Most people have sat in the interview chair opposite a manager or human resources representative for a job interview. It can be a stressful process. But what about the reverse? Have you ever sat on the other side of the desk and asked potential employees or contractors questions?
If you haven’t, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Interviewing a person or civil engineering company who’s going to be doing work for you isn’t something everyone is familiar with. When the nature and scope of the work are going to be important, there can be pressure on your side to get it right.
In this article, we’ll touch on a few questions you should ask when looking to hire a civil engineer from a civil engineering firm.
Can you give me an example of when you used communication effectively?
Communication is vital to any civil engineering project. When phrasing the question in this way, you can get a feel for how the civil engineer has communicated in the past. You can also delve into how he or she communicates, their response times to calls and emails and how frequently they plan to have status meetings with you. It also naturally leads to your next potential question.
Do you have any experience completing this type of project, and do you have any references?
Your civil engineering project may be unique to you, but it’s probably for the best if you hire an engineer that’s tackled a similar project before. Certain civil engineering firms may specialize in particular types of work, but it’s possible that the person you’re interviewing has outside experience working on your specific type of project at a different firm.
Ideally, your potential candidate has not only handled a project like yours, but he or she would also then be able to provide references from satisfied clients who can speak to the work they’ve performed.
Why should I hire you?
You may have already received the answer to this question with your first two questions, but it helps to ask it anyway. The civil engineering company you’re considering may be offering to complete the project with a high fee.
You can use this question to inquire about that and ask about their qualifications and the quality of their previous work. If they’re offering a lower fee, you can probe them about that as well. Why is their fee lower, and why should you trust them to perform high-quality work? The answer could be illuminating.
How have you lowered overhead costs in the past?
Engineers from civil engineering firms understand that their clients want to reduce costs wherever possible. How the civil engineering company has cut costs in the past can tell you about how they plan to slash costs on your project.
Additionally, if a civil engineer quotes a higher up-front fee but can save you money on construction, it might be worth it to pay said higher fee if you’ll eventually recoup that money throughout the course of the project.
Call for a consultation today
Choosing the right civil engineer for your project is critical, and hopefully, some of these questions can help you make an informed decision. For your next civil engineering project, call us at Mason & Associates. We’ll show how dedicated we are to our clients and their projects by completing them on budget and on time to ensure that everyone attains mutual success.