The first things I would look at would be: do the candidates have the experience? Then, do they have the necessary education? Next, do their personalities seem like a good fit? How do I think they would handle training and/or constructive criticism and/or instruction from management? How are their references? What do previous coworkers say about their experience working with them? After all those questions are answered, I find it hard to imagine that two candidates would come out neck-in-neck, but, if they did, there's a chance that I would actually prefer the person who already has a job. I hate to say it, and I've been the out-of-work candidate, but here's why I say that: The candidate who already has a job is less likely to be seeking the position for nothing more than a paycheck. The candidate who has been out of work may not necessarily do or say "anything" to get a job, but he or she may be more likely to take a job to get a paycheck coming in again while still looking for something better. To the candidate who has a current job, the job you are hiring for IS the "something better," and they may work harder to succeed and maintain this new job.