Hiring the right candidate starts with asking the right questions upfront. Misalignment between recruiters and hiring managers - like 61% of hiring managers feeling poorly communicated with - can lead to delays, mismatches, and wasted time. To avoid these pitfalls, focus on understanding the role, its requirements, and its challenges (see our guide to recruiting construction project managers) before recruitment begins.
Here are the 10 key questions to guide your conversation with hiring managers:
Why it matters: These questions help recruiters and hiring managers align expectations, improve communication, and streamline the hiring process. The result? Better hires, faster timelines, and stronger teams.
10 Essential Questions to Ask Hiring Managers Before Recruiting
Technical skills are the backbone of a project manager's ability to deliver projects on time, within budget, and with minimal hiccups. These skills often distinguish a strong candidate from one who might struggle to meet expectations. To zero in on the right fit, it’s crucial to identify the exact competencies needed for the role.
Start by asking the hiring manager to prioritize technical skills. What’s absolutely essential, and what’s nice to have? For construction project managers, some of the most critical skills include:
"Hiring a project manager isn't about charisma or resume gloss. It's about finding someone who can hold the line between budget, schedule, quality, and relationships - all while keeping the wheels from flying off mid-project".
It’s also important to confirm that the candidate’s experience aligns with the scale and type of projects your company typically handles. For instance, managing a $5 million commercial build doesn’t necessarily prepare someone for a $50 million data center project. Ask about the sizes and types of projects they’ve managed to ensure their experience matches your company’s needs.
The industry is evolving, and so are the expectations for project managers. Proficiency in Building Information Modeling (BIM) and familiarity with digital collaboration tools like Asana or Trello are becoming increasingly valuable.
Certifications and training are another key area to review. Does the position require a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or specific safety credentials? Many employers struggle to fill roles because technical requirements aren’t clearly defined from the start - globally, about 40% of employers face this challenge. Use tools like the STAR method during interviews to evaluate candidates’ real-world application of these skills. For instance, ask them to share examples of recovering a budget overrun or fast-tracking a delayed schedule.
Knowing the types and sizes of projects a candidate will oversee is just as important as assessing their technical qualifications. Construction projects come in all shapes and sizes, and a project manager who thrives on a $2 million residential build might find themselves overwhelmed by the complexities of a $50 million data center. The scope and scale of the work directly influence the expertise, experience, and management style required for success.
To narrow down the right fit, ask the hiring manager to outline the specific types of projects the role will handle. Will it involve commercial office buildings, healthcare expansions, industrial facilities, mixed-use developments, or something else? Each type comes with its own technical demands. For instance, a $9 million hospital expansion might have to account for a 22% spike in steel prices, while a mixed-use development could combine 80 residential units with 15,000 square feet of retail space. Understanding these details helps pinpoint the technical and managerial skills a candidate should bring to the table.
It’s also essential to clarify whether the position involves managing a single large-scale project or juggling several smaller ones. For example, in mid-market firms, project managers might oversee portfolios valued anywhere from $2 million to $18 million in total. The number of subcontractors involved in these projects can reveal the level of coordination and communication the role demands. Additionally, ask about the delivery method - whether it’s Design-Build, GMP, or another approach - as this will shape the project’s structure and workflow.
Defining project specifics upfront helps avoid mismatches. Someone with experience only in smaller projects may lack the financial oversight or stakeholder management skills needed for larger, more complex builds. By clearly outlining the scope, you can attract candidates whose backgrounds align with your company’s goals and expectations.
It's crucial to define how this position aligns with your current projects and overall company goals. A project manager plays a key role in ensuring projects stay on schedule, within budget, and in line with your organization’s strategic priorities.
Start by identifying the purpose of this hire. Is this a replacement for someone leaving, or are you looking to fill a gap in skills or expertise to help the company grow? Understanding whether the role is meant to address existing challenges or maintain smooth operations will influence how you approach your candidate search.
