What To Do When You Have More Than One Great Applicant

By the time you’re interviewing applicants, you have shortlisted your applicant pool down to the people that look the most qualified. That means that you have created a smaller pool of very talented individuals, and are simply looking for the one that is the best fit.

The idea that only one applicant can fit inside your organization, however, is a myth. It’s quite possible that there are several great applicants, each of whom represents a phenomenal talent that your company may need. This represents a good, but by no means simple problem: What are you supposed to do when you have multiple qualified applicants?

How to Handle Several Excellent Applicants

• Create a Position for Them – If an applicant is qualified for your business, they’re qualified for a competitor as well. Remember that there are no rules about how many people you can hire. You can create an identical position, or even create a new position just to keep them within the organization. Any solution that both keeps them in the company and not working for a competitor is a good solution, provided your company can use their services and afford it.
• Put Them in An Applicant Tracking System – So you can’t hire them now. But you may be able to hire them later. Let them know that you someday want to add them to the company but you do not have the space, and you would like to put them in an applicant tracking system, like SCOUT, in order to hire them if/when a position opens. Then make sure they are first to be considered for nearly every role.
• Outsource Work to Them – An intriguing way to keep them in the organization is to have them work as contractors or consultants. This will send them work, but you’ll be under no obligation to hire them, and then should the person you hire not work out or a position opens in the future, they’ll have a direct line into your organization. In this increasingly digital world, this idea can be very beneficial.

Having more than one great applicant is a problem every company wishes they had. But it’s still a problem, because if you hire only one you may be turning away someone that could have been a great contributor to your company. Make sure you explore ways to either bring them into your company or to keep them connected to your company in some way, and you’ll be able to keep your organization flush with talent for years to come.

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Webinar: How to Choose the Right Applicant

When: Thursday March 26th 2015 Time: 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM AEST (Brisbane)
Join Samantha Gellis, Recruitment and Shortlisting Specialist for this practical and insightful webinar in which our Recruitment expert will share her experiences in candidate assessment and give practical guidance and tips on the effective assessment of candidates.

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