Breakdown of On cherche un candidat qui soit polyvalent.
être
to be
un
a / an (masculine)
on
one / we (informal)
qui
who
Questions & Answers about On cherche un candidat qui soit polyvalent.
Why is soit in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative est?
We use the subjunctive in a relative clause (starting with qui or que) when describing a requirement for someone or something we are looking for, but haven't found yet. Because the existence of this versatile candidate is uncertain, we use the subjunctive soit. If we were describing a specific person we already know, we would use the indicative est.
How would the meaning change if the sentence used est instead of soit?
If you said On cherche le candidat qui est polyvalent, using the definite article le and the indicative est, it would mean you are looking for a specific, real person you already know exists (for example, asking where that one versatile candidate went). Using un and soit shows you are simply searching for any person who meets this criteria.
What does the word polyvalent mean in a professional context?
Could we use nous cherchons instead of on cherche here?