Key Personal Qualities:

• Customer Focus: The ability to provide excellent customer service is crucial. A friendly and helpful attitude encourages repeat business and positive word-of-mouth. This is vital in a competitive market where customer experience differentiates businesses.
• Enthusiasm for Books: A genuine interest in literature and reading will allow the employee to offer informed recommendations, engage with customers, and contribute to the bookstore's atmosphere. This passion can be infectious and enhance the customer experience.

Key Skills:

• Communication Skills: The employee needs to communicate effectively with customers, colleagues, and potentially suppliers. This includes active listening, clear speaking, and written communication (e.g., for social media or stock updates).
• Cash Handling & Point of Sale (POS) System Skills: Accurate and efficient handling of cash transactions and operating the POS system is essential for smooth operations and preventing financial discrepancies. This ensures accurate sales records and efficient payment processing.

Justification: These qualities and skills are directly linked to the demands of the role. The bookstore needs someone who can engage with customers, provide assistance, and manage transactions efficiently. Without these, customer satisfaction will suffer, and the business will struggle to thrive. The qualities foster a positive customer experience, while the skills ensure operational efficiency.

Recommendation: The restaurant should employ David.

Justification: While Sarah's enthusiasm and willingness to learn are valuable assets, David's prior experience makes him the more suitable candidate for this role, particularly when considering reliability, teamwork, and efficiency.

Reliability: David's 2 years of experience suggest a proven track record of reliability. He is likely to understand the importance of punctuality and consistent attendance, reducing the risk of disruptions to the restaurant's operations. Sarah's lack of experience introduces a higher level of uncertainty regarding her reliability.

Teamwork: Working in a fast-food environment requires strong teamwork. David's previous experience indicates he has likely worked as part of a team and understands the dynamics of collaborative work. He is more likely to integrate quickly and contribute positively to the team's performance. Sarah will require more training to understand team roles and responsibilities.

Efficiency: David's experience means he is likely to be more efficient in performing tasks such as order taking, food preparation, and cleaning. He will have a better understanding of the restaurant's procedures and workflows, leading to quicker and more accurate work. Sarah will need time to learn these procedures, potentially impacting overall efficiency.

Table Summary:

Factors to Consider: The agency should consider a range of factors beyond just qualifications, including demonstrable skills, experience, and potential for growth. A balanced assessment is crucial.

• Demonstrated Skills & Results (Ben): Ben's experience managing a charity's social media accounts is a significant advantage. The fact that he achieved "significant growth in followers and engagement" provides concrete evidence of his ability to deliver results. This is more valuable than a theoretical understanding.
• Theoretical Knowledge (Alex): Alex's marketing degree provides a strong theoretical foundation in social media marketing principles, strategy, and analytics. This knowledge can be valuable for developing effective campaigns.
• Portfolio Quality (Alex): While a personal portfolio is not a direct indicator of professional success, a strong portfolio demonstrates creativity, understanding of different social media platforms, and the ability to create engaging content. It shows initiative and passion for the field.
• Adaptability & Learning Ability: The agency should assess both candidates' willingness to learn and adapt to new trends and technologies. Social media is constantly evolving, so a proactive learner is essential.
• Cultural Fit: Consider how well each candidate's personality and work style would fit with the agency's culture and team dynamics.

Reasoning: While a degree provides a solid foundation, practical experience and demonstrable results are often more valuable in a fast-paced field like social media marketing. Ben's experience with the charity demonstrates his ability to achieve tangible outcomes. Alex's degree provides the theoretical knowledge, but the agency needs to assess whether he can translate that knowledge into practical, effective social media strategies. The agency should prioritize the candidate who can demonstrate a proven ability to drive results and adapt to the ever-changing social media landscape. A combination of both theoretical knowledge and practical experience is often ideal, but in this case, Ben's experience appears more directly relevant to the role's requirements.