Next, focus on the immediate contributions expected from this role. For example, outline the top three priorities for the first 90–120 days - this might include completing delayed projects, streamlining resource use, or managing risks more effectively. By clearly defining these expectations, you ensure the candidate you hire can not only manage tasks but also help advance your business objectives.
Consider how this role will interact with other departments, contractors, vendors, and internal teams. Strong collaboration and communication are essential for maintaining quality standards, ensuring compliance (like OSHA requirements), and achieving project goals efficiently.
Finally, establish clear metrics for success. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) such as meeting deadlines, staying within budget, and optimizing resources. By identifying these benchmarks early, you can find a candidate whose skills and strengths directly align with your company’s specific needs.
Safety compliance is the backbone of any successful construction project. Before hiring, it’s important to identify the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and safety standards candidates need to be familiar with. This step not only protects your workforce but also minimizes liability and ensures projects adhere to regulatory requirements.
Start by reviewing 29 CFR 1926, the key OSHA regulation for construction safety. Candidates should have a solid understanding of essential standards, such as:
"Employers must comply with all applicable OSHA standards. They must also comply with the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act, which requires employers to keep their workplace free of serious recognized hazards".
It’s also crucial to account for state or company-specific safety protocols. Some states impose stricter regulations than federal OSHA. For instance, California requires outdoor heat illness prevention programs, while Virginia enforces unique reverse signal operation guidelines for machinery. Additionally, companies may have their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or site-specific safety plans designed to address unique hazards. Make sure candidates are aware of these requirements.
Next, consider the certifications, training, and licenses candidates need. OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour Construction Outreach Training is a common requirement for many projects. For supervisory roles, check if the candidate qualifies as a "competent person" under OSHA guidelines. Depending on the project, additional credentials may include trade-specific licenses, permits for operating specialized equipment, or training related to hazardous materials and confined spaces.
Lastly, don’t overlook administrative compliance. Candidates must be familiar with OSHA’s recordkeeping and reporting requirements. For example, work-related fatalities must be reported within 8 hours, while inpatient hospitalizations or amputations must be reported within 24 hours. Ensuring candidates can meet these obligations is just as important as their hands-on safety knowledge.
Understanding how a hiring manager leads their team is just as important as evaluating the technical and project-specific details of the role. A disconnect between a candidate's work style and the manager's leadership approach can cause delays, increase costs, and compromise the quality of the work. It’s worth assessing whether the manager effectively balances achieving business goals with nurturing team growth.
"Often being a manager is confused with being a coach - but a manager is responsible for certain business objectives for the company and a large part of delivering on that objective is coaching their team."
- Zainab Ghadiyali, Former Product Lead, Airbnb
To get a sense of how the manager operates day-to-day, ask specific questions about their management practices. For example, how are one-on-one meetings conducted? What strategies do they use to keep the team motivated? How do they handle conflicts? These questions can uncover whether the manager leans toward a hands-off approach that empowers self-starters or a more structured, hands-on style.
In high-pressure, fast-moving environments, a hands-on approach often proves more effective than pure delegation. Laura Behrens Wu, Founder and CEO of Shippo, highlights this dynamic:
"At a startup, you can't have managers who aren't hands-on for big milestones."
Additionally, ask about the leadership traits they believe contribute to success and how they handle onboarding. Strong managers often take an active role in onboarding new team members, tailoring the experience to the team’s needs rather than relying solely on standard HR processes.
Look for managers who focus on long-term success, not just short-term wins. Those who actively invest in the growth of high-performing talent demonstrate a leadership style that prioritizes career development. This approach is particularly appealing to top construction project managers and technical professionals who value opportunities to grow within their roles.
Before diving into recruitment, it’s crucial to get a clear picture of the software and tools that the role requires. These tools are essential for managing schedules, tracking budgets, and reducing risks. By identifying them upfront, you can ensure that candidates will need minimal additional training, aligning their skills with the technical demands of the role.
