Picking the 'right person'

Simply stated, the right person for the job is the one who matches your selection criteria. If you have someone in this category offer them the job and get them signed up!

In reality, life is never simple and there are often compromises to be made. Candidates will have a range of skills, personalities and philosophies that may make it difficult to decide on the right person. This is where the information gathered through your professional approach will come in handy. This information should be considered in the light of these two questions:

Have you got the right person among the applicants?

Because the whole process can be a hassle, it is tempting to take one of the applicants even if they are not right for the position - this is usually a mistake. If nobody matches your criteria closely enough, and you can not compromise on the requirements of the position, you should re-advertise.

Have you got the right person but they don't have the right experience?

Attitude is important. If you think an applicant has the right attitude but lacks in experience, you can elect to bring them on board and train them to perform the role. In fact, employing someone who is able to perform only 60-80% of the role may be preferable, so they don't get bored and move on. However, if you find yourself in this situation you should go back to the staff plan and job description and rework the role definition. The differences in skill and experience will place different pressures on yourself and other team members so it is important to acknowledge this. The change in the role, which may also mean a change in remuneration, then needs to be discussed with the applicant as they are being offered a different job to that advertised - they might not want it.