For a specialist subcontractor, hiring a Quantity Surveyor means deciding who you can trust with the commercial detail of your packages. A CV may list familiar contractors, qualifications and impressive project values. Your interview needs to establish what the candidate personally managed and how closely that experience matches your workload.

Start with the package

Before shortlisting, define the work the new hire will inherit: typical package values, number of live jobs, contract arrangements and available support.

A QS managing one major façade package may have a different working routine from someone handling several smaller drylining contracts. Both backgrounds can be valuable. The question is whether they fit your business.

Ask candidates to explain their package scope, including design responsibility, supply-and-install elements and interfaces with other trades. Establish whether they worked for the subcontractor, main contractor or consultant, and which commercial decisions sat with them.

Check contract experience in practice

“JCT experience” or “NEC experience” is a starting point for discussion. Ask which forms they worked under, what their responsibilities were and how they checked the requirements of each subcontract.

Useful questions include:

• How did you organise application dates and contractual notices?
• What did you check when taking over a new subcontract?
• When did you involve your Commercial Manager or seek specialist advice?

Look for a methodical approach and an understanding of their limits. Avoid testing candidates against assumed rules that may differ between contracts.

Follow one package through its commercial stages

Ask the candidate to walk through a completed package, covering:

• Procurement: How did they compare quotations, check scope gaps and agree what suppliers or subcontractors were providing?
• Valuations: What supported their applications, and how did they investigate differences between the amount applied for and the amount assessed?
• Variations: How did they record changes, gather supporting evidence and track unresolved items?
• Final accounts: What remained outstanding at completion, and what did they personally do to move the account towards agreement?

These areas sit within the wider commercial disciplines covered by RICS’ Commercial Management of Construction practice information.

Ask about a difficult example as well as a successful one. A clear explanation of the problem, their actions and the outcome gives you something concrete to assess.

Separate project value from personal ownership

A £50 million development on a CV tells you little about the candidate’s individual responsibility.

Ask: “What was your package value? Which reports did you prepare? What could you agree yourself? Who reviewed your forecasts or negotiations?”

Then explore how they worked with site teams. Ask for an example of labour productivity, material waste or a scope change affecting their forecast, and how they communicated the issue. Let candidates use anonymised examples rather than disclose a former employer’s confidential records.

Decide what must be there on day one

Exact sector experience deserves more weight when the role involves taking sole responsibility immediately or working with limited technical support.

Where support exists, consider candidates from adjacent packages who can demonstrate relevant commercial judgement and a credible learning approach. Internal reporting formats and unfamiliar software may be trainable. The ability to explain their figures, maintain records and raise concerns promptly should be tested directly.

Use the same short scenario with each shortlisted candidate: a disputed change, incomplete site records and an approaching application date. Ask what they would check, who they would speak to and what they would prioritise.

Build the brief around real responsibility

Humres brings over 25 years of construction recruitment experience, including targeted headhunting of passive candidates. Share the packages, responsibilities and support behind your vacancy so the search reflects the job you need done.

Speak to Humres about hiring a Quantity Surveyor: https://www.humres.co.uk/contact

Source: RICS, Commercial Management of Construction
https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/standards/Commercial-management-of-construction_1st-edition.pdf