Interviewing for a Construction Worker

What we can do for you

Most people think that working on a building site is a job that almost anybody can do, but they are very wrong. OK, so construction labourers do not need to have received a university education, but there are certain skills and personality traits that are important for the role, and that academic qualifications do not recognise. Interview Quizzes can help you find them quickly, saving you time, effort and money on recruitment.

There are over a quarter of a million construction firms in the United Kingdom, employing almost 3 million people. With such high demand for construction workers, it is important that the ones who work for you are the best ones for the job. Our online quizzes will help you find them when you are recruiting.

What to look for in a good construction worker

Building site labourers have to be adaptable. The position involves many different kinds of work – it’s not all lugging things from one place to another. The nature of the job will depend on your business. Only you know what exactly you require in your employees, which is why our functionality allows you to choose the traits you are looking for. But there are certain skills and qualities that are essential in any construction worker:

• Fast learner - While construction workers do not need any formal qualifications, they do need to be able to learn quickly. They must be able to understand and follow any instructions given by their supervisor, and to obey the health and safety guidance. They may also have to learn new skills, like mixing or levelling concrete, so a willingness and ability to undertake training is vital.
• Team player - Construction work is a team effort. A willingness to help colleagues, a calm and mild temper, and an eagerness to take on whatever task they are given are all welcome attributes.
• Responsibility - Building sites can be dangerous places. As well as the risks from working at heights, or from falling materials, employees might also be exposed to hazardous materials. All your staff must be able to follow health and safety guidelines at all times, and be willing to safely handle debris, rubble and potentially harmful materials.
• Adaptability - Construction labourers may be asked to put their hands to almost anything – helping contractors like painters or electricians, preparing sites and tools, helping with the operation of heavy machinery, putting up and taking down temporary structures like barricades or scaffolding, and much more besides. Flexibility is one of the most important attributes in your workers.
• Physical fitness - The backbone of the job. Construction workers will spend much of their time loading or unloading materials and equipment, transporting them, or digging holes. The ideal worker will be fit, healthy and strong.

Finding the right helpers for your business

After you have advertised your position and have a list of candidates, it’s time for our quizzes to do their work. Choose four categories from our comprehensive list. These will filter out anybody unsuited to your vacancy, leaving you with only the best applicants to invite to a face to face job interview. Which quizzes you choose is up to you, but here’s a list of ones we think are most suited to your needs:

English Basic Literacy - To test how well candidates can communicate with others and read basic instructions, important aspects of both teamwork and following instructions.

Maths Basic Numeracy - Finds how able candidates are to perform simple maths in their heads. Useful in working out areas and volumes, and other things necessary on a building site.

IQ - You might not think that a high level of intelligence is necessary for building site work, but you’d be surprised. This quiz tests how well people can concentrate on complicated tasks, how well they can understand instructions, and gives an indication of how quickly they can learn. All necessary skills for construction workers.

Science Basic - This test shows you how well potential employees understand simple aspects of science. They don’t need to be Einstein, but understanding ideas like centres of gravity, or leverage are very useful.

The job interview

The data you get from us will tell you a great deal about the applicants for your vacancy, allowing you to narrow down the list of people who you invite for an interview. There are, of course, some things that quizzes can’t tell you, such as eagerness, fitness or teamwork. The interview questions you ask should reveal those. However, what our quizzes CAN do, is make the recruitment process that much faster, saving you many hours sorting through piles of application forms. We’ve done the hard part, so you don’t have to.

Conclusion

We cannot decide who is best for you, but we can provide the tools to help you MAKE BETTER DECISIONS, FASTER.