MightyRecruiter4 Tips to Help You Determine the Best Candidate
The hiring process can feel like an exhausting marathon at times. Once you�ve crafted the job description, looked at hundreds of r�sum�s and conducted multiple interviews, you still have a difficult task to complete before crossing the finish line. Now you must determine the best candidate from the group of finalists. There are often a number of extremely well-qualified candidates who have made it through the process, making this a tough decision even in the best circumstances.
These four quick tips can help you negotiate the final hurdle of picking the ideal person for the job. With a little extra care and attention, you can make an all-star hire that will help your business grow.
1. Look For Evidence of Active Problem Solving
Job candidates nowadays have a wider range of experience and skills than ever before. Many of them have undertaken training in multiple areas and worked on a wide variety of tasks. Experience is good, and credentials are important, but these things aren�t always enough to put a candidate over the edge into true excellence. When you set out to determine the best candidate, you should also look for evidence that the person has successfully solved problems and responded to challenges on the job.
It�s easy to be wowed by a glittering r�sum� with plenty of academic accomplishments and exciting job descriptions. Get past the glitter by probing more deeply in the final round of interviews. How did the candidate use his or her academic training and positions of authority to deal with real challenges on the job What was the candidate�s genuine impact in the workplace Don�t hesitate to get in touch with the candidate�s references and former employers. Ask tough questions if you need to.
2. Don�t Be Tempted to Overreact to Past Employee Issues
It�s easy for a hiring manager or an interviewing team to become focused on solving past problems. When you�re hiring someone to replace a previous employee, don�t concentrate too hard on the weaknesses or difficulties of the last person to hold the job. That�s a normal human reaction, but it doesn�t always get you the right person for the position.
If the previous employee was a shy and quiet introvert who disliked teamwork, you might automatically want to choose the most social, talkative and charismatic applicant in the candidate pool. Try to resist this sort of temptation. Remember that you�re filling a position, not replacing an individual person. This can help you determine the best candidate in any situation.
3. Test Skills in Real Time
Job interviews don�t have to be restricted to old-fashioned meetings around a boardroom table. During the final phase of the interview process, consider taking your candidates into the workplace and giving them real-time tasks to test their skills. Invite them to debug some bad code, cook a complicated dish under time pressure or handle a call from a demanding client � whatever they will need to do to succeed in the position day after day. A few minutes of observation under pressure can tell you a lot more than a boardroom interview ever will.
Real-time evaluation will demonstrate things about a candidate that might not be clear from the polished written presentation of a traditional r�sum�. Interview questions are often easy to anticipate, and some people may even answer them dishonestly. Practical skills on the job are much harder to fake.
4. Look Back at Previous Hiring Choices
Hiring decisions are a very important part of a company�s long-term planning. A good or bad personnel decision can have repercussions for years or even decades to come. Before you make the commitment to hiring a new person, take some time to visit the company�s archives and think about previous hires. Talk with colleagues or supervisors when appropriate. More information will mean a better choice. Ask yourself all of these questions:
�What were the criteria for earlier hiring decisions
�Which decisions turned out well Not so well
�Are there any choices you regret having made
�Are there things you wish you had paid closer attention to
Both good and bad hires can be valuable learning opportunities for people who want to determine the best candidate in the future.
Making the Most of the Final Stages
The final stages of the hiring process are both exciting and stressful. As the decision comes down to the wire, you�re aware that your choice will have long-lasting implications for your business. Keeping a cool head and staying informed will enable you to determine the best candidate for your needs.
When you�re facing the challenge of a big hiring decision, the articles and resources here at Mighty Recruiter can help you make smart choices.