Question Summary:
Should I give preference to my friend or someone with higher credentials?

Question Detail:

 
Suppose I am the chairman of a selection committee and I have to select a candidate to appoint to a post of Assistant Professor...and suppose that I am the ultimate authority to decide whom to select. Now there are two candidates: A & B. Candidate A is my relative/friend/or recommended by my parents etc. Candidate B is NOT related to me. Whom should I select for the post from Islamic fatwa point of view in each of the following cases:
1) CV (Resume) of candidate B is far better than candidate A (recommended by my mother/friend/relative)
2) CV (Resume) of candidate B is somewhat better than candidate A (recommended by my mother/friend/relative)
3)  CV (Resume) of candidate B is almost equal to candidate A (recommended by my mother/friend/relative)

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Brother-in-Islam,
As the chairman, you have been given an amānah (trust) by your employer to choose the person who is best for the job. In making such decisions, it is important for you to be mindful of Allah Ta'ālā regarding this trust and choose a person based on the criteria given to you by your employer. In doing so, like any other job opening, you will have to keep in mind all the different factors that might have a direct impact on the efficiency of the work the candidate will have to perform. Furthermore, it is important to remember that one must not solely rely on a candidate's CV since it is possible that one candidate was simply able to present his resume in a more appealing manner as compared to the other. Many jobs require one to examine the candidate as a person as well alongside his resume.
In relation to your specific query, you are not bound by Shari'ah to give preference to the candidate specified by your parents. Nevertheless, Islam still teaches us to make mashwarah with others by seeking their counsel so they may assist us and provide a direction in making such choices. It is also important to make istikhārah and seek good from Allah Ta'ālā in such matters.
(For more information regarding istikhārah, please refer to the following link:
http://www.askimam.org/public/question_detail/21896)
After one has made mashwarah and istikhārah, one may choose to adopt whichever choice one's heart feels inclined towards.
May Allah Ta'ālā make it easier for you and grant you success in this life and the hereafter. Āmīn.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Mohammad
Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net