Paul Falcone is an HR consultant and author of 96 Great Interview Questions to Ask Before You Hire. He’s written the definitive guide to asking great questions and evaluating a candidate’s responses.
He provides several questions that are best deployed at the beginning of an interview. He recommends going beyond the classic “Tell me about yourself. ” This ubiquitous opener can be confusing for a candidate. It leaves him or her to guess how to mix personal and professional information. It’s hard to decide where to start. People who are running for office may give out too much information, like “I beat cancer” or “Proud mom to three beautiful children.” As an interviewer, you want to help candidates stay focused on professional accomplishments.
Interviewing at one of the many CSI Companies can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience. In this article, we’ll overview CSI Companies, their hiring process, interview formats, and most importantly, the top interview questions you’re likely to face along with sample answers to help you impress your interviewers
Overview of CSI Companies
CSI Companies is a leading staffing and recruiting firm that specializes in construction, engineering, and technical fields. With over 75 branches across the US, CSI Companies has established itself as a go-to talent partner for companies seeking skilled tradespeople, estimators, project managers, engineers, and more.
CSI Companies is divided into specialized divisions based on industry focus, including CSI General Contractors, CSI Constructors, CSI Technical, and CSI Engineering among others This allows them to provide tailored recruitment and staffing services within specific construction, engineering, and technical niches
CSI Companies Hiring Process
The hiring process at CSI Companies typically follows these key steps:
- Initial screening call with a CSI recruiter
- In-person or video interview focused on skills, experience and fit
- For long-term or direct hire roles, interviews with clients/employers
- Any required skills testing, drug tests or background checks
The number of interviews and other requirements can vary significantly depending on the role type (contract, temp-to-hire, direct hire), level of seniority, and particular division you are applying to. Technical or engineer roles tend to have more robust screening and testing compared to admin roles, for example.
CSI Companies Interview Formats
CSI Companies utilizes a range of interview formats throughout their hiring process:
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Screening call: 30-45 min call with a CSI recruiter reviewing your resume and experience
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1:1 Interview: Traditional one-on-one interview, either in-person or via video chat
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Panel interview: Interview with 2-3 CSI staff members simultaneously
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Case interview: Discussing your approach to a hypothetical client scenario
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Technical interview: Vetting your hard skills through skills tests, code reviews, or technical questioning
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Behavioral interview: Questions focused on your past experiences and soft skills
Top 20 CSI Companies Interview Questions and Answers
Let’s look at the most common CSI Companies interview questions along with proven strategies for acing your answers:
1. Why do you want to work with CSI Companies?
This is a very common opener gauging your interest in the company and role. Be sure to highlight your alignment with CSI’s mission and culture.
Example: I’m excited for the opportunity to work with CSI Companies because I’m very impressed with your stellar reputation for connecting top talent like myself with great companies in the construction and engineering industries. Your values around nurturing employees and client relationships strongly align with my own. I’m drawn to CSI because of your nationwide reach yet localized touch through your many branches. This allows you to find the perfect match between talent and clients. I’m passionate about what CSI accomplishes and would love to contribute my skills as a recruiter to keep driving that impact.
2. What makes you a strong fit for this recruiter/coordinator/sales role?
Here is your chance to directly make the case for why your skills and experience make you an excellent fit. Be specific.
Example: As your next recruiter, I would bring 5 years of hands-on recruiting experience within the IT staffing industry. In my current role, I manage full-cycle technical recruiting from sourcing passive candidates to onboarding new hires. My track record of successfully filling difficult tech roles by quickly understanding client needs makes me confident I can translate those same skills and results to recruiting roles in the construction engineering industry. Beyond recruiting expertise, I have the relationship-building skills and persistence needed to guide candidates through the hiring process and ensure their long-term success.
3. Why do you want to transition from your current industry to construction/engineering staffing?
If changing industries, be ready to explain why you are making the pivot and how your background translates.
Example: While I’ve enjoyed working in the healthcare industry, I’m looking to transition to construction engineering staffing because it aligns very closely with my passions. My father is a general contractor, so I grew up understanding and admiring the building process and the teamwork it requires. My business education and account management experience in healthcare provide a strong foundation of critical thinking and relationship-building skills that I know will enable me to be successful in supporting your construction and engineering clients. I’m excited to combine my capabilities with fresh industry-specific knowledge.
4. What do you know about CSI Companies?
Make sure you’ve done your research! Demonstrate this by touching on their specialties, leadership, values, and culture.
Example: From my research, I know CSI Companies is one of the leading engineering and technical staffing firms in the country with over 75 offices nationwide. You focus on recruiting and placing top talent across construction, engineering, sciences, IT, and healthcare. Your company culture seems very team-oriented and community-driven, with events like the annual golf invitational to raise money for charity. Leadership like CEO Steve Polacek have been with CSI for decades, reflecting an experienced management team. It’s clear CSI prides itself on building strong talent networks and client partnerships within your specialized niches.
5. What skills and experience do you have in business development and sales?
Expect in-depth questions tailored to the specific role you are interviewing for. Discuss projects and accomplishments that prove you possess those required skills.
Example: In my current position as an IT account manager, I manage an $800K book of business focused on cloud services. I prospect potential new mid-market clients through referral networks and cold outreach. One example of a successful sales cycle was when I landed a $250K contract by identifying pain points around cloud migration. I crafted a tailored migration roadmap addressing their unique needs. My proven ability to prospect, negotiate and close complex enterprise deals would translate very well to an engineering staffing sales role at CSI.
**6. How do you stay motivated when recruitment gets challenging
A New Type of Introduction
Falcone suggests asking this first question instead: “Trace me through your career path, including how you got the job you have now at this company.” This question helps the candidate list things he’s proud of and give more information about his current job. You may also gain insight into why he’s in the market for a new job. “Our division recently got a new manager, and he’s made some big changes in our sales goals. I’ve been in the same job for five years and want a new challenge. It doesn’t look like my current company will give it to me.” ”.
You can also look over the candidate’s resume right then and there, remember what they’ve done, and make notes on what you want to talk about more in the interview. You can also get a sense of how the candidate thinks if you ask them to give you a quick outline. This first look at their communication and emotional intelligence can tell you a lot about how well they’ll get along with customers and coworkers. Does she get stuck in details? Does he keep talking even though your body language tells him he’s gone on too long?
CSI interview questions
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