How to choose between 2 candidates? 5 tips

Table of Content:

1. Good preparation is half the battle!
2. Make sure there is comparability!
3. Compress the interview dates into a narrow time window!
4. Involve the team!
5. Eliminate prejudices!

• • Candidate 1 has the best education for the job.
  • Candidate 2 already has a few years of relevant work experience.
  • Candidate 3 seems to fit best into the company culture.

Recruiting and having to choose between 2 candidates in the recruitment process is often difficult. Based on our experience as consultants and recruiters, we have put together a few tips to make the selection process a little easier.

1. Good preparation is half the battle!

Read the resume carefully and thoroughly before the interview. If you already have the facts such as educational background, qualifications, or work experience in mind, you can focus on other things in the interview that are not on the resume.

For example:

• How confident does the candidate seem?
• How well can she/he express her/himself?
• How empathetic does she/he seem?

2. Make sure there is comparability!

Every interview is different. This is normal and a good thing because every candidate’s personality is different. Nevertheless, you need to compare the applicants if you want to find the best match for you.

You can make the comparison easier by asking all candidates the same three questions for example. Think carefully in advance about which three questions you want all candidates to answer. For example, target soft skills that are particularly important to you.

3. Compress the interview dates into a narrow time window!

4. Involve the team!

When you need to choose between 2 candidates, it makes a lot of sense to involve the applicant’s future colleagues in the selection process.

That way, the candidate can already have a first impression on how her/his daily work and the atmosphere in the company will be and how it will look with the team. This increases the acceptance of the new employee right from the start.

And smooth acclimatisation and cooperation directly serve the productivity of the team.

5. Eliminate prejudices!

Preconceptions about gender or origin influence our decisions subconsciously more than we would wish as enlightened people. You will get a clearer view of candidate profiles if you let HR give you the applications without names and photos.

Be open about the profiles you receive. Having gaps, or different backgrounds/industries in a profile don’t mean that the candidate cannot be a good fit. Give the candidate a chance to explain her/his career path, you could be surprised. Nowadays not only hard skills are important but don’t forget to focus also on the soft skills of your candidates.