Few construction companies have enough employees to complete large construction projects without hiring additional workers through an agency. If you run a construction business and need additional workers for a project, here are three questions you can ask when taking on construction workers for hire. These questions will help ensure the workers you hire are well-suited for the type of work you need them to do.

Do the Construction Workers Have Any Certifications?

It's not absolutely necessary for construction workers to have certifications, and many skilled workers aren't certified. If workers are certified, however, you'll be able to more accurately assess their skill set without seeing their work in person. Certifications ensure a certain level of skill, and many certification programs have graduating levels that workers can earn as they advance their skills.

Construction workers may have a general certification in construction, or they might have a specialized certification that's specific to the type of work they do. For example, one technical college offers a general Certified Construction Worker program that covers using tools, safety topics, materials and reading construction materials. In contrast, journeyman and master plumbers have met specific, state-set requirements for their certifications within plumbing specifically.

Have the Construction Workers Completed Any OSHA Safety Courses?

OSHA offers a wide variety of training courses that cover many different topics. In some cases, the construction workers a company hires may be required to complete one or more OSHA courses. In other cases, using construction workers who have completed courses might help a company get a discount on their insurance or it may just improve overall safety on a construction site.

While the exact benefits of using construction workers who have taken OSHA safety courses can vary, learning how to be safe on the job never hurts. Therefore, you should ask about this type of training.

Where Do the Construction Workers Live?

On large construction projects, it's often necessary to bring in construction workers from outside the local area. Occasionally, however, there might be enough construction workers for hire in a local area to perform all the work a construction project requires.

If you're able to use only local construction workers, your company may save a lot by not bringing in workers from elsewhere. When hiring local construction workers, you don't have to provide them with lodging because they can drive home each night. Over the course of a big construction project, this can add up to significant savings.