Many businesses struggle to find just one qualified job candidate, but every once in a while, an employer will hit the jackpot with not just one but TWO qualified job candidates. While this is a great problem to have, it’s also just that’s a problem. If you’re lucky enough to have come across two outstanding job candidates, use the tips in this guide to help you make the right hire.
Decide What You Really Need
The Muse provides some great advice when it comes to making the final decision. If both candidates are neck-in-neck, they likely both have the skills and characteristics you’re looking for in a new employee, which means you may need to go deeper than seeing which boxes they check. List the skills in order of importance and then see how each candidate matches up. For instance, if one candidate for a marketing manager role meets five out of six requirements and the other meets four out of six but has unique experience in marketing your particular product or service, you may ultimately decide that the candidate with industry experience is a better fit.
If you’re having trouble deciding which skills you value most, ask yourself what the number one thing you need from a person in this position. Is it creativity? Networking capabilities? Analytical thinking? What skills will ultimately help you achieve your bigger-picture goals?
Think About Fit
You may be doing the hiring, but at the end of the day, your current employees are the ones who will be working with the new hire. You need to make sure that the person you pick meshes well with your team as a whole. In addition to considering each candidate’s personality, you should also look at each person’s job history. Does one candidate’s work history consist of companies with drastically dissimilar cultures as yours? Though you should give that person the benefit of the doubt after all, maybe he or she never had the opportunity to work with a company such as yours it may be telling if a candidate routinely gravitates toward a culture that is radically different than yours.
Consider Salary Demands
Of course, money should NOT be your main consideration, but, if at the end of the day you still cannot decide between the two candidates, it may be time to compare salaries. Though salary demands are likely to be similar between the two candidates, you need to think about the new hire as a long-term investment. A $1,000 difference in annual salary may not be a huge deal during the first few years, but over time, that $1,000 adds up, especially when raises occur. Consider your own budget as well as the return you plan on getting from the person you hire.
According to UpToWork, 63 percent employers cite “not enough suitable candidates” as their top problem when hiring. When you consider that stat, having two candidates is a blessing, not a problem. However, at the end of the day, you can only hire one person. Use the tips in this post to help you make the right decision for you and your company as a whole.
