When a hiring manager has multiple  qualified candidates to choose from, how can they narrow down the field in order to choose the very best applicant that has the highest chance of success?

Human behaviorists tell us that there are 3 very specific indicators, that if probed for, should help us determine which candidate will be the best choice for a specific opportunity.

1)  ABILITY

How much experience do they have actually doing what you need them to do , and how successful were they? We also call these HARD SKILLS.  These are tangible skill sets that should be appraised to determine how proficient they are in the required duties of their prospective new role.

• This is typically determined by looking at a candidates prior work history, and evaluating how they performed doing similar tasks that they will be required to do in the new role. Having them show you,  rather than tell you how to accomplish specific tasks should give you a good idea of what you can expect if you hire this person.

2) ASPIRATION

Another way to evaluate this is to try to get a feel for how PASSIONATE the candidate is for this particular role. Are they simply looking for a job, or do they ASPIRE to do this kind of work? With all else being equal, nothing can beat ENTHUSIASM for a role. If a candidate shows that they have a yearning for this opportunity, with a ‘ fire in the belly’ to dive in, that should be given substantial weight .

• Question them as to why they want this particular job, and listen to what they have to say. Is it simply just a way to earn a living, or do they have a longing to do this specific type of work? Asking what they enjoy doing in their time off can also give additional insight into what makes a particular candidate ‘tick’.

3) ENGAGEMENT

How committed a candidate is for this role will primarily be determined by the previous questions. If this is a dream job for them, you can guess that they will be diving in with both feet, and doing everything in their power to stay. However if this is simply a stop-gap paycheck, while they pursue their true passion, you can bet they will be gone when a better paycheck becomes available.

• Question their long range goals, and drill down into their dream job. Take them back through their work history  and  go over each place of employment, asking what they liked and did not like about each role they were in, and what prompted them to leave.  Asking what their goals are for 1, 3 and 5 years down the line, in terms of career path. Does your company offer the opportunities that they desire? The answers to these questions, combined with the answers to #2, will tell you what kind of commitment  you can reasonably expect from your prospective candidate.

In order to get the information you need to make an informed decision, it is critical to give some serious thought to the questions that you will be asking your prospective candidates during the interview process.  By asking the right questions, and then LISTENING to the responses, it should become clear which candidates exhibit the 3 key factors listed above.

So what should you do if you still have a strong pool of candidates, that have tested high in some areas and lower in others?

• Verify again that all of your candidates have all the mandatory skill sets in terms of ABILITY …this is absolutely critical.
• After that, Rank each candidate on a scale of 1-5, depending how you assess their strengths in EACH of the 3 critical areas …Ability, Aspiration and Engagement.
• Adding up the totals at the end, should allow you to compare candidates side by side, and  enable you to make an informed hiring decision.

Since 1999 International Search Consultants has been providing exceptional candidates to our clients  interview table. We have teams that focus exclusively on Financial Services, Human Resources, SALES, and Construction and Real Estate Development. Please feel free to CONTACT US whenever you would like to see a strong pool of candidates to choose from, for your next hiring need.