Breaking Hiring Ties Without Relying on Gut Instinct (725 words)

Even the best selection scoring criteria can result in ties—or results that feel “too close to call.”

And now you’re staring at two—or more—finalists who appear similarly qualified.

This is the moment when many hiring managers default to their gut.

These questions feel harmless. But this is also where bias is most likely to influence your decision.

If you want to choose the best candidate—not simply the one you like best—you need a plan for breaking ties without relying on instinct.

Prepare for Ties Before They Happen

The time to think about tie-breakers is not when you’re already stuck.

Before interviews begin, establish measurable criteria for evaluating resumes and candidate responses. When we don’t have clear, objective criteria, we tend to go with the people we like the best.

If likability is important, make it one of your criteria. Just don’t make it the only one—or the most important one.

Otherwise, we tell ourselves stories about why we’re making a particular choice. Those stories may or may not be true.

Having predetermined criteria allows you to revisit the data instead of defaulting to emotion.

Objective Ways to Break a Tie

When you have two or more applicants who seem very similarly qualified, there are a number of ways to break the tie without relying on your gut.

You might:

• Ask finalists to complete a skills assessment or aptitude test
• Hire them on a short-term, contract basis to help solve a real-life problem your team or company is facing
• Request a writing sample or presentation demo
• Develop a brief work simulation relevant to the role

Whichever method you choose, ensure that your evaluation criteria are determined in advance.

Then add this new data to the original resume and interview scores.

In other words, try to make your decision as objective as possible.

That way, you can drive toward the best decision—not the candidate who simply feels most comfortable.

Be Realistic and Respectful

When introducing additional assessments, remember to be realistic about what you’re asking of candidates.

Avoid demanding free labor or considerable time commitments. Either of these requests can be seen as disrespectful or even exploitative.

If your candidates are currently employed, they may need to take time off—potentially without pay. Even if they are between roles, a job search is a full-time effort.

Stringing people along or asking too much of them can cost you qualified candidates and tarnish your organization’s reputation.

Tie-breakers should be fair, structured, and proportionate to the role.

Guard Against Bias During Deliberation

After final interviews or assessments are complete, gather your selection team and compare scores.

Talk about differences.

If someone has reservations about a particular applicant, dig into their concerns. Do those concerns reflect limitations of the candidate—or biases of the interviewer?

Be diligent in uncovering bias.

One way to check your process is transparency. If you can clearly articulate how your “winning” candidate scored relative to others, you’ve probably done a good job.

If you cannot—or are afraid to—bias may have influenced the outcome.

Identify the Highest-Scoring Candidate

If you’ve done your homework—carefully crafting your job description, strategically distributing your posting, establishing scoring criteria, and conducting fair interviews—making the final decision should not require guesswork.

Identify the highest-scoring candidate and offer them the job.

That decision should be supported by data, not instinct.

This does not mean you ignore human judgment. It means you discipline it.

Gut instinct is shaped by experience—but it is also shaped by bias. Without structure, you may unintentionally reward familiarity over potential, similarity over contribution.

Leadership Requires Discipline

Breaking hiring ties without relying on gut instinct requires preparation, patience, and discipline.

It requires you to:

• Define criteria before you meet candidates
• Measure consistently
• Add data when needed
• Question your assumptions
• Articulate your rationale

This is not about removing humanity from hiring. It is about ensuring fairness.

When two candidates appear equally qualified, the easy path is comfort.

The responsible path is clarity.

Choose clarity.

Because the goal is not to hire the candidate you like the best.

It is to hire the best candidate for the job.

Reprinted with permission.