Imagine finding yourself in a position that many people want to be; you have two great candidates for a role. While you will be happy about it, there are times when having two can be harder for you to choose. There are a lot of things to put into consideration, recruitment is usually expensive, which is why you don’t want to repeat the same process months later after regretting the decision you made.
Read this blog from Orion.
Below are some tips that will help you in choosing the best candidate for the position you are interested in filling.
Testing
A formal interview can provide you with the chance of testing the skills and experience of a candidate, but there are other testing options like a psychometric assessment that can help you know more about their cultural fit and personality. This test will involve verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, or situation judgments. In this type of test, there is no wrong or right answer. Situational judgment tests will give you a rough idea of how the candidate handles a given situation.
Before starting the test, make sure you have a good understanding of the type of person you think is going to fit in; are you looking for someone who is going to seek your advice before they decide? Or are you interested in someone who thinks on their feet and takes action? Are you looking for someone who is going to work well with a team (working in a busy office) or are you looking for someone who works well on their own? When you know the answer to such questions before the test, you can expect to have an easier time analyzing the candidates.
Meeting in a relaxed setting
If you have gone through the interview process and it has included panel interviews or has been formal, then consider having an informal meeting, like inviting them to come to the office in the morning. Ask your team to be a part of this process. This will help you know how the candidate is going to work with the rest of the members of your team and how they are going to fit into your culture.
When in a relaxed environment, people tend to show more of their personality, which can be hard to do in a formal setting like an interview. When you let the candidates meet the team, you will be preparing them for a new member of the team, and they might even end up having a favorite.
Taking references
It is not a good idea to contact the current employer of the candidate, but you can still contact previous employers. Ask the candidate to provide you with details of employers they have worked with before then contact them, with the end goal being a verbal reference. This is going to help you know more about the personality and cultural fit of the candidate. This will be better than formal reference form around employment dates and absence.
Looking at the future of your team
The hope here is that the candidate is going to be part of your organization in the future, which is why you need to look at the future plan of your organization. If the team is going to expand, you might benefit more by hiring a candidate who has the potential of performing better in that environment. If the organization is planning to expand internationally, then a candidate who speaks more languages might be the best fit.
One thing to keep in mind is just because an applicant does not have the experience working in a given environment does not mean they are not going to perform well. If you know what might happen in the future, come up with a scenario-based question that will help you in assessing the ability of the candidate to cope.
Is there a skills gap that you feel like one of those candidates can be able to fill? Maybe one is experienced in social media, something that your team is lacking. Could they provide support until you can fill the role?
Asking them why they should be chosen
One of them might be more motivated about the job compared to the other. When you ask them why they should be hired, you will be able to get a rough idea about their motivations for that role. A good candidate will be able to tell you the skills they are going to bring to your organization.
Finally…
Remember to ask them what they think about the role, notice periods, salary, etc. You might realize that one of them is more likely to accept the offer, or maybe wants a high salary that you cannot offer. Such issues should be dealt with before you table an offer.
Always keep the candidates in the loop, especially when it becomes a lengthy process, or you can easily end up losing both. If there is a candidate not hired, make sure you give them feedback.
