Hiring is a pretty complicated skill to master – it is both art and science, and a lot of factors have to be take into consideration.
From established organizations to startups, it is common to commit mistakes in hiring. Here’s listing out some so that you don’t do the same:
Avoid 9 Common Mistakes in Hiring Process
1. Silo-based operations
Recruitment is too important a task to be left to one or two individuals. Also, there are many stakeholders in the process, and operations should not be run in silos.
Often, we see in organizations that the line manager simply lists out the requirements and leaves the recruiters to do all the work. This kind of shifting of responsibilities will not work in recruitment. All the stakeholders must be involved in the process and efficiently complete their tasks so that the schedules are on time.
2. Inconsistent communication
Another mistake that often happens is inconsistent communication among the stakeholders. Things will be lost in translation, and requirements are not conveyed correctly. The manager might have some other profile in mind but the recruiter might bring on someone with another set of skills. This happened to yours truly when the communication was inconsistent with the recruiter, and there was a case of a technical writer brought on-board against the actual requirement of a marketing content writer.
3. Falling for qualifications
When the candidate’s qualifications are good, often, employers fall for them, and ignore the actual work experience or potential. The converse is also true – even when the work experience and the potential for the candidates to shine are good, if they don’t have the right credentials, they are ignored.
Sometimes, these matter more than the qualifications, and sometimes qualifications do not matter at all. So, make sure that you don’t fall for qualifications but will have an even mind.
4. Hiring without thinking about culture
Sometimes, in the quest to fill a position within the deadline, recruiters and managers don’t give much thought to whether the candidate would fit the organizational culture or not, and what kind of an impact the candidate would have on the culture. This is a wrong practice that can affect the balance of the workplace, and a single bad hire can have many bad consequences.
5. Hiring candidates with bad communication skills
One of the biggest mistake committed in hiring is to recruit candidates who have bad communication skills. Of course, technical know how is good. But in today’s marketplace, effective communication can really be the difference between success and failure.
Technical skills can be imparted, but how can you impart communication skills to someone who is not responsive? So ensure that the communication skills are also tested along with technical skills during the interview.
Related: 8 Effective Tips to Improve Your Business Communication
6. Not perfecting a process
It is not uncommon for recruiters and managers to scramble around and conduct hiring on the fly using ad hoc practices made up for just that instance. This is highly inefficient, and is akin to getting into a gun fight with a knife.
Even candidates expect organizations to get their stuff together, and good candidates can recognize how they are being treated. They will get a negative impression of the organization, and might not be willing to stick their necks out. So, ensure that you have a standardized process where roles and responsibilities are clearly divided and defined.
7. No technology or analytics
Another mistake organizations make is to try and handle everything manually. Also, they do not spare the time to look at the recruiting process itself and see how it can be improved. If something is working, they just tend to keep it so without seeing if it can be improved.
Largely, this is a result of lack of awareness and insights, and the requirement for resources to be dedicated to these purposes. Recruiting software, or indeed the HR suite of applications will equip organizations with the insights they need to make better decisions. The software will also help in running the process in a more efficient manner.
8. Not training recruiters
Not many organizations give importance to training their recruiters. They simply hire them and expect them to get on with the job. However, recruiters play a very important role. They are the gateway for good talent to enter the company, and as such, they should be up to the task. Also, they are the ones that initially communicate the job role to the candidate, and are a factor in the candidate getting interested in the role. Therefore, it is important to train your recruiter to present a good picture of your organization to prospects.
9. Not accepting a bad hire
Sometimes, it is inevitable – a bad hire is a bad hire, and the mistake must be corrected soon. However, either because they don’t want to accept the mistake or the hope that things will eventually turn around, manages hang on to their bad hires, which also has a huge opportunity cost. It is therefore essential to get rid of bad hires, if any, and soon.
Read Also:
- 5 Common Mistakes When You’re Beginning Your Own Business Journey
- 7 Horrible Tech Startup Mistakes of Entrepreneurs
- 10 Deadly Mistakes Women Entrepreneurs Make
Author Bio: Rachel works for SutiSoft, Inc as a web content writer. Rachel covers business, technology and SaaS trends.
