your strengths. Mention on one or two weaknesses followed by what you are doing to overcome them.

We hope these tips will help you nail your interview. If you are looking for a job in the construction industry, get in touch with us. We are one of the leading construction staffing agencies in Texas. Contact us today at http://www.constructionhunters.com/contact/

In the next few years, the construction industry in the USA is expected to witness an unprecedented growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2014 and 2024, the projected growth rate of the position of a construction manager is 7%. Not only that, demands for other executive positions also expected to grow in the coming years. Apart from great technical skills, there are a number of other traits that makes a successful construction executive. Let’s take a look at the essential traits of a successful construction executive:

1.    Passion
From unfavorable weather to building conditions, a job in the construction industry always tests your limit with uncompromising situations. These hurdles are always accompanied by a constant pressure of the deadline. And it’s tough to handle such situations if you lack passion for the job. A successful construction executive is passionate about work and is not constrained by such hurdles.

2.    Team Player
The construction industry is all about teamwork. From labors to sub-contractors, a construction executive has to work with multiple people at the same time. A successful construction executive is the one who can successfully lead teams and work within it as and when required.

3.    Excellent Communication Skills
Excellent communication skills are vital for having a successful career in the construction industry. As a construction executive, you have to communicate with a variety of people working on a construction project. They can be engineers, architects, superintendents or suppliers. An excellent construction executive knows how to adjust his/her communication style accordingly. They keep honing their communication skills.

4.    Problem-Solving Skills
This is an essential trait of successful construction executive. From unexpected delays in supplies to small mishaps, small problems can eventually become a big issue in a construction project and might result in unnecessary delays. A successful construction executive is efficient in handling such issues with a practical approach to problem-solving thereby limiting the scope of costly mistakes.

5.    Planning and Organizing
This is a valuable trait that hiring managers usually look for while recruiting construction executives. Since construction projects come along with strict deadlines, executives are expected to have strong organization and planning skills to ensure time optimization and prioritization. Great construction executives know how to organize their regular tasks, make plans and work independently to optimize production.

6.    Document-management abilities
Apart from using complex technical diagrams and designs, the job of a construction executive also involve lots of documentation. They prepare and go through job reports, proposals, and other documents related to the project. A great construction executive can thoroughly analyze, interpret and extract information from such documents to gain a deeper understanding of contract requirements and construction norms.

These tips will help you get a fair idea of the essential traits of a construction executive. If you want to know more about construction architecture executive recruitment, you can get in touch with us. We are among the best construction staffing agency in Texas. Call us today at 214-935-3626.

Source:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/construction-managers.htm

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Despite growing concerns, the construction industry in the USA has grown in terms of productivity in the past few years. This is one of the major industries which generate huge employment. If you too are eager to join the construction industry, then here are a few important construction staffing facts:

1. Between 2010 and 2020, the rate of employment in the construction industry is projected to increase by 1.84 million. This growth is in terms of wage-and-salary jobs. In other words, the growth of employment in the construction industry will constitute total 33% of the total jobs created during this period.

Source: http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/5th%20Edition%20Chart%20Book%20Final.pdf

2. The USA construction industry is among the major buyers of manufactured goods in the country. The shipment of construction materials in the year 2007 totaled $518 billion.

Source:http://www.accountingweb.com/community-voice/blogs/admin/quick-facts-about-the-construction-industry

3. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) mentions that, by August 2016, the rate of unemployment in the construction industry has increased to 5.1%. The average hourly income of a construction worker in the USA is $28.22.
Source: http://www.bls.gov/iag/tgs/iag23.htm#iag23emp1.f.P

4. A report by The American Road & Transport Builders Association, published in 2012, showed that about 11% of the total workforce of the nation (14.2 million workers) is employed in the infrastructure industry. Out of them about 15% of the people were employed in the construction industry and only 6% were involved with design.
Source: http://www.saccd.org/industry-career-salaries/construction-industry-facts/

5. According to a report published by the FMI Corporation (2014), about 3.8% of the construction workers were engaged in oil and gas construction. However, by 2012, this number quickly doubled to 6.4%. This shift was as a consequence of recession and the downturn of the construction industry.

Source: https://www.fminet.com/index.php/visitor/download/freeDownload/id/569/

6. A data published by The Center for Construction Research and Training CPWR in 2010, there were total 3.39 million construction organizations in the USA. Out of them, about 2.26 million organizations didn’t have any provision for payrolls.

Source: http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/5th%20Edition%20Chart%20Book%20Final.pdf

7. The fatality rate in the construction industry significantly dropped in the year 2010. The rates dropped by about 34%. Not only that, in the same year, the rates of illness and other small injuries in the construction industry also declined by 1.5 per 100 full-time equivalent workers. In 1992, this rate was 5.3 per full-time equivalent workers.

