Imagine yourself in a situation where there are two candidates at your office and both of them are equally good. You have tested them several ways but you still don’t know which one to pick because they are both well capable of handling the job. Even though this is a lucky situation, it can get a little difficult to handle because at the end of the day, you have to let go of one and I am sure you don’t want to. But as the rules say, only one person will get the job. So how do you go about a situation like this? Simple! Just do as the post says and your work is done.
How To Choose Between Two Awesome Job Applicants:
1. Lay emphasis on the important skills:
The first thing you must do is take a good look at the description of the post you are looking to fill and then look at the skills that are needed to excel in this job. Also do an analysis of the pros and cons of the business along with the obstacles that the group of employees will face. Even though both the candidates are equally good enough, they both must be possessing different kinds of abilities. This means once you begin to look carefully, one of the candidates may begin to look better compared to the other one.
2. Try to put them on the spot:
Another alternative you could try is putting each of them on the spot. Yes you will not be able to give both of them the job but you make a suggestion to each that if they were given the post, what could they do to maximize their time here and what makes them good enough to stay. Of course there will be arguments but this could be the chance for you to know who really can handle obstacles and come out stronger. You may also try your own techniques to put them on the spot.
3. Know who they are connected to:
When you are hiring candidates based on the talents they have or past experiences, having a good idea of who your candidates have worked with earlier is certainly not a bad idea. Always remember that your company is not stagnant. It is always growing and in order to succeed, you have to know who your new employees have been connected to all this while. It is a plus point. You should check their LinkedIn profiles and check whether they have been connected to some business leads or not. Never hire someone based only upon the connections they have. But it is definitely something to consider.
4. See what they want:
If you want to know who should get the job, you should also know who really wants the job. There is one candidate who might want a good job and is not hoping to shift to another country. The other one has been waiting for months for a job like this. This could be the dream job for him. The whole point here is that someone who really wants to work for your company will show interest and will want to work harder. Make sure you do know why your candidate has sent an application and do have a good idea on what the current scenario at your work place is like.
5. Think of the future of the team:
Obviously when you are choosing someone, you are hoping they will last for a long time in the organization. So in that way, it is good to think of the future of your team. An illustration can be used to explain this. Imagine that your team is now going to be stretched now and there is someone who has been working for bigger teams obviously has more experience so he/she will be able to do better in an environment like this. In case your company is thinking of expanding internationally, you should pick someone who knows different languages. A skills gap can really help you pick the right one for your company. So do this wisely.
6. Speak to them directly:
Another thing you can do is speaking to them in a more direct manner. Ask them what makes each of the candidates good enough to grab a spot in the team. By asking why you should be really hiring them, you will finally be able to understand if any of them are genuinely interested or motivated enough to do the job. Make sure both the candidates try their level best to sell themselves in front of you. This could really do you good.
7. Think of the extra qualifications:
There are times when we meet candidates and we find out they have a lot more qualifications than we expect them to. Sometimes the qualifications are also different than usual resumes. What you should do here is think whether these special qualifications will help the client in the future even if not now. Is this going to improve your company and help you move up someday? If the answer is a yes, then keep them. Some extra skills could mean knowing extra languages, having a fair idea on software programs or having certificates etc. That is always a bonus.
8. See how excited they are:
You should check the excitement level among both the candidates if you want to know which one is good enough to land the job. You can do this by enquiring more about the person. Get to know their attitude and how they are at work, try to know about his or her job experiences earlier and where did they exactly go wrong. You should get a thorough idea of what they have done in the past. Responses may differ and some of them could disclose information that is vital enough to let you know if they can handle the job. Plus you must ask questions like how they handle their skills at the moment. This is a good chance to observe the career and ambitions of the candidate and their commitment towards learning.
9. Choose a good exercise for them:
Both of your candidates in this case should be given an exercise to complete. This will boost their mood and help you know which one can land this. For example, if you are looking for someone who can write well under pressure, both of them should be given 30 minutes to handle something with a list of points. In case the job needs something like accounting, you should grab a couple of financial statements and then speak to them or ask if they can explain this to you in very simple language. What this will do is help you find a difference between both the candidates from one another.
10. See their culture:
If you do not have an idea of the kind of environment your candidate is comfortable in, make sure to do some research and Googling about the employer they have worked with before. This will definitely tell you. The culture of the company is something that is important for you to know. According to experts and other business companies, if the cultural fit is poor, there is no point hiring the person. So what you should ensure is whether any of your clients are good enough to handle the corporate culture. This could be a very important decision they could make. Do not ever make the mistake of hiring someone who likes to be kept locked up inside their work place instead of mingling with the work place culture.
11. Last Consideration:
At the end, do make sure you have asked the candidate about the salary they are expecting, the notice periods and the sick leaves. Have a thorough discussion with each of them. You could be in a situation where one candidate is far more comfortable with the position you are offering than the other one. Do make sure that both the candidates are kept in the loop during the whole interview process. If the interview is too long, you could lose the two of them. So be mindful of that.
Young professionals who are in search of a great job will always be there in the market. But it is your duty to find out who the best is really and who should have a place in your office. The quicker you make your choice, the faster you will be hiring the person who is ideal for your company. Never make a hasty decision though. Think of the current things that your company needs. Who do you think will be able to provide with the best. And yes, if you have any concerns about this post or some feedback you would like to give, feel free to drop a comment below. We would love to hear from you.
