Finishing your last round of interviews and having to choose between two applicants is a good problem to have. Of course, you need to determine which should receive a job offer. You also need to move quickly to increase your odds of having the candidate you want accept your offer.

Use these three tips to choose between your two best agricultural candidates.

1. Read Your Original Job Posting

Go back to your job description to see what your list of requirements included. Your priorities may have shifted as you interviewed the candidates. Maybe some skills become more important than others. Perhaps changes in your department resulted in different responsibilities for your new hire. Or, the candidates you have left look different from what you initially pictured for the role. Referring back to your original job posting reminds you of what your thinking was at the beginning of the hiring process. This was when the initial role requirements and goals you wanted to achieve were fresh in your mind. Evaluate how each of your candidates can contribute to your objectives. One applicant may be more clearly suited for the role than the other.

2. Consider Your Long-Term Needs

Think about what each applicant’s contributions may be like down the road. Include the short- and long-term personal and professional goals that each candidate discussed during the interview process. Consider how the position would fit with each person’s goals. Perhaps one applicant’s desired career path more closely aligns with the position than the other’s plans.

3. Include Culture Fit

Since both candidates moved to the end of your interview process, they likely blend with the company culture. Of course, you cannot know for sure what it may be like to work with either applicant on a day-to-day basis. However, one way to evaluate whether their personality and work style should match your culture is by looking at their previous employers. For instance, did either candidate work with Fortune 500 companies, or small- and mid-sized businesses? Any trends you uncover may indicate where an applicant feels most comfortable working. This can show whether they are likely to succeed with your organization.

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Turn to Morris Bixby Group for help hiring the best agricultural candidates. Get started with us today.