Source: http://www.cpwr.com/sites/default/files/publications/5th%20Edition%20Chart%20Book%20Final.pdf

8. A data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 2014, women represented only 8.9% of the total workforce in the construction industry. The data also mentions that out of the total 9,813,000 people employed in the construction industry, 872,000 workers were women.

Source: http://www.nawic.org/nawic/Statistics.asp

Hopefully, these pointers will give you a statistical overview of the construction industry in the USA. In case you are looking for construction staffing agency in Texas or in any other state, then look no further. Get in touch with us today. We are among the top-notch engineering staffing agencies in Texas. Call us today at 214-935-3626.

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Attracting and hiring the best talents is one of the important aspects of any successful construction organization. And trusting an outside agency with such an immense responsibility is much difficult. In such case, hiring the best construction head hunters is the only way to put your mind at ease. But, how can you tell whether you are hiring the right construction staffing agency or not? Here are a few tips:

1. Prioritize Due Diligence
Before zeroing in on a construction head hunter, evaluate them. Check their LinkedIn profile. Do they have the required expertise in the area you want them to work in? Do they have the relevant experience as they claimed to you during your first meeting? Get the facts together before taking any decision.

2. Check for Experience
When you are hiring recruiting headhunters, especially in the construction industry, you want them to find the best skill-set for you. Find out for how long they have been operating in the industry. Experienced head hunters have spent years tracking and building a network of candidates who are best in the industry. With experienced construction head hunters, it will take less time to fill any vacant position in your organization with quality candidates.

3. Get references
Before you hire construction head hunters, check with your peers in the industry. Ask them for reference. Check the quality of their recruitments and also check their track record of delivering results. Apart from that, ask the agency for references and call them. Find out whether they are satisfied with the services of the agency or not. This will help you get an overall idea of how the agency operates in the industry.

4. Check the Contract Terms
Evaluation of the contract is yet another important task before hiring any construction head hunter. You do not want to get stuck with inflexible terms and conditions. So, ensure that all your demands are addressed in the contract.

5. Be clear with your Demands
Be clear with what you want and what exactly you are looking for. A good recruiting agency will listen to your needs and requirements and try to find someone who is apt for the job. And for that, it is essential to communicate this to the recruiting agency.

6. Interview them thoroughly
Interview the recruiting agency just as you would interview a candidate. Check whether they have the candidates in their network for the positions or not. Ask them about their screening processes. Ask how they are going to maintain a chain of communication with you. Also, ask them how long they usually take to fill a position.

These tips will help you thoroughly evaluate the recruiting agencies and find the best for you. If you are looking for experienced construction head hunters in the USA, get in touch with us at 214-935-3626.

Hiring qualified and competent construction executives is a time consuming and expensive task. Here is where a construction staffing agency can help you. These agencies play an integral role in helping construction organizations find the right talents and hire them. They save your valuable time & money.

Construction staffing agencies can significantly increase your chances of attracting the best talent in the industry. Here’s how they can help you:

1. They have an extensive network for locating the best talent

From executives to managers, construction staffing agencies have an extensive network of candidates. They have thousands of resumes of skilled professionals in their database. This gives them the advantage of finding the right talent quickly.

2. They Save your time

The entire hiring process is pretty time consuming. From interviewing the candidate, checking their skills to verifying the references, there are a number of steps that can eat up your valuable time. Construction staffing agencies handle all these time-consuming steps for you. Moreover, they always keep improving their staffing solutions to present A-list candidates to you.

3. They Manage the Administrative work

From writing a good job description to prepare interview questions, a construction staffing agency takes a lot of administrative tasks off your hands. This helps you concentrate on other important organizational tasks.

4. They Reduce the Turnover Cost

A 2016 study conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management found that employers spend about 6-9 months of an employee’s salary to hire and train a replacement. Which means, the cost can be around $45,000. Staffing agencies save you this cost by eliminating the chances of a bad hire. The experienced recruiters have a good idea whether the candidate will be able to match your standards or not.

5. They are Well Aware of the Job Needs

Staffing agencies have experienced recruiters who know about the work culture of the company and understand the needs of the job. If you have any special requirement then inform them about that and they will find the right candidates for you.

Working with a construction staffing agency can alleviate the stress from your shoulders both in terms of time and cost. If you are looking for a qualified staffing agency, get in touch with us today. Our seasoned professionals have years of expertise in locating and attracting the best talent pool for your organization. Call us today at 214-935-3626.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/high-turnover-costs-way-more-than-you-think_b_9197238