Picture this: you’ve got a job opening, and you found two great candidates that fit the role perfectly. The hard part (actually finding the candidates) is over, but there’s one final step to the process, and that’s making the final decision to fill the job. Going about this can be tough, especially if you like both candidates and can see them succeed in the role. How to choose between two great candidates also doesn’t simply come down to who’s got more experience or qualifications than the other. There’s so much more involved! Take a look at these methods for helping you make the right decision.

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Revisit the job requirements

Take a look at the original job description and requirements that you set before hiring.

Your candidates hit all of the important bullet points; that’s great! Now’s the time to visit some of the less-important parts of the job description.

Do your candidates have any certifications or other job experience that would be useful in this job? Or, are they missing supportive knowledge or skills? Whether your candidates have, or are missing, these lesser points can ultimately help you narrow down who best aligns with your needs for the job.

Examine Cultural Fit

Cultural fit has quickly become one of the most important aspects of job fit. Your company’s culture determines how well your employees perform at their jobs and get along with everyone else.

In industrial-sector worksites, cultural fit mainly focuses on how well your employees work together as a team. This means candidates for your open jobs should have proven experience working well with others.

During your interviews with top candidates, make sure to ask questions that give you insights into how well they work together with others. If they have references, it may be worth contacting them to get first-hand knowledge of their job performance and cultural fit at other companies.

Review Soft Skills

Don’t skip out on looking at your candidates’ soft skills. It doesn’t matter what kind of job they’re applying for; soft skills matter. Communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills are all really important in every job, especially industrial-type work.

For example, a great communicator is an asset in any job environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills bring clarity to a team, and that means more efficient work gets done.

Take a look at your candidates’ soft skills, such as communication. Will they succeed in your work environment and move your team forward? Again, you may need to refer to references for that extra insight, but doing so could be well worth the effort.

Create a New Opening or Consider Another Department

Sometimes, in rare circumstances, it’s not a matter of how to choose between two great candidates. You may not be able to choose; so why should you?

If that pesky thing called “your budget” allows for it, and it makes sense overall, it might be worth offering both candidates a job by creating a new opening. That way, everyone’s happy: your jobs are filled, your candidates have work and steady income, and your team gets two awesome new people.

If you really can’t make a new job opening appear just like that, look at other department openings, and recommend one of you candidates to them.

Get a Second Opinion

Getting a fresh pair of eyes on a hiring challenge can be just what you need to make an informed decision. Ideally, this person, or people, should be familiar with the job you’re hiring for and know who the ideal person would be for the job.

Whoever you decide to confide in, make sure they’re someone you trust who doesn’t have a conflict of interest in the hiring decision.

Armed with this knowledge, you can make the best decision between two great candidates. Want to make the hiring process, from start to finish, even easier? Contact us at Tempstar Staffing to see how we can help!