Generic screening asks whether a candidate has “experience”. Trade screening asks which experience, on what materials, to which standard, and how you know. The criteria below give selection teams and site leads a practical checklist for the three groups that make up most industrial craft workforces: welders, fitters and technicians. They are meant to be used alongside the assessment methods covered in technical competency assessment for industrial workers.
How to use these criteria
Each trade has three layers: must-haves that eliminate a candidate if missing, the evidence that confirms them, and red flags that justify a closer look. Adapt them to the project’s requisition, which should already state processes, materials and standards, as explained in how to define a technical manpower requisition.
Welders
| Must-have | How to verify | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Experience in the required process: SMAW, GTAW, FCAW or a combination | Technical interview and previous welder qualification records | Claims expert level in every process |
| Qualification in the required position, such as 6G for pipe | Test coupon in that position | Only flat or horizontal experience |
| Experience with the project’s materials | Interview, work history and a material-specific coupon | No alloy or stainless experience for alloy work |
| Understanding of the welding procedure | Ask the candidate to explain key WPS parameters | Cannot read a WPS |
| Knowledge of common defects and their causes | Interview questions and examination of their own coupon | Cannot explain why porosity or lack of fusion occurs |
The coupon decides. Visual inspection followed by radiography or bend testing, depending on the project requirement, gives an objective result.
Pipe fitters
| Must-have | How to verify | Red flags |
|---|---|---|
| Reads piping isometrics independently | Ask for dimensions and a cut list from an isometric | Relies on others to interpret drawings |
| Accurate fit-up within tolerance | Practical fit-up of a small spool or branch | Gaps and misalignment outside tolerance |
| Knows flanges, gaskets and bolt-up practice | Interview and a practical bolt-up | Unaware of tightening sequences |
| Experience in the right setting, shop or field | Work history and interview | Only shop experience for field-heavy work |
| Safe use of cutting and grinding tools | Observation during the practical test | Poor guarding and PPE habits |
Mechanical technicians
- Must-haves: installation or maintenance experience on the relevant equipment types, alignment knowledge, bearing and seal fitting, and reading of mechanical drawings
- Verify by: a practical alignment exercise and interview questions on troubleshooting scenarios
- Red flags: cannot describe an alignment method, or has no rotating equipment experience despite applying for rotating equipment roles
Electrical technicians
- Must-haves: industrial installation and termination experience, insulation resistance testing, understanding of the voltages involved, and hazardous area experience where relevant
- Verify by: a termination exercise, a testing demonstration and questions on isolation and safe working
- Red flags: only domestic or commercial wiring experience, or vague answers on isolation and lockout
Instrument technicians
- Must-haves: installation of field instruments and tubing, calibration with standard test equipment, loop checking, and reading loop diagrams and P&IDs
- Verify by: a calibration exercise on a transmitter, a tubing and fittings task and loop diagram interpretation
- Red flags: cannot explain a 4-20 mA signal, or has no experience with the control systems or instrument types named in the requisition
Criteria that apply to every trade
- Safety awareness: basic knowledge of permits, isolation, work at height and the hazards of the trade
- Communication: enough shared language to follow instructions and raise concerns
- Attitude to quality: willingness to stop and ask when something is unclear
- Fitness for the work: medical clearance for the environment and tasks involved
Must-have versus desirable
Over-specifying is as damaging as under-specifying. If every criterion is mandatory, few candidates qualify and the search drags on. Keep the must-have list to what genuinely determines success on site, and treat everything else as desirable: scored, but not eliminating. A candidate who meets every must-have and half of the desirables is usually a better hire than waiting weeks for one who meets everything.
These criteria feed into the wider selection process described in industrial manpower selection and competency services. For trade sourcing on oil and gas projects, see sourcing skilled trades for oil and gas construction.
Apex Core Engineering applies trade-specific screening and practical assessment through its manpower selection services before candidates are presented to clients.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most reliable way to screen a welder?
A practical test coupon welded to the project procedure, in the required position, then examined visually and by NDT or mechanical testing.
Should pipe fitters be tested on isometric drawings?
Yes. Reading isometrics independently is one of the clearest differences between experienced and inexperienced fitters.
What makes an electrician suited to industrial work?
Experience with industrial voltages, terminations and testing and, where relevant, hazardous area installation, rather than domestic wiring alone.
Share your trade requirements with Apex Core Engineering.