Electrician Interviews

[Rockyd]

Greg,


Sidney Sheldon best said it with a book. You need to be "Master of the Game". The interviewee probably has as many questions as you do, he is also making notes, and each move counts for both. Make sure that you have enough background on him to move forward with other sources. For less than a $100 you can check all kinds of history, on a person. Just have to have enough information to move forward on.

If a $100 sounds like anything, think about how much you stand to gain, or lose, by having a winner, through smart play in your behalf, or finding out something that won't allow a person to be on "your team".

Good luck at the local lunch.

 

[khixxx]

$5.00 ? we going to McDonalds for the dollar menu? I was taken to a steak house. We got to throw the peanut shells on the floor. It was a grand ol time had by all.

I agree with charlie that the good guys are taken up or are looking for a high paying job. However they might be tired of the other company. Personally I request a phone interview before I even step foot in a shop, but I am not the type of guy your looking for.

I have seen the PMs of other companies stop in on the site and just talk to us. I think he was fishing for new guys. he never came out and said it but he was telling us how great his company is.

Best of luck

 

[~Shado~]

The biggest thing I can think of is if they truely have a desire to learn the trade and be all they can be.
This is the hardest part for a contractor...to stay in business you need capable people now....yet ...if you invest/ teach in them they may turn out to be some of the best in your company in the future.
This I know from personal experience...there are alot of great workers out there that just need a foot in the door and tutoring.

 

[charlietuna]

If we go to the high dollar--throw the peanuts on the floor place-- he better pick up the tab or he'll not get the job!!!! Seriously though, it cost us thousands of dollars just to find out if a guys has the ability--check his record--call his past employer --test him all you want but three weeks after you hire him --it might not pan out for you and just as important he may not like working for you---either way it costs a lot of money and now your back at square one!!!

I am a listener--some about the trade-yes! that is important, but what about his home life?? What about his family life or family values ??? How punctual or reliable is he??? I'm handing the keys to a $40k service vehicle and more important a good portion of my customer's needs ! I can replace the service truck--customers today are hard to come by! It is easier to train a positive motivated smart guy than it is to find one and this way you know what you have and there is a mutual relationship between employer and employee--trust is a powerful thing ! Customers can sense "trust" and "reliability" and will not find it easily at our compitition's operation--this locks in your customer base. I never looked for work in 25 years -- i could pick and choose customers--I grew to take care of good customers and slow paying customers were shed and replaced with good customers. I instilled this in my men--this was our job security and it worked. My men looked out for our customers like they were part of our family.

The one hour lunch at a nice quiet resturant which i would pay for would spend five minutes to tell him about our shop-type of work-and what i expected out of him and what his pay would be and what it might increase to. the rest of the time i would mainly be listening----------- my $.02

 

[Greg Swartz]

If we go to the high dollar--throw the peanuts on the floor place-- he better pick up the tab or he'll not get the job!!!! Seriously though, it cost us thousands of dollars just to find out if a guys has the ability--check his record--call his past employer --test him all you want but three weeks after you hire him --it might not pan out for you and just as important he may not like working for you---either way it costs a lot of money and now your back at square one!!!

I am a listener--some about the trade-yes! that is important, but what about his home life?? What about his family life or family values ??? How punctual or reliable is he??? I'm handing the keys to a $40k service vehicle and more important a good portion of my customer's needs ! I can replace the service truck--customers today are hard to come by! It is easier to train a positive motivated smart guy than it is to find one and this way you know what you have and there is a mutual relationship between employer and employee--trust is a powerful thing ! Customers can sense "trust" and "reliability" and will not find it easily at our compitition's operation--this locks in your customer base. I never looked for work in 25 years -- i could pick and choose customers--I grew to take care of good customers and slow paying customers were shed and replaced with good customers. I instilled this in my men--this was our job security and it worked. My men looked out for our customers like they were part of our family.

The one hour lunch at a nice quiet resturant which i would pay for would spend five minutes to tell him about our shop-type of work-and what i expected out of him and what his pay would be and what it might increase to. the rest of the time i would mainly be listening----------- my $.02

I just finished meeting with my business coach. And she suggested the same thing: Take them out to lunch and have a second look.

She also suggested (as some have here) that I need to look at the person... skills aside... and see who impressed me the most...

It was the older apprentice...

I'll be making appointments for tomorrows lunch. I better not eat breakfast, cause I'll eat lunch twice.

 

[charlietuna]

Greg,
You are a jar-head,journeyman-and master electrician-electrical engineer and you need a "BUSINESS COACH" ???
Yes it is important to find someone who is trainable and has an open mind !! Good luck !!

 

[nolabama]

haveing just now read your novel of a thread about the carwash - hire the apprentice and make him get his card

 

[cowboyjwc]

I always ask them if they are familiar with a farnagle clamp and if they've ever used one. If the answer yes, I simply say "thank you for your time."

