How to have a method to judge a job candidate?

quezhenyu

Q:Screening candidates is definitely important during an in-depth interview. But I got confused about how to evaluate a candidate’s qualifications, both on personalities and working experience. Are his/her personalities suitable for the position? Is his/her past performance the best predictor for the current position? How to evaluate them? Is there a scientific method to judge a person on personalities and working capability?

A:No method of candidate selection is completely objective, but a great deal of the guesswork can be removed with care and a methodical approach. Books have been written on the subject and to take you through the whole process in a few sentences is asking a lot.

There are basically only three criteria on which to assess applicants: 1) can they do the job; 2) do they want to do it and 3) do they want to do it under the circumstances you offer. The question above assumes a successful hire depends only on 1). Frankly, there is a lot more to it than that. Remembering that candidates are usually hired for skill and fired for personality is useful to remember.

But to answer the question; first the interviewer must be crystal clear about the dimensions of the job. What is the person actually going to do? This can best be discovered by reading an accurate job description and questioning a knowledgeable supervisor. Neither of which can be taken for granted to exist. In addition to an understanding of the job you will need an understanding of the environment and the personalities of those involved with the future employee. Armed with clarity about the work and people concerned a few simple tools like a patterned interview form, questions that elicit relevant responses and meaningful tests are valuable.

There is no scientific or mathematical method of determining suitability for employment. Hiring good people requires mature judgment, but like just about anything in life if you have a good understanding of the destination (job and job requirements) deciding the route (skills required, and more importantly fit) to that distant point is a relatively straightforward task.