How to hire an electrician

Electricians are skilled tradespeople who install, repair, and maintain electrical systems to ensure buildings are powered securely. This type of job can be dangerous, so it’s essential to find and hire a qualified electrician who has the right skills and knowledge to do their job in line with safety standards. A skilled electrician will have solid knowledge of the basic principles of electricity and will have excellent mechanical reasoning – plus, they’ll be great problem solvers. TestGorilla offers tests for all of these skills and many more. In this article, we’ll explain how to:

• Build a streamlined electrician hiring process

• Assess applicants’ skills

• Find the best electricians in your area

Read on to learn what electricians do, what skills to test for before hiring one, where to find skilled professionals, and how much you can expect to pay them. 

What is an electrician?

An electrician is a professional who specializes in installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical systems and equipment. Electricians work with electrical wiring, circuitry, and other electrical components in residential, commercial, and industrial environments.

The primary responsibilities of an electrician depend on the exact role but typically include:

• Installation: Electricians install electrical systems in new buildings. This involves running wires, setting up outlets, switches, and circuit breakers, and ensuring that everything is connected properly and safely.

• Maintenance: Electricians troubleshoot and repair existing electrical systems. They also perform regular maintenance checks to ensure electrical installations are safe and efficient.

• Renovations: Electricians may also upgrade or renew electrical systems during renovation works.

• Safety compliance: Electricians must follow safety codes and regulations to make sure that electrical installations are done in a way that minimizes the risk of hazards and accidents, such as short circuits or fires.

  

Some electricians may specialize in specific areas, such as residential electrical work, commercial installations, industrial equipment, or renewable energy systems like solar panels. Depending on your requirements, you might need to hire either a generalist or someone who has experience with specific types of electrical installations. 

Whatever area they may specialize in, a skilled electrician should have all the key skills to perform their duties correctly and safely. You can learn about these skills in the next section and use TestGorilla’s pre-employment skills tests to find the best electricians out there. 

Do electricians need a license?

In the United States, electricians need a license to work, which is often referred to as a journeyman or journeyperson electrician license. 

Licensing requirements vary by state: Some states require electricians to be licensed at the state level, while others defer licensing to local municipalities or counties. 

To obtain a license, electricians usually must pass an exam that tests:

• Their understanding of electrical theory

• The National Electrical Code (NEC)

• State and local electrical and building codes.

In addition to a basic journeyman's license, some states also have specialized licenses for different types of work (such as residential, commercial, or industrial), or different levels of experience and responsibility (apprentice, journeyman, and master electrician).

Electrician skills to look for – and how to assess them

During your electrician hiring process, you need to look for specific skills in your candidates. 

We have compiled a list of the top five essential skills to assess, including information on how to test each one. 

With TestGorilla, you can combine up to five skills tests in a single assessment; in our test library, you’ll find plenty of other tests you can use, too, if you need to evaluate different skills.

Basic electrical skills

Naturally, any electrician should know their way around electrical circuits and have a thorough understanding of the basic principles of electricity.

Our Basic Electrical Skills test will evaluate a candidate’s knowledge of electronic circuits, electric power, and digital logic design. 

Applicants who perform well on this test are able to operate and work on any electrical machine or domain, from household systems to industrial-level machinery and facilities. 

Mechanical reasoning

The next skill you want to evaluate when hiring an electrician is their mechanical reasoning. 

Since your electrician will most likely be working with tools and machines, they need to have an understanding of basic mechanical and physical concepts. If they install something incorrectly, your whole electrical system might break at any time, not to mention that this could be a major safety hazard.

TestGorilla’s Mechanical Reasoning test will help you find electricians who understand the basic concepts of velocity, force, and movement, and how to work with pulleys, gears, and wheels. 

Candidates who perform well on this test show a strong grasp of mechanical and physical principles, which will allow them to operate complex equipment and systems. 