What happened to just checking their teeth and making sure that their legs were sound. Oh wait that's a horse. Never mind.

 

[wbalsam1]

I always ask them if they are familiar with a farnagle clamp and if they've ever used one. If the answer yes, I simply say "thank you for your time."

What happened to just checking their teeth and making sure that their legs were sound. Oh wait that's a horse. Never mind.

I interview them all the way to the end and then ask them if they can "flip a hammer" and I show them how I do it by tossing the hammer into the air and tapping the handle and catching the hammer on it's way around. If they say "Sure", I retort "Sorry, can't use ya, got enough hammer flippers on the payroll already"!

 

[Greg Swartz]

Greg,
You are a jar-head,journeyman-and master electrician-electrical engineer and you need a "BUSINESS COACH" ???
Yes it is important to find someone who is trainable and has an open mind !! Good luck !!

Yep! Actually, "bonehead" was my nickname in the good 'ol Corps!

I think that's why I'm a EE... cause I didn't give up.

I think that's also why I need a business coach... to keep me in line! :grin:

But, seriously, I am looking to grow another 650% in the next 3 years. And there are people (lots of them) better suited than I, with business skills (that I do NOT have) that will help guide me (at a price) to "relentlessly pursue perfection"... only to have caught "excellence."

No matter what my titles are, I'm still just a husband and dad that wants to put food on the table, and make a good honest living.

 

[Greg Swartz]

By the way...

2 lunch interviews scheduled for tomorrow.

I have the apprentice and the j-man meeting me at the restaurant across from the office. (different times of course!... then again, I could see having them arm wrestle for the job. :grin

 

[mlnk]

I don't get it. How is the applicant supposed to know if you are pointing to the right or left on your face or just pointing in the proper direction? This is a great example of a boss giving instructions, expecting a certain response, penalizing someone for the "wrong" response...when the directions are unclear. how many of your workers were shocked last year?

 

[Greg Swartz]

Interview 1

Interview 1

So, I met with the Journeyman. (Getting ready to meet with the Apprentice)

He drew out a Start / Stop switch diagram right there on paper at the restaurant.

But, he doesn't know about 20A bathroom circuits or Romex strapping or what constitutes a bedroom. (And therefore what should be wired as one.)
We're still under the '05 code here... until March anyway. I think we're the only place in the state that is.

He also does not know what the hot tub codes are (or where off the top of his head... he didn't even get chapter 6...)

I am not worried about his commercial knowledge... it's the residential that concerns me.

 

[wbalsam1]

"commercial" and "residential" are two completely different languages. For one guy to speak both fluently would be real attractive and would make the prospective employee more valuable. You'll have to decide which language is easier to learn and hire accordingly. "Electrical Maintenance" is another language all unto itself. Imagine having one employee versed in all three. :smile: Pleasant thought, heh?

 

[480sparky]

Usually, most of us got started in resi, then moved on to comm. This guy sounds like he started (and has stayed) in commercial. That can be a huge plus, unless you need someone for the resi side.

 

[BryanMD]

If he can do a stop/start diagram off the cuff he'll learn the resi stuff by the time he finishes 3 new houses. If you pay the same for both... don't be surprised if he starts reaching for that bundle of romex instead of the pipe stand and portaband though

 

[augie47]

"commercial" and "residential" are two completely different languages. For one guy to speak both fluently would be real attractive and would make the prospective employee more valuable. You'll have to decide which language is easier to learn and hire accordingly. "Electrical Maintenance" is another language all unto itself. Imagine having one employee versed in all three. :smile: Pleasant thought, heh?

a very rare bird indeed
40+ years in this trade and I;ve met maybe a dozen.

 

[480sparky]

If he can do a stop/start diagram off the cuff he'll learn the resi stuff by the time he finishes 3 new houses. .....

Only problem is, the higher pay comm electricians usually get is too much for resi work.

 

[BryanMD]

Only problem is, the higher pay comm electricians usually get is too much for resi work.

Which is what I was alluding to in the rest of my comment that you didn't quote.

 

[Greg Swartz]

2nd interview

2nd interview

The apprentice: Boy the guy is a smooth talker. Mid 30s. Lots of Resi experience. Answered all resi questions quite well.

Used to have his own service van for an EC up in Lakewood (which is near George Stolz's area). And sold panel changeouts for $5k...

So, he's already got sales training, and 60% of the work he will be doing is resi.

One of the things he will need to do is: Start / Stop switch at a car wash though, and he has no clue how to do that... I guess I'd have to get the tool belt out.

Another job we will have is some parking lot lighting in the near future, and he indicated that he had no trouble there.

The biggest problem I have is: NO LICENSE...
He says 6 months until he gets all his hours for a JW... but he has the hours for a RW... (Residential Wireman) several times over.

I asked him how he would handle a failed inspection, and he indicated that he only had one, and had to take a picture for the inspector who did not want to go into the crawl space.

So, strong residential, but weak commercial...