New Employee Skill Assessment Test!!!

Harmoney Const

Where may I find a site or a link for free for a Skill Assessment Test for hiring new Carpenters to see how much they know, skill level? I know I could write a test up very easily since I am a Master Carpenter but I was looking for something that tested the employee applying for a job. Also to show me if he is a well rounded Carpenter or not? Also I am using this for MAINLY framing however I will be doing doors, windows, decks, siding! Any and all help n feedback is greatly appreciated, Thank You!!! Also if the test could be for both Commercial & Residential Carpentry that would be great!!!

Patrick

I found that I can pretty much sum all of that up by saying, Where and what did you last do for work, and why are you no longer employed there?

Harmoney Const

I have been in business for 4 years now. I own a Carpentry Company in Orlando, FL, I also am a General Contractor in the Midwest. I was a Commercial Union Carpenter that was flown all around the country building Commercial Property before I started my 1st business!!! Also I tested out of my Commercial Local as a Journeymen Carpenter the day I turned 18 which was the entrance age into my local. The reason I posted this is b/c I am seting up a business for a longtime associate of mine. I have done this type of thing before with New Employees however I can not find my old paperwork I used to have and I forgot where I got the Assessment Skills Test. Bottom Line I am way to busy and I figured that I could make best of my time by making a post on here! Plus I figured this may be a good thread for this site!

mdshunk

It is. He wasn't asking you what you did on your last job. He was saying that you should ask potential candidates what they did on their last job as part of your assessment test.

JustaFramer

How about question like what is a taper tie? Or what is a spandrel form and what relation does it have to a grade beam? How about what is a super stud and a E-beam and how would you use these to configure what?

And to Patrick what is a double egress door and in what application would you install one? And which sides would you install the panic hardware? And should these doors have locks on them?

Harmoney Const

I know I can ask all that but I really want to know details on how much they know n I have learned in the past the only true way to determine the different skills and levels is to have a test! You all know what Im about to say when you have interviewed somebody n they are the best bs'r I mean interviewer n then when it comes down to it they really dont know anything but they said they are a Journeymen when they were really a Apprentice or they said thy were an Experienced Apprentice when they were a good Laborer or they are a Master Carpenter when they are a Journeymen? Also I would like to find a well rounded Carpenter with extensive experience in Framing not in trimmming, etc.!

Patrick

Im not sure you could find all that out from a written test. The framers that I deal with do top notch work and they work very efficiently as a two man crew. And could stand up to just about any of the framers around. However, I am willing to bet they would score poorly on your written test.

JustaFramer

I don't know to many guys that do trimming religiouly that would want to do framing.

How about this for a question in what instance would you use a spud wrench?

At least you know you have a iron worker. Not likely you would have one posing as a carp.


You want to know if you have a guy that knows what he is doing then bust out a old set of prints and ask him to locate the walls that intersects line1 and line L then have him or her give the structal details to complete such a wall. Is the wall 8" oc 12" on or 16"oc on studs is it sheared and if so does the wall require 3x member sole plating and studs ajoining ply/osb breaks to accomidate 4" oc nailing on all panel edges?

Brock

Granpa only had one question for his carpenters. "Will you show me how you sharpen your pencil?" He would say they were either hired or sent walkin' before they were finished sharpening. These days if you are fortunate to find one to pass the p*ss test he's on for at least a week.

JustaFramer

One more mundane question When building forms with 4'x8'x3/4" ply how would you start layout on the sheets for snapties hole to be drill? And would you gang drill them?

Or what is a battered form?

Patrick

while your at it, you should ask "what is the going rate?"

wallmaxx

I came up with my own 35 question test. I told new guys that they started at $8 per hour and for every right question they would get 50 cents per hour added to the $8 per hour rate. The three who actually were interested all quit after just a couple of questions...and they weren't all that hard.

For example: how many 1' blocks can you cut out of a 96" 2x4?

They were the typical 21ST century, crack-o-framers. That's why I work alone.

There's a great book on that called Working Alone

neolitic

LOL...My son gave me that book a while back.
I asked him where he got the idea to give me that.
He said "Cause I've seen you doing most of that stuff
and I thought you wouldn't have to work so hard
if you'd write a book like this."
It is a good book!

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

neolitic

OP --
If your foreman or super can't talk to a guy for 2 minutes,
look in his tool box and size him up,
A written test isn't going to help much.
2¢

__________________
Put your location in your profile!
(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

straight line

I would ask them how to read a framing square or even a speed square.If they're clueless on what those numbers mean ,and when to use them,I wouldn't have to ask to many more questions.

Mike Finley

One of the most valuable employee assement tools we have is our written skills test of 50 questions. The test starts out very simple and gets progressively more difficult and more industry specific to what we do. I've talked to potential candidates that talk a great game but you put that test in front of them and it's all over with. At the end of that test you have a great idea what they know or don't, plus you use the test to go over it with them and discuss the subjects in depth to really find out what they know.

pknyryan

interesting...

pknyryan

The funny thing is, a skilled framer, possessing the required knowledge to frame floors, walls, layout, make cripples, rafters, hips, dormers, valleys, gables, headers, jacks, kings, flooring, stiars, soffit, tray ceilings, ect. could easily not know, and have no inherent need to know what these terms are. Basically you could very easily be eliminating some very skilled craftsman that could do some very solid work for you and make some serious profit you and your company by asking these ridicolous and obscure questions.

No disrespect, but if a potential employer asked me these obsurd questions I would make a mental note that he has some serious underlying issues and I would make an excuse to "cut" the interview as short as possible, recognizing he has some "screws loose".

I somewhat understand the reasoning why you would ask questioning to "quiz" the potential applicant, but ask questions that are relevant, and that give you the ability to gather valid information. Someone savant could potentially know what all these terms mean but have no practical skills at framing.

I would be more inclined make a diagram of the elevation of a typical house you frame and have the applicants identify the names of the different parts of the framing (soffit, dormer, valley) ect. Then if he gives solid answers try him out on a temporary basis, but dont eliminate a possible new hire becasue he is unfamiliar with an e-beam and the specifics of it's application.

Dustball

I already know the answer but if my answer was- "What is the tolerance?", how would you accept that answer?

pknyryan

Good point, so the correct answer would have to be 7. Bacause you are going to lose 7/8 of an inch from the kerf by making 7 cuts on the 2X4.

So you would get 7 at 12" and the last piece would be more like 11 1/8".