Start by consulting hiring managers to pinpoint the technology stack currently in use and any platforms they prefer for the position. Common tools might include scheduling software, resource management systems, budget trackers, and safety compliance platforms. For larger organizations, experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems like SAP, Oracle Cloud ERP, or Microsoft Dynamics 365 may be necessary, as these often serve as the operational backbone of the company.
"Jira provides a comprehensive and central source of truth for work across stakeholders and teams."
- Alex York, SEO Content Manager at Atlassian
When evaluating candidates, focus on their ability to adapt rather than just their familiarity with specific platforms. A willingness to learn and adapt to new tools often outweighs prior experience with a particular system. On the flip side, an unwillingness to embrace new technology could signal a poor fit for organizations that value growth and flexibility.
Practical exercises can be a great way to assess candidates' proficiency. For example, you could ask them to interpret engineering drawings or explain how they’ve managed "lookahead" schedules to track short-term milestones. These tasks not only test their current skills but also reveal how quickly they can learn and apply new tools.
It’s also worth clarifying whether specific certifications or training programs are important for the role. Some candidates may have credentials like the Google Project Management Professional Certificate, which covers tools such as Asana and Trello. Others might bring expertise in Building Information Modeling (BIM), which is invaluable for tasks like visualizing project lifecycles, clash detection, and sustainability analysis. Knowing these requirements ahead of time helps you decide if additional training is a good investment or if immediate proficiency is a must. This ensures candidates can hit the ground running within your project management framework.
Just like defining role requirements helps pinpoint the right candidate, setting a clear hiring timeline ensures the recruitment process stays on track. One of the simplest but most important questions to ask is: "When do you want your new hire to start?". This provides a target date and allows you to work backward, planning each step of the process with precision.
The urgency behind the timeline often hinges on why the position is open. If the role is replacing someone or tied to critical new projects, the timeline might need to be fast-tracked. On the other hand, roles created for growth may offer more flexibility. For positions tied to specific projects - like those in construction - the start date often aligns with project milestones, procurement schedules, or contract requirements such as Design-Build or Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). Recognizing these dependencies ensures you focus on candidates who can meet those critical deadlines.
"Forecast how much time you'll need for each hiring stage based on recruiting metrics like: Yield ratios, Time-to-hire, Time-to-fill."
A data-driven approach like this bridges the gap between planning and execution. Use historical recruitment data to estimate how long each stage - screening calls, assessments, and interviews - will take. Don’t forget to factor in external variables that can stretch the timeline, such as notice periods (often longer than two weeks for senior roles), relocation logistics, or background check processing. It’s also crucial to confirm whether funding for the role is already approved, as budget delays can disrupt even the best-laid plans.
To keep everything transparent, establish regular check-ins with the hiring manager. During these meetings, ask them to outline the top three priorities the new hire should accomplish within their first 90 to 120 days. This helps determine how much preparation time is available - whether the candidate needs to hit the ground running or can ease into the role with training. Addressing these details early on minimizes confusion and keeps the hiring process efficient.
To find the right candidate, it's crucial to pinpoint the core challenges this role is meant to address. Start by having a straightforward conversation with the hiring manager about the role's purpose. Ask them to articulate it in simple, clear terms. This process highlights the key issues the position is designed to tackle - whether that's bridging a technical skill gap, easing the burden on an overworked team, or addressing high employee turnover. This clarity helps differentiate between challenges tied to replacing someone (backfill roles) and those tied to organizational growth.
For backfill roles, investigate why the previous employee left. This can uncover underlying team dynamics or inefficiencies in processes. For newly created roles, determine whether the hire is a response to growth opportunities or an effort to fix delays, budget overruns, or other pressing issues. In fields like construction or project management, typical challenges might include resistance from stakeholders, juggling limited resources, or gaining support for stalled initiatives.
