Interviewing an engineer for a project:

One profession I have a deep respect for is civil engineering. Whether you are an old salt in land development or a Newbie on your first project, it’s critically important to select the correct engineering firm. One challenge in doing this is the technical knowledge gap between a licensed engineer and all of us as land developers. You see, even after decades in land development an engineer really does know more than I do technically - and I would certainly hope so! Ultimately it gets down to the question of how do I interview someone who knows more than I do? It’s really not that much of a challenge if you can keep your ego in check and use a structured approach to selection.

Over time I have used big and small engineering firms and I take the time to sit with more than one before making a selection. I owe it to myself to pick the best engineer for the job and having multiple choices helps me to do this. As we know every land development project has specific needs, so among qualified firms we need to find the one that sticks out as the optimal choice for the project.

How is this done?

Here are a few sample interview questions that I typically use:

Process questions for engineers:

Exactly what technical services can you provide for the project?
How can my project fit into your current workload?
Will you assign a Project Manager for my project, or do I deal directly with you?
What do you see as the top design and development challenges for this project?
For technical services you do not provide, what firms would you recommend? (surveyors, environmental firms etc.)
How many projects of this size and complexity have you done in the county / city over the last 5 years?
How can you contribute to time-to-completion efficiency for my project?
What other team members will be assigned and when can I meet with them?
What design software do you use?

Efficiency questions for engineers:

How long do you estimate it will take to submit a plat application to the county for this project?
What characteristics of the project do you see as the most problematic?
How will we address these to save money and time?
How do you ensure accuracy and efficiency in your work product?
How do you manage a project to cut costs and time?
Which county planner do you work best with?
What are your firms top 3 engineering strengths?
What one thing are you looking to improve in your firm to provide better engineering service to clients?

Situational questions for engineers:

What is the biggest problem you faced in a recent project and how did you overcome it?
Tell me about a time when you failed to meet expectations and what did you do to fix it?
What best describes your firm’s approach to project design?
What best describes your firm’s approach to handling revisions?
What are the best ways that a client (me) can help you be more effective?

Engineers - evaluation and selection:

There is no point in interviewing for any technical assignment in land development if the interviewer cannot assemble the information gathered to make an informed and optimal selection. That means you have to ask the right questions and follow up on the answers with additional questions until a solid evaluation can be made. If answers to my questions are too general in nature I pursue further until the facts I need are gathered.

It can also be useful in selection to identify recent projects of similar size and characteristics - then make contact with the land developer for his or her actual experience with the firm. Another third-party method I use is to ask my other consultants who have worked in the past with the candidate engineering firm to find out what their experience was like. Sometimes a county planner might also offer an opinion on the candidate engineer.

Informed selection is the result of solid interviewing skills. Good luck and don’t shoot from the hip.

Contact me at: ldr@landdevelopmentrealities.com