How can we decide between 2 strong A-candidates with similar training and experience?

Ingrid Kast, CEO at DAV - June 2010

Recently one of our specialist consultants placed someone with a client who had shortlisted 2 very similar candidates. Both were equally strong in terms of skills and experience. Even though the other candidate had achievements in the industry that really made him stand out, our candidate got the job because the other guy was ‘just too arrogant’. Our client was afraid he would cause ructions in a very stable, team oriented environment.

Of course a good candidate needs to meet certain requirements in terms of education and experience, but very often soft skills such as attitude or innate competencies such as creative thinking ability make the difference between a candidate who will be just good at the job and another that will really shine! A readiness to take unconventional routes to solve a problem, an ability to mediate conflict, and the independence of mind to question the status quo - while such traits may be challenging to uncover during the interview process, it is well worth the effort.

A readiness to take unconventional routes to solve a problem, an ability to mediate conflict, and the independence of mind to question the status quo - while such traits may be challenging to uncover during the interview process, it is well worth the effort.

So how do you uncover these qualities?

1. Determine what qualities you want

When you map out what you require of the position, think of more than just the normal skills, qualifications and experience required. Figure out which traits you’re looking for and how much they should be weighted in making the hiring decision. For example, for a personal assistant, qualities would include communication skills, ability to organise and prioritise, and ability to work under pressure. For a senior manager, qualities may include the ability to influence and negotiate, the ability to cope with stress and pressure, the ability to lead and the capacity to take calculated risks.

Some other examples are:

2. Craft targeted questions to uncover competencies

As you review CV’s look for experiences that, when discussed, will reveal a candidate’s personality traits. And then frame questions that will reveal the qualities you are looking for. For example, to find out how well the person learns on the job, ask about a point in their work history where they entered unfamiliar territory. Ask about a time they felt they were in over their head and how they dealt with that. To assess how well a candidate copes with conflict and sudden change, don’t ask them to describe what they would do in a hypothetical situation; instead, ask them what they really did do in response to an unexpected work crisis in the past.

3. Distinguish real from rote

Job candidates are, by and large, a savvy bunch; they are usually quite good at reading the signals you or your colleagues may unconsciously project. So how do you know when an interviewee is being genuine and when they are just telling you what they think you want to hear? Ask questions that can’t be answered by rote, such as: “tell me who you are” or “tell me what gets you up in the morning that has nothing to do with work”. Ask questions that require proof in the form of a past behaviour or response to a relevant situation.

People should be at their best during a job interview, so any negative vibes - arrogance, impatience, or insincerity - are too important to ignore. Stretch the interview out to give any forced charm a chance to wear off. Perhaps disagree with at least one of a candidate’s statements so you can see how they deal with conflict. Does a candidate remain agreeable and professional while defending their point of view, or do they become irritated or aggressive? Do they give in to pressure too fast? Do they probe you for more detail to understand where the challenge is coming from?

Perhaps disagree with at least one of a candidate’s statements so you can see how they deal with conflict. Does a candidate remain agreeable and professional while defending their point of view, or do they become irritated or aggressive?

4. Enlist a Specialist

The use of traditional recruitment interviewing methods cannot always guarantee that the “right” person has been appointed to the job. By introducing a set of key competencies associated with a particular role at the beginning of the recruitment process the risk of recruiting the wrong person can be reduced substantially. We at DAV are highly trained in the competency based style of interviewing which helps predict a candidate’s future behavior from past actions instead of from hypothetical situations – thus illustrating their personality, skill set and individual competencies. We will work with you to identify and create a set of competencies for any role within your company.

This approach to interviewing will not only gain you the right candidate for the position and your company culture, it will give an insight into what makes them tick. Resulting in a much stronger connection and matching agendas, while giving you a better understanding of how to shape their development.

We can help.

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Tags: Talent Attainment
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