Problem solving

Another key skill to test for is problem solving.  A good electrician will be able to pinpoint the problem in an electrical system in no time and fix it. 

The Problem Solving test will help you identify candidates who are able to analyze information and draw conclusions, interpret data, and apply logic to make decisions and prioritize tasks. 

With this test, you’ll be able to quickly zero in on applicants who are able to break down a problem into manageable parts and develop approaches to solve it in the best possible way. 

Time management

Since electricians might need to work at different locations within the same day, your candidate must have excellent time-management skills to complete all of their tasks on time.

The Time Management test evaluates applicants’ abilities to prioritize assignments, follow a schedule, and plan ahead. 

With this test, you’ll find professionals who can separate urgent from important tasks and work on the most pressing issues first. They are able to plan their work and you can rest assured they’ll do everything on time.

Equipment maintenance 

Finally, as electricians work with all sorts of equipment and tools, they need to know how to fix and maintain them. 

Our Equipment Maintenance test is ideal if you want to assess a candidate’s technical skills to evaluate and carry out the necessary maintenance and repair work for all sorts of machinery. This screening test helps you evaluate applicants’ knowledge in the following equipment categories: mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic, as well as electrical and electronic.

If your candidate performs well in all tests, this means they have a balanced skill set that will enable them to perform their duties with ease. 

Why use skills testing during your electrician recruitment process? 

Pre-employment skills testing is the best method to find qualified candidates for every role you’re looking to fill, including that of an electrician. 

Skills testing allows you to evaluate each candidate’s skills and abilities before they reach the interviewing process and is therefore an integral part of a well-designed recruitment funnel. 

You can confidently move on to the next stage with candidates who perform well on our assessments and disqualify those who show poor performance. This way, you’re left with the most qualified applicants to choose from. 

The added benefits of using pre-employment skills testing when recruiting your next electrician are that you’ll be able to avoid bad hires and minimize the risk of biased hiring. You’ll also save time and resources in the long run as you’ll be hiring only qualified candidates each time. 

Start your free trial with TestGorilla today and reap the benefits of online skills assessments. 

Where to find electricians?

Before you create your job description or start interviewing candidates, it's essential to determine if you need a full-time electrician or a contractor to help you with a specific project.

Some companies have full-time electricians on payroll. Examples include construction companies, data centers, and real estate leasing companies that manage apartment complexes, office buildings, and shopping centers. Large hotels might also need to hire full-time electricians to do maintenance, install electrical wiring in new buildings, or help during renovation projects. 

For short-term projects, an independent contractor would be more suitable. You can consider hiring a qualified self-employed electrician or reaching out to an electrical services company. Contractors can assist with installations, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and troubleshooting electrical problems.

Once you decide whether you need a full-time or part-time electrician, you can start searching for qualified candidates in any of the following ways:

• Referrals: One of the best ways to find a skilled electrician in your area is through a referral. Use your personal and professional networks to find out who they’ve worked with in the past and whether they’re happy with their work. Once you get several referrals, contact the recommended electricians to discuss your project and their availability. 

• Job boards: Ads sites like Craigslist are excellent places to find local electricians. Make sure to filter candidates by their location and skills to find a candidate who matches your needs. 

• Associations: The National Electrical Contractors Association can be a great starting point if you’re looking for a qualified electrician. You can contact the association for a list of professionals in your area or use their online directory.

How much does an electrician cost?

According to Forbes, you can expect to pay between $50 and $150 per hour for an electrician, while wiring an entire house might cost you anywhere between $2,800 and upwards of $40,000, depending on the surface and other factors. Of course, some electricians will charge more based on their skills and years of experience.

The price will depend on your location, the scope of the project, and the complexity of what you need to be done. Make sure to have someone make an inspection of your building or project and give you an estimate of how much you can expect to pay before hiring an electrician. 

Alternatively, if you need to hire a full-time employee, in the US you can expect to pay between $47,645 and $63,426 annually, with an electrician’s average salary of $54,858. As with contractors’ fees, the salary will depend on factors such as location, experience, certifications, and more. 

