Posted

When you are interviewing to fill a position, there’s often one candidate who stands out from the rest. However, there are times when you’re in the enviable position of having to pick between two strong candidates. It’s a nice problem to have! Both seem to be a good fit for your company and have strong skills.

How do you make the choice? 

Consider Adding to Your Culture, Not Just Fitting It 

Of course, it’s important that the candidate you hire interacts well with the rest of your team, fitting in well with your mission, values and beliefs. Yet, creating a homogeneous group of individuals can lead to stagnation and a lack of diversity. Instead of considering just who fits in, look for people who add to your company culture, traits and background with fresh perspectives and unique experiences. 

Take the Long View 

You might be hiring for an immediate need, but it’s important to also consider the future. When both candidates have the same skills to perform the job, you’ll likely have one that’s better than the other in soft skills. These are skills like communication, empathy, organization and creativity. They are crucial to how your employees interact with each other and the productivity of your company. 

Look for Interest and Enthusiasm 

You’ve likely talked to both candidates more than once. As you look back on those meetings, consider who was the most engaged, asked the most questions and seemed the most insightful about your business and how they might fit in. Just as important, and sometimes more so, is your gut feeling about which person might want the job more or may do the best job. 

Hiring Is a Two-Way Street 

It’s important not to take too long to make your decision. As difficult as it might be, if you wait too long you might find your first choice has taken another position. When you do make a decision about which candidate is best, consider whether or not they’ll say yes. This is an important strategy to use during the interview. Sometimes it’s easier to evaluate the candidate without selling your company to the candidate. But in reality, hiring is a two-way street. You may want the candidate, but they may not want you. 

When you offer the job to one, make sure not to break ties with the other. One of the bonuses of having two top candidates as if the first doesn’t accept your offer or doesn’t work out. You may have a second waiting in the wings. 

Are You Looking for the Right Candidate? 

When you have a position to fill at your company, you’ll want to choose from the best candidates available. At Stellar Staffing Solutions, we can make that happen for you. We’ve been providing Northern California businesses with solutions for the past two decades. Our experience and expertise mean you’ll be working with experts. Call the office today and let’s get started finding you the right person for your job. 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *