What to Do When Two Outstanding Candidates Are Neck and Neck

When two exceptional candidates rise to the top of your recruitment process, you’d think the hard part is over. But when both have a standout resume, interview brilliantly, and seem like a great fit for your firm, you’re left with one surprisingly difficult question: Which one do you hire?

It’s an enviable dilemma — until indecision puts you at risk of losing both to another employer. To make a confident, timely choice, consider these four strategies.

1. Take a Long-Term View

You may be hiring to fill an immediate need, but don’t lose sight of your broader talent strategy. Look beyond the current job requirements and assess each candidate’s potential to grow with your firm.

• Does one demonstrate stronger leadership potential?
• Does one bring niche skills or industry knowledge that isn’t essential now but could add value later?

Choosing the candidate with greater long-term upside can pay dividends well beyond the initial role.

2. Consider Cultural Fit

Cultural alignment is critical to long-term success, yet it’s often underestimated — especially when two candidates look equally strong on paper.

Introduce final-round candidates to your team, either during interviews or through a brief meet-and-greet. Observing how they interact and gathering feedback from your staff can provide valuable insight into how well each candidate will mesh with your workplace environment once the “new job excitement” fades.

3. Use Objective Assessments to Compare Technical, Cognitive, and Personality

Interviews and resumes provide useful impressions, but objective assessments offer the clarity needed to distinguish between two high-calibre finalists. Using a structured three-test approach gives you insight into:

• Technical skills — Can the candidate actually perform the core tasks required for the role?
• Cognitive ability — How quickly will they learn, problem-solve, and adapt as responsibilities evolve?
• Personality and work style — Will they thrive in your team environment and align with your company culture?

Together, these assessments provide a holistic, evidence-based comparison. Technical testing confirms on-the-job capability, cognitive testing predicts future performance and adaptability, and personality profiling reveals behavioural strengths and potential challenges.

4. Seize the Rare Opportunity — If It Makes Sense

If, after careful evaluation, you still can’t choose, there’s another option many firms overlook: hire both.

This isn’t always feasible; it depends on budget, team structure, and workload. But when possible, bringing both candidates on board can be a strategic advantage. Skilled talent is hard to find, and your business needs can shift quickly. Hiring two high-quality candidates now may save you from restarting the recruitment process sooner than you expect.

If you do go this route, ensure there’s enough meaningful work to keep both engaged. Consider whether they could tackle back-burner projects or alleviate pressure on overloaded team members.

If You Choose Only One, Keep the Other Warm

If hiring both isn’t viable, don’t let the runner-up disappear. Connect on LinkedIn, share occasional updates, and maintain a positive relationship. You never know when a new opportunity will open — and you may want that exceptional candidate back in the conversation.

Donna Roughan  |  With 22 years of expertise in accounting and business advisory, Donna has held pivotal roles, notably as a Director at PwC, and has executive experience in both finance and operations.

Accountests  |  Accountests deliver the world’s only online suite of annually updated and country-specific technical skills, ability and personality tests designed by and for accountants and bookkeepers.