Electrician job description template

Below, you’ll find a job description template you can use to hire a full-time electrician. You can copy and paste it, adapting it to your specific job requirements. 

If you’re looking for a contractor, you can post an ad on Craigslist, at local community job boards, or even on hardware stores’ bulletin boards, or simply contact local electricians to ask about their availability and fees. 

Job Title: Licensed electrician

Location: [Worksite location]

About us: [A brief description of your company, including its culture and mission]

Job description:

We’re looking for a skilled electrician to join our maintenance team. You’ll be responsible for installing, maintaining, and repairing electrical control, wiring, and lighting systems in [our office building/hotel/residential buildings, etc.]. 

The ideal candidate has excellent problem-solving and organizational skills and is able to lead projects to their completion on time and within budget.

Responsibilities:

• Install wiring in buildings in line with safety standards and best practices

• Perform general electrical maintenance on internal wiring, equipment, and fixtures

• Inspect transformers and circuit breakers to ensure they are working properly

• Diagnose and repair electrical faults, replacing damaged parts when necessary

• Ensure that installations are compliant with national and local electrical laws and codes

• Carry out safety inspections and risk assessments

• Work closely with the rest of the maintenance team to design and implement electrical systems

• Train other staff members on basic electrical safety procedures when necessary

Qualifications:

• A high-school diploma or equivalent

• A valid electrician's license in [your state]

• Proven experience as a electrician [in a residential, commercial, or industrial setting]

• Thorough knowledge of safety procedures and legal regulations and guidelines

• Excellent critical-thinking, problem-solving, and mechanical-reasoning skills

• Ability to read and understand electrical blueprints

• Excellent communication and time-management skills

How to apply:

[Describe application procedure here]

Electrician interview questions

If you’re looking to hire an electrician for a full-time role, remember to first assess their skills with pre-employment skills tests. Once you have the results, you’ll be able to instantly identify the most promising candidates, whom you can then invite for an interview. 

Here are some interview questions you can ask applicants to further assess their skills and expertise: 

1. Can you describe your experience with electrical installations and maintenance?

2. What licenses and certifications do you currently hold?

3. What steps do you follow when conducting an electrical safety inspection?

4. Can you explain a situation where you diagnosed a complex electrical problem? How did you solve it?

5. How do you ensure compliance with electrical codes and standards on a project?

6. How would you handle a situation where a client or a manager gives you an unreasonable deadline to complete a project?

7. Have you ever faced an electrical problem that you couldn't solve? How did you handle it?

8. Describe the most challenging project or task you've worked on as an electrician. What made it challenging and how did you overcome those challenges?

9. What types of electrical systems or equipment are you most familiar with?

10. How would you communicate with a client or a team member who knows very little about electrical work?

If you need more ideas for questions to ask candidates, check out our basic electrical interview questions or electrician candidates’ interview questions. In both articles, to help you evaluate applicants’ responses, we’ve also included sample answers to some of the most important questions to ask.

Hire the best electricians with TestGorilla 

Hiring a skilled electrician doesn’t need to be complicated; you simply need to use the right approach and software tools to sift through applications and find the most suitable candidates.

Good electricians will have a thorough knowledge of the basic principles of electricity, mechanical reasoning, and equipment maintenance. They’ll also be great problem solvers and be able to manage their time well, so they can complete their projects in a timely fashion. Make sure you evaluate those skills during your recruitment process. 

The costs of hiring unqualified candidates can be very high, so don’t leave things to chance when looking for an electrician.

TestGorilla’s pre-employment skills tests can help you find top-notch electricians in your area. This way, you’ll be sure to find qualified candidates who you can rely on – and who’ll get the job done. 

Sign up for your free plan today or book a 30-minute live discovery call with one of our agents to see for yourself why more than 10,000 companies have used our platform to reinvent their hiring processes.