In the past we’ve posted a few different articles about hiring mistakes and how to avoid them. Although it’s only March, many employers have begun assessing their hiring progress for the first two months. That’s right. Like any good business, the smart hiring managers and are quickly adjusting their tactics to get better results. Hiring the right person—the first time—helps employers save money and surpass their competition faster.
We’ve worked with thousands of employers over the years and know the worst hiring mistakes and also the costliest. Below is a list of some of the biggest mistakes companies make.
1. Ignoring Red Flags: We’ve all been there before. You’re interviewing a candidate and see a red flag or two, but you dismiss them. For whatever reason, you chose to ignore those small signs that many of us are trained to read. This happens more often the employers want to admit. Perhaps they really liked the candidate or the candidate was a “friend of a friend” referral. Whatever the reason, take the time to decide whether any sign you picked up was a red flag and determine if that’s a deal breaker.
2. Rushing the Process/Taking too Long: Whether it’s rushing or delaying the hiring process, taking either of these paths can lead to costly mistakes. When rushing the process, sometimes you get swept up in the fast pace of business. It happens probably way too much than it should. I bet if you think about it, you’ll recall a recent incident where someone cut corners to get the hiring done. I can’t stress this point enough; rushing the hiring process is never a smart move. If you’re a hiring manager, and feel like you’re getting sucked into a world wind of demand, take a step back and get all stakeholders on the same page. Conversely, taking too long can hurt your recruiting efforts as well. Forget about how delaying the process can turn off candidates. A process delay could be caused by a whole host of internal issues that ultimately will taint your recruiting efforts.
3. Hiring the same type of person over and over. A common mistake that most employers don’t realize they make is trying to hire the same person again and again. Take a star employee for example. You have your star new employee that’s made some excellent headway in a position and you think it’d be great to clone this one. Big mistake. Not every person can do every job. Even the super stars. A seasoned hiring manager knows that picking the same person over and over can lead to poor team planning which can cause bigger problems down the line. Make sure you take into account the type of candidate that will fit with the team and with the company’s culture.
4. Lack of Communication: Effective communication is a necessity during this day and age. Between email and our smart phones, there’s no reason why a candidate and employers can’t communicate to one another efficiently. When poor communication happens, it really comes down to the people who are communicating, not their mode of communication. And poor communication can really squash your recruiting efforts. For example, you’ve identified a candidate, and scheduled a person-to-person interview. Make sure the candidate knows the who, what, why and how of the interview. I can’t tell you how many instances where we’ve met new job seekers which have relayed their frustrations with their job search prior to working with us. One of their biggest complaints is the lack of communication.
5. Poor Reference Checks: Solid reference checks are the hallmark to any new hire. If you cut corners during the process, we promise you’ll regret it. Our business features a proprietary reference check process we’ve created that goes above and beyond. If you get a moment, take a look and determine just how much emphasis you put on your reference checks. Ask yourself if it’s enough. If you’re not sure, then take a look at any recent hiring issues to see if their references were true to their input. Double-checking something as simple as this will help you identify weaknesses in your process.
Hey, mistakes happen. Some mistakes are unavoidable but the truth is, most are. Even quickly fixing the hiring mistakes once you’ve made them can make a huge difference to your business. Since the 1990’s, we’ve been working with employers, using some of the best tactics to avoid the same mistakes listed above. If you’ve noticed your business hiring demands need support, give us a call.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR, Ingrid Moore
Ingrid Moore is the Founder and CEO of Corporate Resources of Illinois, an employment & staffing agency with over 20+years’ experience located in Schaumburg, IL. Ingrid and her team assist employers with finding the right hire for their business. For more info, follow us on our LinkedIn Company Page, or follow us Corporate Resources of Illinois‘s Google+ page.
