5 Factors to Consider in Candidate Selection
Finding the right fit for your team can take a lot of work and effort. Various factors should be taken into consideration to ensure that you make the correct choice of candidate, sometimes over and above the selection of the obvious ones. Taking the time to shortlist your candidates should be a key part of your recruiting process. The question becomes, what criteria do you use to short list your candidates?
There are a number of ways to cull your list of candidates. For some it might be “gut instinct” after an interview, for others it might be a lack of or too much experience (is that really a bad thing?). However, there are some core criteria that you should use when selecting one candidate over another. Here are five factors to consider when moving candidates through your hiring or selection process.
5 Factors to Consider in Candidate Selection
- Skill – one of the easiest way to sift through candidates is through their skillset. Can they do the job and can they do it efficiently? Skill can be easy to measure based on the facts in front of you (resume, cover letter and interview). It is true that some tend to fabricate or “stretch” their experience so a solid approach to confirm skills is to contact previous employers and verify if the skills communicated match up with what the previous employer(s) saw. Of course if the candidate lacks experience they should communicate and express a desire to learn and pick up those skills.
- Personality – depending on the culture of your organization, you will be looking for a certain fit. You will want to make sure that the successful candidate will fit in and be a team player. Or perhaps you are looking for leadership qualities, so in the interview you should be asking questions to learn more about the personality of the candidate and if they can be a long term fir for your team.
- Desire – while you may not be looking for a candidate that is a little too passionate (if you know what we mean), desire on its own can sometimes help to overlook a lack of skill in the candidate. Drive and passion can help people be just as successful as skill and experience. Many people have a strong desire to succeed, but do not necessarily have the skillset to do so. The opposite can also true where a lack of desire can have a negative impact on even the most skilled individual. When screening applicants, you should work to determine if the drive being displayed from your potential new hire, meets your requirements or expectations.
- Attitude – this can be an easy red flag. It’s one thing to be passionate and a go-getter, but if the candidate displays an arrogant or overconfident attitude you may want to reconsider if they are a right fit. On the flipside if the candidate lacks confidence, or appears to be too much of a “free spirit” you might want to determine if that is a result of nerves during the interview and if they are serious about joining your organization. Focus on the job description of the position and where and who the candidate will be interacting with on a regular basis. Of course you will want candidates with a positive “Can Do” attitude but sometimes it takes people a bit to come out of their shell.
- Communicate Clear Expectations – Too many times, people are just hired to fill the position being advertised. Any time your organization is in recruiting or hiring mode, you have an opportunity to revisit what that position beholds and what it should be. Having a clearly defined job description and communicating it during the interview process is a great way to determine if the candidate is truly a fit for your organization. Communicating clear expectations will allow you and the candidate to decide whether there is a match or not. Factor in things like:
- Are they looking for short-term vs. a long-term commitment?
- Is the position what the client is looking for
- Does the candidate understand the role and responsibilities
While a recruiting agency such as Aspire can help you with shortlisting your candidates, you are still going to have to make the final decision between the final options. Using the factors above you can determine who might be the best fit for your team. Keeping in mind that best fit may mean immediate relief fit or best long-term fit. Strategically choose the candidates that checks off the most of your boxes that has the most potential and that can have a direct impact on your organization, your team and ultimately your bottom line.
Are you an employer looking to add to your team and require some recruiting assistance? Contact Aspire Recruitment Solutions at 778-484-0161.
Aspire Recruitment Solutions is the leading human resource solution and employment agency provider to clients in Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops, Northern BC and Alberta. We connect great employers with the best candidates every day.