Making the recruitment decision

Making the decision

Frequently the decision will be about balance - balancing strengths and weaknesses of the candidates, balancing what they bring with what you already have and what you think you will need in the future. You will also at this point be looking to the long term as well as short term needs. Someone who showed real potential but is a bit short of relevant experience could be perfect in the right circumstances but a poor decision in others.

At the same time as balancing you need to stay true to the needs of the job and the organisation at the outset. This is where good up front preparation pays dividends. It is all too easy to get carried away by the process and choice of candidates and it is at the decision making stage that you need to cross reference back to what it is that you really need.

Some Key Questions

• How do you combine the various sources of data in order to select?
• Does your decision meet your agreed criteria?

Recommended Practice

• Get more information if you do not have enough
• Refer back to your original requirements
• Make notes on your decision
• Consider weaknesses against strength; assess the relative risks. Consider also how their weaknesses will fit with/can be compensated by the current team and the particular manager.
• Look at the work environment and context. If you have a number of other people doing a similar job who are available to give some help and guidance it is more plausible to bring in someone with less experience and train them up. If the individual is going to be a sole operator with nobody to check things with then they need to be fully qualified and competent.