Defining Selection Criteria

Your first task when planning to fill a vacancy is to identify and define the criteria you will use to assess and evaluate potential candidates. This approach allows you to avoid common selection problems, consistently evaluate each candidate and be in a better position to hire strong performers.

Selection criteria generally fall into a few main categories, and include such things as experience, education, job-specific knowledge, abilities and skills, and personality attributes.

To define the selection criteria for a particular position, you will want to review the job description for the position and solicit ideas from the supervisor of the targeted position as well as the peers or colleagues of the position incumbent. Once you have a thorough description of the job duties, you will be better able to define the specific criteria against which you will evaluate the suitability of potential candidates.

For most positions, you will develop a list of 8 to 12 criteria that cover the main categories. More senior positions may require additional selection criteria.