Having to choose between two outstanding candidates isn’t a bad predicament to be in. However, you will need to choose. Here we look 5 things you can do to ensure you pick the right one.
Social Interviews
Sometimes it can help to take the candidate out of the office and see how they respond in a social environment. Invite the broader team and go out for lunch, dinner or after work drinks. Watch how they interact with the team they’ll be working with each day. Are they relaxed? Does your team enjoy their company? These are the people they’ll be working with each day so there is real value is testing this before you make a hiring decision.
Think about your future team
It’s true, you’re hiring for a particular role right now. But, if you are trying to split the two start to think about how your team will evolve in the future. What are the skills, capabilities and culture fit requirements of your team as you move forward.
Narrow your requirements to three critical skills
Most job descriptions will list 8 or more important skills for a role. To help you make a decision take a second look at the job description and identify the three most critical skills for the role. When you focus like this you will likely discover that your two candidates will look different. One of them will be stronger across these three skills.
Ask your broader team to become involved
Bring together the candidate’s likely colleagues, people that will report to them, those they will report to and in some cases bring in clients and suppliers. Ask them to interview the candidates. Each of these groups will be interested in different aspects and their feedback can really help you make the best decision.
Test their enthusiasm for the role
Invite them into your business and ask them to present an idea to your team. Look to see first, their response to your request and second, how well they deliver their idea. Also, ask your team for feedback on how they presented their idea.
If you would like to know more talk to us at paul@greening.com
