Posted on April 24, 2024Categories construction, reference

How to Choose Between Two Top Candidates

Finding one great candidate can feel like a win. When you have two to choose from, though, count yourself lucky. It’s a nice problem to have, however, you still need to make a decision. How can you choose? Here are some tips to help you in the process.

Keep culture in mind.

When you have two candidates who are equally strong in terms of technical abilities and skills, make sure you’re considering your company culture and their personality. Which do you think would mesh well and enhance your culture and the team? This can often be the difference maker, so you can choose the right person for the opportunity.

Look at past experiences.

Take another look at their resume and look through your notes from the interview. Is there a certain project, skill, or accomplishment that makes one candidate the better choice over another? Or, perhaps one candidate had a unique perspective or different experiences that could add value to your team and the company.

Evaluate soft skills.

While communication, creativity, and collaboration might not be the most important requirements for the job, they are still key. Make sure you’re assessing the soft skills of each candidate when you decide. Did one seem like the better communicator or another come across as a creative problem solver? These are other strengths to take into account and can help you make a choice.

Consider the company’s future.

Are there new markets you want to serve or different services you’d like to offer? If one candidate has experience in these areas, then your choice suddenly becomes a no-brainer. When you keep the company’s future goals and objectives in mind, you can make better hiring decisions that help you achieve them.

Assess their work quality.

If you’ve though through all these different factors and are still stumped as to which candidate to hire, give them both a short work assignment. This will help you to evaluate their ability to meet a deadline, as well as their skills in action and the quality of their work.

Need more help hiring for your team?

At Provisional Recruiting, we can make the process so much easier, so you can focus on other business priorities. Contact us today to get started.

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