Back7 Hiring Mistakes Employers Need to Avoid
Considering the significant cost in terms of both money and time, hiring new staff can be a stressful proposition. And the potentially high stakes of finding the right candidate (or at least avoiding the very wrong ones) adds an element of pressure to make the right choice the first time. Despite these negative factors, the fact remains that hiring new employees
is a strictly necessary process that’s all the more important to get right.
Unfortunately, hiring the right candidate is more easily said than done. And when a company does make a bad hire, it can often be difficult to determine which exact step or decision along the way led to the wrong choice. In this article, we’ll explain seven of the most common mistakes employers tend to make when looking for new employees, as well as how to avoid them in the future.
1. Neglecting Internal Hiring
While it might not be the best choice in every single situation, it’s surprising how many employers completely neglect the choice of internal hiring when it comes to filling important positions. This is especially true when you consider that an internal promotion or transfer has obvious benefits.
Firstly, internal hires save money by negating the need for external advertising and reducing or eliminating the time expense of onboarding a completely new employee. The interview process can be much shorter or even done away with completely since you already have a realistic idea of the skills and personality of a person who already works for you.
Lastly, internal recruitment can be good for office morale since employees with a clear path to promotion are more likely to be motivated and engaged.
2. Poor Onboarding Experience
Hiring new staff involves more than the interview process. Once a new worker is brought on, steps must be taken to ensure they actually stick around! This is especially relevant when you consider that 45% of new hires will leave their positions within the first year.
Remember that interviewing new employees is a two-way street – your candidate will be weighing up your business just as much as you are judging their aptitude. This is why you need to take active steps to ensure that both the interview and onboarding process for new staff are both welcoming and a realistic introduction to your expectations and workplace environment.
3. Not Considering the Cultural Fit
Remember that your workers and potential candidates are more than their credentials and work history. At the end of the day, we are all human, and creating a successful work environment requires that everyone involved be able to get along with one another and work as a cohesive team.
This is another reason why it’s important to clearly and accurately convey the culture and expectations of your workplace during onboarding and, more importantly, during the interview process. If your business requires lots of social interaction and communication between team members, hiring a well-qualified introvert is likely to cause problems down the road.
4. Inaccurate Job Descriptions
The pressure to attract and secure a needed employee is powerful. But overselling a position in order to fill it more quickly is a poor decision in the long run. While making a position sound more interesting or important than it is may help you to hire someone more quickly, that candidate is likely to leave just as quickly when they realise the truth of their new job. Likewise, a barebones description of the job that mentions duties but doesn’t convey the need for important qualities is likely to attract the wrong candidate.
5. Holding Out for a “Perfect” Candidate
There’s no question that it’s important to be discerning and have clear standards and expectations while hiring. At the same time, perfectionism and waiting for a candidate who checks every single one of your desired traits and skills will probably have you looking forever. Waiting for Mr. or Ms. Perfect offers no real benefit and actively hurts the morale and productivity of your current employees as they are forced to take on extra work.
6. Listening to a “Gut” Feeling
While it’s true that some people have an incredible ability to pull the right candidate from a crowd on pure intuition, in 99% of cases, you’ll need a lot more than a “gut feeling” to find the right new hire. Intuition plays a role when considering new candidates but needs support in the form of a defined, well-thought-out hiring process that clearly establishes who you’re looking for and your overall hiring goals.
7. Not Using a Strong Recruitment Firm
There are many, many potential pitfalls when it comes to finding new talent to keep your business running, and that’s where the top-quality team at BBU comes in. For more than 3 decades, we have been recruiting and connecting highly qualified candidates with ideal positions, from temporary and contract workers to full-time permanent employees.
The next time you are looking to fill an important position, don’t hesitate and contact us today to find out how we can connect you with the right candidate for your job!
