Interviews
As your company grows you will need to requite new team members, in this post we cover the interview process more specifically interview electrician, why electricians?
Well a lot of our customers are business owners and Electrics is not their first language so to speak, in addition to this I believe as electrical contractors you should be looking to grow your engineering team to span multiple skill sets. before growing your admin team after all without engineers their would be no electrical contractors.
Ok A confession I may have an alternate motive here, here at The E.C.O we offer temporary placement solutions for all office based positions in the electrical industry or Team extensions as we like to call it, this is not to stop you from growing your office team, It’s to aid you in firstly growing your installation team.
Once your projects are consistently profitable, expand your office staff to support long term growth.
To start with we will first cove the interview structure
What to consider before the interview
Think about the position you are hiring for, if it is a specialist position, managers or co workers might not have the knowledge in the candidates specialisation, ask how they would present info to the uninitiated.
Think about projects ask how they would plan/ time manage to meet deadlines
Look for short falls in the CV that will stop them immediately fulfilling their role **can training be provided**
What qualities do you need the candidate to have
Have 4-5 questions specific to their skills reported in the CV.
Know your candidate, look them up.
Interview structure
Introduce everyone in the interview.
Set the stage
Inform the candidate or expectations
access technical knowledge
Time management
Willingness
Ask general questions about
Background
Interests
What they can offer
Review CV
Ask about previous employment
Skill gaps
Strengths, achievements. Difficulties they have had.
Role specific questions
Think about role you are expecting this candidate to file and there daily tasks ask how the candidate would complete these tasks
Offer the candidate a chance to ask questions.
Indicators of a bad candidate could be if they ask questions that are easily answered on the company website, this indicates that the candidate has shown no interest in the company before the interview.
Let the candidate know why they can expect a response
The above can be user for interviewing for any position in your company I did say I would be proving a guide to interviewing electricians, following the below will give you a guide of your possible electrician commitment to the electrical industry and a back ground of there experience and knowledge.
Electrician Interview Questions
Here are some questions you can ask the electrician candidate, categorised to assess their skills and experience:
Technical Skills Assessment
Electrical Codes & Safety:
Can you walk me through your process for ensuring a safe work environment on site?
How do you stay up to date on changes in the wiring regulations?
Describe a situation where you had to apply your knowledge of the wiring regulations to resolve an issue.
Electrical Knowledge:
Explain the difference between a Type A and a Type B RCD and their use cases.
How would you identify and troubleshoot a short circuit in a radial circuit?
What safety precautions should be taken when working on potential live circuits ?
Electrical Tools & Meters:
Describe the functions of a multifunction tester and how you use it to carry out tests and inspections of a completed circuit..
What other electrical tools are you proficient in using (e.g., conduit benders , jig saws.)?
Experience & Problem-Solving
General Experience:
Tell me about your experience as an electrician. What types of projects have you worked on most often?
Are you familiar with working in residential, commercial, or industrial settings? (Tailor this based on your company's focus)
Troubleshooting Skills:
Describe a time you had to troubleshoot a complex electrical problem. What was the issue, and how did you diagnose and fix it?
How do you approach a situation where you're unsure of the cause of an electrical fault?
Specific Skills:
Do you have experience with [mention specific skills relevant to your company's work, e.g., installing lighting systems, wiring control panels, etc.]?
Can you tell me about a project where you had to apply these skills?
Company Fit & Your Questions
Career Goals:
What are your career goals as an electrician?
What are you looking for in a position at an electrical contractor company?
Company Culture:
What aspects of our company culture stand out to you from your research?
Do you have any questions about the work environment or team structure?
Give the candidate a chance to ask questions:
We've discussed the position, but what questions do you have for me about the role or our company?
Remember:
Adapt these questions to your specific company's needs and the level of experience you're seeking.
You can also ask behavioural interview questions to assess the candidate's soft skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
Pay attention to the candidate's problem solving approach, communication skills, and enthusiasm for the job
Here at The E.C.O we are dedicated to your company growth if you have a candidate ready to interview and would like a member of our team to sit in or carry out the interview on you behalf contact us, were always happy to help!
