Who's most likely to get the job?

Requirements: 2 years experience in the position jr. to this one + BA degree.





a) candidate just graduated from a impressive name university, no experience in the position. Has done leadership programs and does ok on the interview.





b) candidate holds not a BA but a Ph.D in the same field requested and does a solid professional interview. Hasn't worked in exactly what is a junior role to the one advertised but HAS worked in related positions.





c) candidate does great at the interview and has been doing the exact same position requested at your company's chief competitor for 2 and half years but doesn't have a degree.





d) candidate's resume is a carbon copy of the job description and it all checks out but his interview is a bit awkward(not just nerves, it's something else), sort of over-prep'd and he messes up the one wild card question miserably.





Which is most likely to get the job?

Who's most likely to get the job?
Definitely not A, since he has no work experience.





B sounds interesting, but my concern would be that since he's so educated he'd quickly become bored with the position and move on, plus he'd likely be looking for a higher salary than the other candidates which may not be within the range of what the employer is prepared to pay.





C sounds quite good - if he's come from a competitor then he'll have good market knowledge as well as the ability to do the job. Generally, degrees are well thought of because they give you good communication skills and good research skills. But are research skills relevant to this position? Communication skills are always relevant, but maybe this guy's are good anyway even without a degree - is there a way of checking up on this?





Definitely not D - sorry but I'm a recruiter and nine times out of ten, when a manager rejects one of my candidates, it will be because of a personality-related issue rather than their concern about the candidate's ability to do the job.





So, my shortlist would be B and C and I might, depending on how relevant it is to the position, invite them back for second interviews, invite them to an assessment day, or enlist someone else's help in making the final decision.
Reply:If I were making the decision, I would probably choose C.





But the typical corporate dimwit ****** would probably choose either B or D. He's going to feel safer conforming to the requirements of the job. Candidates A and C are not qualified. He's got to go with the written qualifications of the job. If he takes a chance on someone who does not look quite as good on paper, he risks having to justify the hire if the guy does not work out. He might need to answer the awkward question: Why did you hire this guy when he was obviously not qualified?





The problem with B is that he appears to be "overqualified,"


so I am going to go with D, even though it appears that he may be lying about his background.





Excellent question, by the way.





I need to get a job in HR.
Reply:Job descripton requirements are put there as a bare minimum. You will not get the job without all the requirements. If the Job Description states 'Preferred' then lack of that requirement will not bar you from the job or interview, but somone with it would be favoured.


A) shouldn' t even get interview.


C) might only get an interview based on the fact he worked for the competitor.





B) and D) are the favorites, as at least they would get an interview... which at the end of the day is the main priority.





At interview, the employers main thought is about who will fit into the role and organisation best. That is why the post minimum requirements at the outset, so they know that at the final interview stage it is down to whos face fits best, everything else concidered.





I would have to say B) would get it if he was accepted for interview in the first place.
Reply:Is there a separate person spec? If so compare with that.
Reply:hmmm, interesting question. i think that B could be good for the position but that Ph.D could get expensive for the company. if they didn't care about that, he would probably get it.





C seems nice. if he's already doing the job there wouldn't be so much of a learning curve when he starts at my company plus he'd seem like a good fit. it would also be cool to improve my team while weakening the competition. d1ck move, i know.





D kind of gives me the creeps.
Reply:B
Reply:I think C is good, the comapny can invest in the candidate and they could start his salary lower based on the fact he doesnt have a degree but get a good level of work from him. They can also learn a lot from the candidate about the competitior company.





Candidate b seems good too. It depends who can sell themselves the best in the interview. It is not unheard of for someone with less experience or qualifications to get the job over somone who is ideally qualified because of the wya they present themselves. Thats why sometimes a degree is useless.

garden state