How to identify a top candidate

The best candidates are typically very well looked after by their employers in this competitive market so when you are hiring, it is essential that you know exactly what you’re looking for. It is important to know how to assess them effectively and understand the key characteristics that determine a successful candidate.

Our specialist consultants speak to hiring managers and interview professionals every day. We know exactly what our clients are looking for and what to look out for in an interview. To ensure you are well placed to assess the candidates you’re interviewing and are able to identify the best people for your organisation, we have pulled together some useful tips.
 

Assessing a candidate

In order to effectively assess whether a candidate is suitable for the vacancy you are recruiting for, we recommend using the balanced scorecard approach based on four to five of the core competencies you are searching for in an ideal candidate. Using these competencies as categories for your assessment, list the skills, experiences, working examples and personal characteristics that the candidate possesses which fall under each of those categories. For example, if one of the key competencies is “Build and manage strong stakeholder relationships” you might list experience such as internal and external communication, stakeholder engagement, builds fast rapport, easy to have a conversation with, friendly and/or professional along with relevant past roles and examples discussed in the interview. If done correctly, you will have a snapshot of their skills and capabilities that meet the core competencies of the role. However, there are a number of ways you can implement this strategy. We suggest this method for three reasons:

• It allows you to ‘revisit’ each candidate’s interview at a later date and compare candidates while maintaining accuracy.
• Ensures you make a well-informed decision on who makes it through the interview process.
• Enables the hiring manager or recruiter to provide the candidate with structured feedback.

Technical roles

When recruiting for more technical, or industry-specific roles, a good CV should provide an insight into whether or not the candidate is suitable in terms of the qualifications and sector-specific knowledge they possess. However, digging into the detail during an interview is still key. 

It is a good idea to build a solid understanding of the businesses and sectors they have worked in. While you may already know this information, asking sector related and market-intel questions while using industry specific terminology will validate their understanding and will provide you with confirmation of the capabilities of that candidate.

Leadership

When interviewing a good candidate, you should be thinking longer term. You should not only be interviewing them for the position they applied for but also assessing their suitability for the next role up the ladder. Be on the lookout for qualities that match the vision you have for the business or department and how you see them developing in the future. Does this candidate have the potential to be a team leader one day or could they take on more responsibility down the line?

It is also important that in an interview you are able to determine whether someone is motivated and has the right drive. Quite often, this can be done by mining into the CV; any education or training that has been undertaken, the career journey to date and key decisions about direction should give you a good idea of the candidate’s motivation.

Career decisions are often based on motivation and drive and can indicate what aspirations a candidate has for their future. Be sure to ask about their career goals. Those looking to be successful are sure to have a vision for their future and should be keen to progress and develop themselves professionally.
 

Ensuring a successful hire

The personality of a candidate and their cultural fit is key. A candidate may have a perfect CV on paper but that doesn’t guarantee that a person is perfect for the role. At Page Personnel, we spend quality face-to-face time with both our clients and candidates which ensures we are able to assess their fit. It is important for us to be able to imagine a professional and an employer in a room together – working together, having a discussion - and determine whether the working relationship could function. A CV is a foot in the door, but the old adage of people buy people, however cheesy, still applies.

If you would like any more information, or to discuss how we can help with your recruitment needs, please contact your local office and one of our specialist consultants will be in touch.