Do you think hiring is a daunting task?
Yes, it is. But, it will no longer be when you complete reading this article.
Searching for the right candidate has never been easy. You want someone compatible, skilled, and willing to stick around for a long time. The burden of expectations is always high, and the pressure of immediate hiring too. You keep searching for the right candidate while continuously feeling the burden.
And what do you end up with?
Hiring the wrong candidate or not finding anyone at all, right?
You are not alone. Nearly 3 out of 4 employers agree they are affected by the wrong hire. So, what mistakes lead to wrong hiring? Here we have listed out ten most common mistakes employers/recruiters do, along with their clever solution. To make wise and worthwhile hiring of permanent employees, or interim staffing, you must be wary of these mistakes and try avoiding them every time.
1.Not Highlighting Work Culture
One of the common mistakes employers make is not showcasing their work culture.
Many professions are required to spend most of the day (even night hours) at work. Nothing wrong to say, the workplace is a second home for all such professionals. Therefore, they look for a workplace where they feel comfortable or have certain perks that make things easier.
Thus, it is important to highlight your company’s (especially if it has long working hours) work style, atmosphere, and culture, including benefits, working days, work hours, salary policy, etc. Showcasing all the aspects properly helps attract the right candidates and keep them loyal towards the company.
2. Confined Search
Limiting candidate search on one or two platforms is a general hiring mistake, which most employers don’t have an idea about. When you post a candidate requirement on the same platform, you have a narrow group of applicants. Maybe you get applications from the same candidates again and again or fail to reach a better candidate.
A broader search gets you a bigger applicant pool, opening doors for a wider variety of candidates with diverse skills. And the more options, the better you can hire.
Instead of only using your website, look for other ways to post job openings, and attract the most suitable applicants. You can post job vacancies in different recruitment platforms, or reach out to job agencies or community groups to find candidates.
3. Not Using Social Media
Nothing can be as absurd as not leveraging the resources readily available to make things easier for us. Social media has been the best platform to attract the right people at the right time, whether it is attracting customers or candidates for the job position. Not building a strong media profile or not using it for employer branding is another mistake leading to wrong hiring.
We see many people promoting their products/services on social media and getting success with it. Then why not use it for employer branding? Social media platforms can help effectively promote your work culture, post job ads, and attract talented people.
59% of employees use social media to find the companies they wish to work in. This means it is easy to reach talented people through targeted ads or branding posts on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media.
It is not too late to start employer branding or employee search on social media. You can highlight your office’s fun and relaxed environment or learning and development initiatives, through impressive social media posts or ads.
4. Jumbled Hiring Policy
Unclear hiring policies is one of the blunders made by employers. And this blunder can lead to many consequences making you regret a hiring decision.
An unclear hiring policy can significantly confuse a candidate and the hiring manager. At worst, it can invite legal troubles for an employer. Thus, it is essential to have an explicit hiring policy in place before you begin searching for candidates, especially when it comes to temporary executive staffing. Also, it is good to confirm if the candidate read and understood the policy thoroughly.
5. Lacking in Preparation
Preparation is the key to any work. And most employers fail here. Another common mistake employers make rushing into hiring candidates without proper preparation. Sometimes you may hire a candidate unnecessarily when the work can be done with existing resources.
It is always a good idea to analyze your actual needs through a thorough assessment of workload and other aspects. Check if the work can be divided among existing people or if the workload can be alleviated by streamlining the internal operations. If hiring is truly necessary, identify what skills, education, and experience exactly are needed for the position. Proper analysis and preparation would help you hire a perfect candidate without wasting much time.
6. Ignoring Background Checks
It is always advised not to take someone’s word for it, whether in personal or professional life. But why do employers act opposite? Many employers turn a blind eye to background checks of a candidate. And this willful mistake may lead to several issues after hiring a candidate. For instance, after three/four months of hire, you may recognize that your Mr/Ms.right candidate has faked his/her degree or lied about their work history. Though these are rare cases, you must consider checking candidate references before hiring him/her to be on the safe side.
7. Relying on First Impression
In some cases, the first impression is not the last one, especially when it comes to hiring candidates for a technical or more responsible role. Many employers trust and hire candidates based on their face to face interviews only. However, a candidate with fluent communication may not be good at the assigned work.
Conducting a practical round or technical test can be very beneficial in assessing a candidate thoroughly. While you can’t judge an employee’s performance in a sample work, you can still alleviate the risk of a wrong hire by not trusting first impressions.
8. Vague Job Description
Probably the most basic mistake employers make is, writing an unclear job description. If you post a vogue job description containing unnecessary things, you will end up selecting a candidate who has no/less interest in the actual work.
Ensure to write a job description that contains more substance than fluff and makes sense. Analyzing your hiring requirement will help you write a thorough and explicit job description. Communicating with existing employees of the same position would also help identify the required skills and characteristics.
9. Being Less Attentive
We expect candidates to listen to questions asked during the interview attentively. But do we listen to the answers carefully? Not always. This frequent mistake during an interview can have a bad impact on your hiring decision. Attentively listening is not only a candidate’s but the role of employer/recruiter also.
Make sure to ask meaningful questions and listen to the answers carefully to identify the plus points of a candidate. For instance, questions about the candidate’s previous experience can give you thoughtful insight into their background and help you make a wise hiring decision.
10. Not Making Most of Technology
Not keeping up with technology advancement can be the biggest mistake in today’s era. Your competitors may have already hired the best candidates that you could easily. And the reason is you are ignoring the advanced technology solutions. There are many recruitment software to make hiring easier and better. Using the right recruitment software or other advanced solutions, you can cast a wider net to attract applicants.
Final Thoughts!
Did you make the same mistakes? Realizing and avoiding these mistakes would be quite helpful in your future hiring. By working on all the above points, you can give a better opportunity to a deserving candidate and your company. To make recruitment more effective, try to use advanced hiring solutions, or seek assistance from best interim staffing agency or any recruitment agency as per your hiring needs.