"Focusing on the pain points the role will solve and the opportunities it will take advantage of will help clarify purpose and impact, which is great information for your elevator pitch."
- Lauren Shufran, Content Strategist, Gem
Additionally, establish what success looks like for this role by setting clear milestones at 30, 90, and 360 days. This approach helps measure both the immediate contributions and the long-term potential of the candidate. Finally, ask about any deal-breakers or challenges faced during past recruitment efforts to sidestep repeating the same mistakes.
When considering a company, it's essential to know if they prioritize employee growth. Ask the hiring manager about professional development opportunities, such as whether there's a budget for training or access to certifications like PMP, OSHA 30-hour, or credentials from professional organizations. For instance, the American Institute of Constructors has already announced its Spring 2026 exam dates for certifications. Exploring these details can give you a clearer picture of the company's investment in career progression.
Another key question to ask: Were previous employees in this role promoted? This can indicate whether the company offers tangible advancement opportunities. Pete Newsome, President of 4 Corner Resources, explains:
"If they [the previous person] were promoted, it's a good sign of advancement opportunities within the company."
For roles that evolve over time, it's worth asking how similar positions have grown within the organization. This can help you understand whether the company supports long-term career development.
It's equally important to learn what factors influence promotions. In construction project management, for example, climbing the ladder often depends on financial management skills, strong leadership - including mentoring junior staff like Assistant Project Managers or Project Engineers - and maintaining excellent safety records. TJ Kastning, a hiring expert at Ambassador Group, notes:
"Great project managers don't just keep jobs on track - they protect your reputation, your team, and your bottom line."
Mentorship and coaching programs can also play a big role in career growth. Many construction firms expect Project Managers to guide junior team members and may even support participation in industry conferences or continuing education. These opportunities help employees stay informed about updates to building codes and project management tools. Breagh Recruitment highlights this dynamic:
"In construction, where standards, certifications and leadership opportunities evolve constantly, employers are looking for candidates who want to grow and develop their skills."
Finally, ask about the company’s performance review process. Is feedback provided annually or more frequently? How do performance metrics tie into promotion discussions? These questions can reveal whether the company has a structured path for advancement or if promotions are more informal. Understanding this will help you gauge how your career could progress within the organization.
Defining success for the first 90 days is crucial for identifying candidates who can make an immediate impact. Start by narrowing the focus to two or three key priorities for the role. This approach ensures new hires stay focused on what truly matters, avoiding the overwhelm of scattered responsibilities.
The 90-day period can be divided into three clear phases:
Matt Spielman, an HBS Career Coach, highlights the importance of these early days:
"Research suggests that an employee's first 90 days will in large part determine his or her performance, longevity, and contribution to the company."
This phased structure helps new hires smoothly transition from learning to delivering measurable results.
To make this plan actionable, work with the hiring manager to define specific deliverables for each phase. For example, the first 30 days might include completing mandatory safety training. By day 60, the new hire could deliver a preliminary SWOT analysis. By day 90, they might pilot one or two process improvements and present a 6–12 month action plan that aligns with company goals.
Performance metrics are another essential piece of the puzzle. Will the first week include daily check-ins, followed by weekly one-on-ones? What milestones - like mastering project management tools or successfully collaborating on team initiatives - will indicate they’re on track? Lattice underscores the importance of setting this structure:
"A 30-60-90 day plan empowers hiring managers to set clear expectations, benchmark performance, and ensure new hires deliver value within their first few months."
Finally, outline the resources available to support the new hire. Will they receive training on tools like Procore or BIM software? Will a mentor be assigned to guide them? Keep in mind that it can take up to eight months for a new hire to reach peak productivity, so having a robust support system in place is essential for realistic expectations and long-term success.
The 10 key questions we've explored serve as a roadmap for smarter and more efficient hiring practices. As Jessica Miller-Merrell, a recruiting expert and author, puts it:
"I like to think of hiring managers as the road map to help you get to your destination. Without a road map, you can stumble along... or you can break out the road map and use it to get to your destination, taking the simplest, quickest and most cost-effective route."
