7 Things to Confirm Before You Send the Offer Letter

You found a good candidate and are ready to hire. How do you make sure you aren’t missing something that will cost you in the long run!?

There’s always something lurking, isn’t there?

Most bad hires do not happen because the person and the company do not align at some level, but the challenge is how many levels there are. Seven, actually.

To do that, we use a specific tool after every interview. We call it the Hiring Fit Confidence Checklist. Before you offer anyone a job, confirm these seven things.

1. Confirm Their Ability

Can they handle the actual challenges of the role? A resume tells you about the past. You need to know if they have the technical foundation to do the work you need done today. Since most interviews focus on experience and ability, this is usually not the sneaky problem.

• Example 1: You are building a tall tower in a crowded city with zero lot lines. The candidate has only managed projects with tons of space for parking, materials, and excavation. The proven experience does not match the actual job.
• Example 2: You need an estimator who knows 3D modeling software. The candidate only knows how to use old paper spreadsheets.

2. Confirm the Culture Fit

Skills are important, and shared values are what keep people together. Check if the way they think and act fits your core company beliefs. Are your beliefs defined?

• Example 1: Your core belief is safety first, no matter what. The candidate brags about skipping safety checks just to finish a job early. It’s not that they don’t believe in safety, but they are willing to make tradeoffs for efficiency. They are a subtle liability.
• Example 2: Your company believes in moving fast and making quick choices. The candidate needs to ask ten people before making one small decision. Does your interview process have the ability to assess work pace and decision-making process?

3. Confirm the Team Dynamic

Nobody works alone. Look at the people who will sit right next to this person. Check if the new candidate has a personality and behavior that will help the current team succeed.

• Example 1: Your current team is very quiet and likes to focus in silence. The candidate is loud and wants to talk all day. Sociability factors a lot into making people feel at home, or not.
• Example 2: Your crew loves to share ideas in group meetings. The candidate hates meetings and prefers to lock their door and work completely alone.

Neither is wrong, per se, but the fit might be challenging or even untenable.

4. Confirm Shared Motivation

A good hire is a win for both sides. A lack of fit for the goals of either employee or employer is a lack of fit for both. It’s unsustainable.

Look at their personal career goals. Can our company actually help them reach those goals? If their goals match the role, they will stay motivated.

• Example 1: The candidate wants to stop traveling so they can see their kids every night. The job requires them to drive to different states three days a week.
• Example 2: The candidate wants to become a vice president in two years. But your company already has young vice presidents who are not leaving anytime soon.

5. Confirm Their Capacity for Growth

The construction world changes fast. The job you hire them for today will look different next year. Check if they can adapt to new demands as your company grows.

Some companies are focused on taking ground and need ambitious teams that will flex to new challenges. Some are trying to maintain and hold ground. These require different types of motivation.

• Example 1: Your company is starting to build large office buildings instead of resturants. The candidate refuses to learn the new scheduling and project management systems for big projects.
• Example 2: Your office is bringing in new technology to schedule work faster. The candidate says they will never use computers to do their job.

6. Confirm Leadership Alignment

Good management goes both ways. Check if they fit your leadership style. Look at your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Make sure you are the right kind of boss for them, too.

• Example 1: You expect your team to figure things out without asking you questions. The candidate needs a boss who gives them instructions every morning.
• Example 2: You like to check on your workers every single hour to see their progress. The candidate works best when a boss leaves them completely alone for a week.

We see this one a lot. Leadership self-awareness is hard and uncommon.

7. Confirm Your Own Support Systems

This is the step most companies forget. Look at your own resources. Do you have the time and tools to train this specific person? If you cannot properly support their onboarding, you are setting them up to fail.

• Example 1: You hire a young worker who needs a lot of training. But your best teacher is leaving on a long vacation the exact same day the new worker starts.
• Example 2: You hire a person to run a new expensive machine. But you have not bought the manual, and nobody in your shop has the time to show them the ropes.

Hiring is a stress test on the entire business. Finance, process, training, new personalities, etc. Recognize that no hire should be taken lightly.

The people you hire are the company you build.

You can build a team that lasts when you think about fit and readiness in high definition.