Why asking for a CV is a total waste of time

A CV will not tell you anything about whether an Engineer is using best practise in setting out.

A CV will tell you how many years of experience someone has got, what qualifications, cards and certificates they hold and what projects they have worked on.

There are Engineers with many years of experience who are winging it and have got where they are by building rapport and being ‘sound’ people.

There are also Engineers with only a few months of experience who use best practice and when they are required to do a task they have never done before they do it well because they have a deep understanding of the principles and apply these rigorously to all their work.

If you want to tell the difference BEFORE you make the appointment, one measure you can take is to use competency-based interview questions.

Here are some examples….

‘What would you do if you started on a site and there were only retro targets and no control points in the ground?’

‘What checks do you build into your work?’

‘What was the last setting out error you made, and what have you put in place now to make sure you don’t repeat it?’

Obviously you need to know what the answers should be too!

If you’re not sure what the answers should be and would like support to find and keep a good Site Engineer long term, and no longer have a high turnover of Engineers (whether that’s PAYE or freelance) get in touch with us for a chat.

by | Aug 28, 2024

Related Articles

How to attract and retain brilliant Site Engineers

Here are some tips for groundworks and civils companies to recruit (and keep) a good Site Engineer so you can break an unhealthy dependency on agency Engineers. You need…… A good working environment- A happy site team and with clearly defined job...

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. I know this is a cliché, but it encapsulates why the construction industry is struggling to attract and retain the skills it needs to deliver on the work that needs to get done....

Why we do what we do at Setting Out For Construction!

Many employers just don’t realise a small amount of training can dramatically increase the productivity and output of their site engineers. We KNOW that in spite of the right qualifications, many site engineers have vital gaps in their knowledge...

GROUNDWORKER UPSKILLING PROGRAM

SOFC are delighted to offer a fully or partially funded 10 day intensive Groundworker Upskilling Program which aims to increase the number of people in the industry who can take on setting tasks and inspire them on the pathway to further learning...

The Unsung Heroes of Construction: The Importance of Site Engineers

The Unsung Heroes of Construction: The Importance of Site Engineers. Setting out correctly isn’t just a necessary step in construction but absolutely critical to ensure the safety, success, and efficiency of a project. But what happens when Site Engineers make mistakes? The repercussions of incorrect doesn’t just impact the construction phase but also the long-term integrity of a structure – leading to potential costs and legal problems for construction companies

How training will reduce human errors in the Setting Out phase during construction

Human error is a fact of life, it is what makes us human. However, allowing human error to significantly inflate construction costs or miss key deadlines is unacceptable to most clients, resulting in contract penalties, compensation, bad public relations or worse, protracted lawsuits.

Could you find a good Site Engineer at short notice?

‘Do you know a good site Engineer who might be free to do a couple of days setting out for us next week?’ is a question we are often asked. The answer is typically no. Why?

Life as a Site Engineer can be lonely!

Expectation Vs Reality Unrealistic expectations from employers are common at all stages of a Site Engineer's career, but it is most acute for new Site Engineers. Most colleges and universities only cover the required skills briefly, if at all! They...

Meet our new Director

Meet the new Director! Setting Out For Construction has a new Director. Read the interview with Gail here where she tells us how she became a #SiteEngineer, why she joined SOFC and how she became our Director.

Site engineers don’t need AutoCAD skills

Saffron Grant busts the three biggest myths about CAD that are holding excellent engineers back from success.

Sign up to receive our Newsletter

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *