Selecting a preferred candidate

Selecting the best candidate for a role is a very important decision that a recruiting manager or the individual hiring needs to make.  A practical approach to decision making based on the identified capability requirements for the role can be adopted to assist in this process.

An assessment of a candidate’s strengths against the capability requirements for the role and job level using the Workforce Capability Framework can form the basis of increased confidence about selection decisions.

Assessing strengths against the relevant capabilities for the job level is particularly useful when one or two candidates have emerged as leading contenders and the recruiting manager or individual hiring needs to substantiate and clarify their thinking before proceeding with the decision.

The suitability of two or more ‘preferred’ candidates can be weighed up against the applicable capability requirements for the role and at the relevant job level in the Workforce Capability Framework.  Each candidate will have their strengths and development needs against each requirement and capability.  The question becomes, which are the most important strengths for the organisation, the team, the individual being supported?

When it is difficult to separate two preferred candidates, consider asking candidates to undertake a non-interview selection activity i.e. participate in an actual work activity or event, presenting material on a given challenge, this will result in a broader perspective beyond the initial interview questions based on the selection criteria.

To test their thinking prior to hiring, a manager or the individual hiring can use the Workforce Capability Framework to explain to their own manager, a colleague, the person with disability, a family member, etc. where and how the prospective candidates meet or exceed the requirements for the role and job level. This working through of the thinking can assist in quantifying any issues for follow-up e.g. with referees, a second interview, etc. and improve the quality of the final decision.

Consider going back to a candidate’s referees and ask them to compare the individual’s capabilities to the requirements in the Workforce Capability Framework at the relevant job level – this will likely provide a broader perspective on the candidate’s overall abilities, consistent with the job level for the role, rather than a more narrow focus on the specific requirements of the position (presumably at this stage interviews and initial reference checks have already been taken into account).

In the case of a candidate or candidates being recruited by or on behalf of a person with disability, consider arranging a couple of trial sessions with the preferred candidate/s and the person, perhaps in conjunction with a regular or popular activity of the person, and then further evaluate each candidate in terms of their fit against the position description and selection criteria after the trial.

In the case of a candidate being recruited into a team in part of the organisation, consider inviting the person to attend a team meeting and informally meet some of the team members.  In this situation it should be emphasised that the team members are not being asked to make a recruitment or selection decision.  The manager can use any feedback to further inform their understanding of the candidate’s capabilities in terms of the selection criteria for the role.

It is appropriate to go back to the candidate after any meeting or activity as part of the recruitment or selection process and seek their responses and observations – the compatibility of the candidate’s observations and responses can be taken into account, in addition to the evaluation already made by the manager or recruiter.

Think broadly about the capability requirements that the role requires – a candidate might have specific relevant experience, but what if the job changes tomorrow or next month or next year – customer requirements, technology, work methods, research influences can all impact.  Does the candidate have the necessary background and capabilities to respond and adapt to change at the required job level?  Refer to the Workforce Capability Framework at the relevant job level for the capabilities required.

If career development potential is a key consideration in the recruitment process, consider also comparing the candidate’s capabilities against the requirements of a higher job level or levels in the Workforce Capability Framework in addition to the job level of the immediate vacancy.