If you are hiring a construction firm for a project, you may also need to hire a project manager. Some companies have project managers that they can appoint for you, but in other cases, you may want to select and hire your own project manager. To help you find the right project manager for your needs, keep the following in mind.

1. Communication Styles

The project manager you hire is going to be the main person you communicate with throughout your project. Talk with prospective candidates about the tools they use to streamline communication. In particular, you may want to choose a manger who has tech tools in place that ensure everyone is on the same page. For example, some efficient project management tools allow you to easily sync designs, comments, schedules and more with everyone on the team.

In addition to those elements, also remember to think about the intangible elements. How do you personally feel about communicating with this project manager? Do they make you feel comfortable or do you have doubts about embarking on a long term relationship with them? Trust your instincts.

2. Cost and Budgeting Plans

In addition to talking about communication tech tools, also ask potential project managers how they plan to deal with costing and budgeting issues. They can going to be handling parts of the budget from the bidding to the completion of the project, and you may want to have a conversation about how they plan to handle that so you know you're moving in the right direction.

3. Leadership Abilities

Project managers have to oversee the entire project. They have to ensure that everything stays on schedule and under budget, and they essentially work as the liaison between you and the rest of the crew on the project.

That requires a strong leader. You want someone who can lead the construction crew as needed, but on top of that, you may also want someone who is willing to speak truth to power. Do you think a particular project manager will let you know when you've made a mistake? That type of candor can be essential to the success of your project.

4. Previous Experience

As you do when hiring almost any professional or consultant, you also want to learn a bit about the project manager's previous experience. What projects have they led in the past? Can you speak to previous clients? Do that have recommendations or portfolios to share? Past success can be a powerful indicator of future performance.

If the above four elements are in place, you may want to move forward with a particular project manager.

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