What I’ve Learned from Seeing Inside 130+ Construction Companies’ Hiring Processes
TJ Kastning
And why it might be time to gut-renovate your approach
Most construction leaders have no idea what their hiring process actually looks like until it’s not working.
I’ve had a front-row seat to over 130 construction companies across the U.S.—from family-run firms to fast-growing GCs. And here’s the truth: the hiring “foundation” is cracked in more places than leaders realize. Not because these are bad companies, but because hiring isn’t treated like a high-stakes construction project.
Let me show you what I’ve seen behind the curtain—and what you can do about it.
1. Great Builders Still Struggle to Build Great Teams
It’s wild when you think about it:
The same companies that manage multi-million dollar builds with military precision often run their hiring like a pickup game at recess.
No plan. No roles. No metrics.
They wouldn’t pour a slab without a site plan, but they’ll hire a key PM without a structured interview strategy or defined success profile.
Here’s the hard truth:
Your company’s strength isn’t measured by your ability to hire—
It’s measured by your team’s ability to attract, evaluate, and integrate new talent without you.
If the hiring process falls apart unless you’re in the room, you’re not leading—you’re babysitting.
The real leadership test?
- Can your supers assess culture fit?
- Can your PMs speak to growth paths and expectations with confidence?
- Can your admin team onboard people without making them feel like they’re drinking from a fire hose?
Lesson: You don’t scale by being the best builder—you scale by building builders.
2. Most Hiring Mistakes Aren’t Talent Problems—They’re Clarity Problems
When a hire doesn’t work out, the post-mortem usually sounds like this:
“Bad attitude.”
“Didn’t take initiative.”
“Not a culture fit.”
But those aren’t problems—they’re symptoms.
The deeper issue?
Lack of clarity from day one.
- Vague job descriptions
- Conflicting messages from different interviewers
- No shared definition of success
- Zero ownership of onboarding outcomes
And here’s the part most leaders miss:
You control at least 85% of the outcome.
That might sound high—but after seeing inside 130+ construction firms, I believe it.
- You pick the environment.
- You write the job description.
- You design the interview.
- You set expectations.
- You own the onboarding.
In other words: it’s your turf. And most hiring failures are a reflection of how that turf is prepared (or not).
Translation: It’s not the horse.
It’s the track. The gate. The jockey. The conditions.
So ask yourself:
- Did we define what “good” looks like in the role?
- Did we align as a team before we interviewed?
- Did we set the person up to succeed—or just throw them into the mix?
Lesson: Clarity isn’t nice to have—it’s the foundation. And most hiring failures are company-created, not candidate-created.
3. Your Competitors Aren’t As Similar As You Think
One of the most dangerous assumptions in hiring?
Thinking your competitor down the street hires the same way you should.
Even companies doing exactly the same work, in the same market, have wildly different dynamics under the hood—culture, pace, leadership style, decision-making structure, tolerance for ambiguity.
But most leaders have only seen inside their own company (or maybe one or two others). That creates perspective blindness—a sneaky kind of tunnel vision where your way feels “normal,” and you assume others operate the same.
Here’s the truth:
There are a million ways to skin the cat—because people are wildly different.
Weird. Wonderful. Specific.
You’ve got one leader who builds through meticulous process, another who thrives on chaos and charisma. One shop holds daily huddles like gospel, another operates in total autonomy. And both can win.
That’s why it’s invaluable to socialize with other construction leaders.
Grab lunch. Go to a roundtable. Ask how they run interviews or onboard PMs.
You’ll quickly learn: there’s no such thing as “normal.”
The mistake is assuming sameness and copying without context.
The solution? Get specific.
- Define what makes your company tick—how decisions are made, how people interact, how trust is built.
- Clarify the behaviors that lead to success (and flameouts) on your team.
- Document your expectations—procedurally, culturally, relationally.
Lesson: Don’t copy and paste culture. Learn from others, then build what fits you.
4. Interviewing Is the Most Underrated Leadership Skill on Your Team
You’d never put a green PM on a $40M job without training. But you’ll ask that same PM to lead interviews for a role that could cost you hundreds of thousands in payroll and impact.
Most interviewers:
- Don’t prep
- Don’t take notes
- Don’t know what to ask
- Aren’t accountable for their part in the decision
Lesson: The strength of your team is capped by the weakest interviewer on your panel.
5. Cultural Fit Is Often a Cop-Out
I’ve heard hiring managers say, “He just didn’t feel like a fit.” But when pressed, they can’t articulate why.
Translation? We didn’t have criteria—so we defaulted to comfort.
When “fit” becomes code for “just like us,” you risk groupthink, blind spots, and missing out on high-potential talent who could challenge and elevate your culture.
Lesson: Culture should be defined, not assumed. Measured, not felt.
6. The Best Companies Treat Recruiting Like a Sales Process
Top-performing construction companies don’t wait for candidates to walk in the door. They:
- Know their value proposition
- Personalize their outreach
- Sell the opportunity (without sugarcoating)
- Follow up like it matters (because it does)
They understand that in this market, the best candidates are customers— and your hiring process is your sales pitch.
Lesson: You’re not just evaluating talent. You’re being evaluated, too.
7. The Onboarding “Drop” Is Where Retention Goes to Die
You finally land the hire. Everyone’s excited. Then… nothing.
No first-week roadmap. No real-time feedback. No ownership of their early experience. The energy fizzles fast—and by the time you notice something’s off, they’re already halfway out the door.
Lesson: Great hires still need to be “built into the team.” Onboarding is where the real work begins.
How to Use This Insight
If any of this sounds uncomfortably familiar, that’s not failure—it’s a starting point. Just like a punch list after a rough walkthrough, clarity gives you power.
Here’s where to begin:
- Audit your hiring process like you would a project schedule. Where are the delays, gaps, or assumptions?
- Align your interview team on what you’re really hiring for—and make it measurable.
- Treat candidate experience as a competitive advantage, not an afterthought.
- Get clear on what makes your company different—not what makes you similar to others.
Want to Build a Stronger Hiring Foundation?
If you’re a construction leader tired of feeling reactive, here’s how we can help:
Schedule an exploratory meeting with Ambassador Group to review your current hiring system, interview flow, and candidate messaging:
Book your call now
In 30 minutes, you’ll get:
- A quick diagnostic of your hiring blind spots
- Specific ideas to strengthen your interview team
- A plan to turn hiring into a leadership advantage
You’ve got the people. You’ve got the purpose.
Now let’s build the process to match.
