Screening Skilled Trades Candidates: A Practical Checklist

Start with a short phone screen

A ten-minute call saves you hours of interviews with people who were never a fit. Keep it to the facts that rule a candidate in or out:

• Which trade, and at what level (apprentice, journeyman, master, or the equivalent in your state)?
• Which licenses or certifications do you hold, in which state, and are they current?
• What kind of work have you done most in the last two years: residential, commercial, industrial, service or new construction?
• Can you work the hours and sites this job needs, including early starts or travel?
• Does the pay range we posted work for you?

The answer to the residential-or-commercial question matters more than many owners expect. A strong residential service plumber may need real ramp-up time on a commercial new-build, and the reverse is true too.

How do you verify a trade license?

Trade licensing in the United States is handled mostly by states, and in some places by cities or counties as well. Which trades need a license, what levels exist and whether one state recognizes another's license all vary. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians are licensed in many jurisdictions. Carpenters, painters and general laborers usually are not licensed as individuals, although the contractor business often is.

1. Ask for the license type, number and issuing agency on the application.
2. Look it up on the issuing agency's online license search. Most state licensing boards offer one.
3. Confirm the name matches, the license is active, the level fits the work, and note the expiration date.
4. Check for disciplinary actions or restrictions if the lookup shows them.
5. If the candidate is licensed in another state, confirm with your own state or local board whether that license lets them work for you.

Save a screenshot or printout of the lookup with the date in the employee file, and set a reminder before the expiration date. Federal certifications can matter too. HVAC technicians who work with refrigerants, for example, generally need EPA Section 608 certification, and anyone driving vehicles that require a commercial driver's license needs the right CDL class.

Run a practical skills check

The best predictor of trade skill is watching someone work. A practical check does not need to be elaborate. Set up a short task that matches the job, have your lead or foreman watch, and score it the same way for every candidate.

• Electrician: wire a switch loop or a small subpanel mock-up, then explain how they would troubleshoot a dead circuit.
• Plumber: cut, fit and solder or crimp a short run, then talk through finding a slow leak.
• HVAC technician: read a wiring diagram and diagnose a staged fault on a unit in the shop.
• Carpenter: read a simple plan, lay out and cut a set of pieces to tolerance.
• Welder: run a test bead in the process and position the job requires.

Pay attention to how they work as much as the result. Do they check the plan before cutting? Do they lock out the circuit and test it before touching anything? Do they keep the area clean? Those habits show up on your job sites.

If the check runs longer than a short demonstration, or the candidate does work you can use, treat it as paid time. Wage and hour rules for working interviews vary, so confirm the approach with your payroll provider or counsel.

What safety questions should you ask a tradesperson?

Safety habits are part of the skill. Ask behavior-based questions that show how the candidate works, rather than questions about their injury history:

1. Tell me about a time you stopped work because something was unsafe. What happened next?
2. Walk me through your lockout/tagout steps before working on equipment.
3. What PPE do you wear for the work you do most, and when do you add more?
4. Have you worked on sites with a safety plan or daily toolbox talks? What did you take from them?
5. Which safety training have you completed, such as an OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour Outreach course?

OSHA Outreach training cards are voluntary under federal rules, but some states, cities and general contractors require them for certain job sites. Find out what your sites and customers require and screen for it.

Avoid asking about past workers' compensation claims, injuries or medical conditions before a conditional job offer. Disability discrimination laws restrict those questions, and an employment attorney can tell you what is allowed at each stage.

Check references with supervisors, not coworkers

Ask candidates for at least two people who supervised their work directly, such as a foreman, a service manager or a contractor who hired them. Coworkers are friendly references, and supervisors are the ones who saw the callbacks. Keep the call short and specific:

• What kind of work did they do for you, and at what level?
• How often did you have to send someone back to fix their work?
• How were they on attendance and showing up on time to the site?
• Did they follow your safety rules without being reminded?
• Would you hire them again for the same work?

A pause before the last answer tells you a lot. If a reference will only confirm dates, ask whether they would rehire the person. Many will answer that even when company policy limits what else they say.

Tools, transportation and schedule

Plenty of skilled hires fall apart over the practical details. Settle these in the screening stage:

Tools

Say plainly which hand tools the employee is expected to bring and which tools, power equipment and meters the company provides. Some states limit when you can require workers to supply their own tools or require reimbursement, so check your state's rules before you write it into the posting.

Transportation and driving

Ask whether the candidate can reach your sites at the start time, and list the area you cover. Require a driver's license only if the job involves driving a company vehicle or driving between sites. If you check driving records through a screening company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act's disclosure, authorization and adverse action rules apply.

Schedule and overtime

Be specific about start times, weekend work, on-call rotations and how overtime is handled. A candidate who learns about a weekend rotation on day three may not be there on day ten.

How Optihire Staffing can help with trades hiring

Screening this carefully takes time that most contractors and facility managers do not have during a busy season. Optihire Staffing recruits for construction and skilled trades roles across the United States. One recruiter learns your crews, sites, pay range and the level of work you need, phone-screens candidates, and sends a ranked shortlist with notes on each person's experience and fit. If you have several openings, one brief can cover them all. See our recruitment services, submit your hiring requirements, or contact us to talk it through. Choosing between an agency and doing it yourself? Our comparison of recruitment agency vs in-house hiring lays out when each makes sense.