These questions go beyond the basics of salary discussions and surface-level qualifications. They equip you to step into the role of a talent advisor - someone who brings strategic value to the hiring process rather than just filling vacancies. By digging into technical requirements, project goals, team dynamics, and success metrics, you can match candidates to the actual work environment rather than just a list of duties. As we've discussed, clearly defined roles improve both the quality and speed of hiring.
This precision is especially critical in high-stakes environments like construction and technical roles. A single bad hire can result in project delays, safety concerns, and financial setbacks. For roles like construction project managers in data centers or other mission-critical infrastructure, the right questions - and the ability to interpret the answers - are non-negotiable.
At iRecruit.co, we understand the complexities of hiring for these specialized roles. Our expertise in construction and technical recruitment enables us to ask the right questions and evaluate candidates thoroughly. We pre-qualify talent based on factors like safety protocols, project complexity, technical skills, and leadership abilities. This ensures that you receive a pipeline of candidates who are not just qualified but also aligned with your specific needs. It’s this depth of understanding that strengthens the strategic partnership between recruiters and hiring managers.
Ultimately, successful hiring is a shared responsibility. As mentioned earlier, clear and transparent communication between recruiters and hiring managers is the foundation of every great hire. When both sides work in sync, everyone benefits: recruiters find top candidates faster, hiring managers get the talent they need, and candidates enjoy a smoother, more positive experience - all of which bolsters your employer brand.
To stay on the same page, recruiters should kick things off with a structured intake meeting. This initial discussion sets the stage by clarifying the role, outlining candidate requirements, and agreeing on the hiring timeline. Topics like the job title, core responsibilities, must-have skills, success metrics, team objectives, and the preferred interview process should all be covered. Laying out these details upfront helps prevent misunderstandings and keeps the search process running smoothly.
Keeping alignment throughout the process requires regular communication. Quick check-ins after each screening round and thorough post-interview debriefs ensure everyone remains aligned. Sharing concise summaries of candidates that meet the agreed-upon criteria can provide clarity, while any discrepancies can be addressed right away. Consistent questions, such as “What are the top three skills a new hire needs to succeed?” or “What key outcomes should the new hire achieve within their first 90 days?” help maintain focus and collaboration. Tools like iRecruit make this process even more efficient, offering pre-vetted candidates and a streamlined hiring experience for critical positions.
A construction project manager needs a combination of technical know-how and digital skills to thrive in their role. Proficiency in construction management software - like Procore, Primavera P6, or Microsoft Project - is key for keeping track of schedules, resources, and budgets seamlessly. Having strong cost-estimating and budgeting abilities is equally important, especially for creating precise take-offs from project drawings and maintaining financial oversight.
Being able to read and interpret architectural, structural, and MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) plans is vital for effective communication and coordination with engineers and subcontractors. On top of that, quantitative skills - such as understanding math, performing unit conversions, and analyzing data - are indispensable for resource planning and scheduling. A solid grasp of safety regulations and permitting processes is also critical to ensure compliance and safeguard workers on-site.
At iRecruit.co, we focus on these essential skills when identifying candidates for construction project management roles, ensuring our clients gain access to professionals who are prepared to lead even the most challenging projects with confidence.
Project management tools - like scheduling software, task trackers, and collaboration platforms - play a key role in helping new hires get up to speed quickly. These tools give immediate access to the team’s daily systems, cutting down on confusion and delays. By simplifying onboarding, they reduce the need for constant back-and-forth communication and make processes clearer from the start.
During interviews, hiring managers often bring up tools and methodologies to gauge how well a candidate can fit into existing workflows. Questions like "What tools have you used to manage projects?" or "What methodologies guide your approach?" help identify candidates who can hit the ground running. This ensures they can start contributing right away, saving time and increasing overall team efficiency.
