Employment Law

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a New Team Member to Your Construction Team featured image

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a New Team Member to Your Construction Team

Hiring is one of the most important factors in how a construction project will turn out. The crew that you put together has to be able to handle every part of a job and make sure that everything runs smoothly. Your hiring choices can also affect your business over the long term.

If you hire the wrong person for a job, you may find yourself needing a Nashville license defense attorney to help you get out of trouble. Every employee’s commitment to training, safety, and quality is an important part of how they work, and you should focus on that during the interview. In this editorial, a Nashville license defense attorney discusses the questions to ask before hiring a new team member to your construction team.

What Safety Training Have You Done?

Nothing gets construction companies into trouble with Nashville construction law faster than safety issues. All it takes is one person to create a problem for the entire company. If you want to minimize the potential for safety issues, then start by assessing the amount and type of training that prospective employees have completed.

Every experienced construction worker should have some amount of training. Even novice construction workers may have some formal safety training. It’s important to assess this early on since you may be responsible for ensuring that they get the training that they need. It may cost your company some amount of money to sponsor the training, but it’s worth it to maintain compliance with regulations and to minimize risks. If this is a potential problem for your company because of funding, it could be an important factor in whether or not a construction worker is hired or not.

Related: Safety Training Programs to Implement for Your Construction Crew

What Safety Equipment Do You Own?

It is also important to assess what safety equipment the candidate owns. Every construction worker should have some amount of basic safety equipment, including proper headwear and footwear. Construction industry regulations are strict about having and using safety equipment, and it could easily become a problem if your company has to provide safety equipment for all of its workers. There are some pieces that you may want to provide to ensure that it is always available for safety reasons, but employees should have their own basic safety gear.

What Kind of Safety Hazards Have You Experienced?

This question is complicated in that it can be used to identify two important pieces of information. First, the question works well for gauging a candidate’s experience in the workforce. It may be helpful to have employees on staff that have experience with safety hazards. That way, they are already familiar with the processes and procedures needed to respond in an emergency.

Second, it gives you an idea of how safety-minded the candidate is. If the candidate has been involved in a lot of hazards, that may be a red flag for hiring them. It may take a more detailed look into each hazard situation, but having a lot of hazard experience that cannot be explained away by the actions of others may mean that the candidate may have issues with safety on the job. This may or may not be a risk to your company, but you can consult with a Nashville construction attorney for legal advice.

Related: Does Your Construction Site Have a Safety or Health Hazard Present?

What’s Your License Number?

One of the most important questions that you could ask is about the candidate’s license number, if applicable. If they can provide a license number, you should be able to check if that license has any problems associated with it. This is an effective way of assessing their background and the potential for problems to arise on the job.

Not having a contractor’s license may be a dealbreaker, depending on the job that you want them to do. Some jobs may not need a license to complete, but it’s important to be sure what the limitations are before you make a decision. Ask a Nashville license defense lawyer for guidance if you see any problems on the license check or if you are unsure if that person can work on the project without a license.

What Concerns You Most About Being on a Construction Site?

It’s also important to assess the candidate’s general comfort and awareness of the construction site. For example, it may be important to know what jobs and/or areas they’re not comfortable working in. Construction workers that are not comfortable working at extreme heights may not be able to work there safely. Working underground is another common issue with construction workers since they may not be able to cope with the enclosed surroundings.

The same can be said of the types of equipment on the worksite. Specific types of equipment may make workers uncomfortable, which is a relatively strong indicator that you should avoid putting them in work with those machines. Knowing this ahead of time can help you plan accordingly. It is in your best interest to avoid such problems so that you can avoid accidents or other types of problems.

The hiring process can be complex, but doing it in the right way can reduce the chances of your company experiencing significant problems along the way. The laws regarding construction hiring are also complex, and you may need help to navigate it successfully. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to contact a construction lawyer for legal guidance. If you have questions about the construction hiring process, construction law, or how to conduct a successful interview, contact a Nashville license defense attorney from Cotney Attorneys & Consultants.

If you would like to speak with a Nashville license defense attorney, please contact us today.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.