Interviewing tradesmen by video: a 15-minute script for site managers

You don't need a trip to Mumbai to judge a tradesman. You need fifteen minutes, a phone camera on his side, and the right questions. Here is the script we suggest. Copy it.

Before the call (2 minutes)

• Read his profile once: trade, years, last two jobs.
• Have the person who will supervise him on site join if possible. He will ask better technical questions than HR.
• Plan the language. Many skilled workers are more comfortable in Hindi or Urdu. Have someone on your side who can follow, or ask us to join and help.

Minutes 1 to 3: settle him

"Where are you calling from? Tell me about your family." It sounds like small talk. It isn't. A nervous worker gives bad answers to good questions, and you lose a good man.

Minutes 3 to 10: the last real job

This is the core. Don't ask "Do you know TIG welding?" (he will say yes). Ask him to walk you through the last job he did, start to finish.

• "What was the project, and what exactly did you do on it?"
• "What tools and materials did you use?" (A welder should name the rod or wire and the current he used without thinking.)
• "What went wrong on that job, and what did you do?"
• "Who checked your work, and how?"

Real experience sounds specific and a bit messy. Copied experience sounds smooth and general. You'll hear the difference in the first two answers.

Minutes 10 to 13: show me

Ask him to point the camera at something he made or works with: his tools, a panel, a photo of a weld on his phone. Ask him to explain one thing on it. If he did the work, this part is easy for him.

Minutes 13 to 15: the practical questions

• "When can you start?"
• "Is your passport valid, and do you have your trade certificates with you?"
• "Have you worked in the Gulf before? Where?"
• "Any question for us?" (Good workers ask about the site, the camp and the salary. Note what he asks.)

After the call

Write two lines while it's fresh: would you put him on your site, yes or no, and why. Compare candidates the same day. If two are close, choose the one who explained mistakes honestly. That one will tell your supervisor when something is wrong.

On AQLIA you book these calls from your shortlist, our colleague joins to help with language, and the worker joins from his phone with a link. Post a request to get a shortlist you can interview this week, or read how the whole route works.