A qualified welder can be one of the most critical roles in your shipyard. When you’re hiring, what qualities do you need to look for in a welder? Throughout the interview process, you’ll have an opportunity to ask questions and assess the candidate’s skills. Interviewing is all about finding the right match for your specific needs. Before you tap your next employee, here are a few things you should consider when interviewing and hiring someone with welding experience. Let’s take a closer look.
What To Look For In Great Welders and Teammates
Safety First
As with any role in a shipyard, safety is the biggest priority. Welders need to maintain safety standards for their equipment, protective gear, and working in tight spaces around water. When interviewing a welder, you need to talk to them about their approach to safety to ensure that it’s a match for your specific standards and protocol.
Blueprint Knowledge
A welder also needs to know how to read blueprints. Blueprints will be used for any and all installations within the ship, and many welding projects are done in tight, confined spaces. Without blueprint knowledge, there can be significant issues for navigation and the work itself. You can test potential employees on their ability to read blueprints before hiring.
Focus and Concentration
Welding is a serious job that requires intense concentration. Regardless of the specialization, such as ARC, MIG, or TIG welding, your welders need to know how to focus on the job at hand to maintain safety, production standards, and quality of work. You want to watch for signs that they are easily distracted or unable to keep up with details.
Team Spirit
While some welding work is solitary by nature, everyone on your team must be able to work together for the common goal. You want to hire welders willing to work with others positively and professionally. They should have strong interpersonal skills as well as the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. This is true for all shipyard employees, but welders are often seen as captains of the team and need to be comfortable working with people from all backgrounds.
Are you looking to hire welders for your shipyard?
Hutco can help. We are veterans of the marine staffing industry since 1986. We started on the Louisiana coast, staffing shipyards in the oil and gas industry. Since then, Hutco has evolved and now services the inland waterways, as well as the eastern and western seaboard. If you are looking for an experienced partner that knows marine staffing or looking for a job in the industry, Hutco is your best choice. Contact us to see what we’re working on today.
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