Contributed post –
Hiring the wrong candidate can be costly. To help you recruit the best talent out there, here are a few common mistakes during the recruitment process that you should try to avoid.
Rushing the entire process
Hiring the first candidate that applies just because you’re in urgent need of new staff is not the way to go. Taking the time to be thorough can increase your chances of hiring the best possible recruit. Allowing a couple weeks for people to apply will give you a much bigger pool of candidates to choose from. You can also research into each candidate and get a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of each one.
Being too picky
At the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s also possible to let the recruitment process drag on for months because you’re being too picky. You’re never going to find the perfect candidate – be prepared to make a few sacrifices if none of the applicants seem to be ticking all the boxes. Focus on the key criteria and make sure that you’re not rejecting candidates for irrational reasons such as being overqualified or too old (or worse still, the wrong ethnicity).
Not getting organised
A lack of organisation could affect your ability to hire the best talent. If you come across visibly disorganised such as not responding to candidates queries via email or forgetting interview dates/times, it could reflect badly on your company image and you may find that candidates don’t want to work for you. AI in recruitment is helping to make it easier to stay organised. Consider researching into tools that could help to track the recruitment process.
Failing to advertise job perks
When writing a job advert, make sure that it doesn’t come across too demanding in tone. The recruitment process is as much of an opportunity for you to sell yourself as it is for candidates to sell themselves. By only mentioning what you’re looking for and by not mentioning employee perks, you could put off some of the best employees and attract only those that are desperate. Employee perks include things like extra holiday, free lunches, the opportunity to earn bonuses or the opportunity to work flexible hours from home.
Relying solely on online job boards
A lot of jobseekers will use online job boards to find vacancies, but these are not the only places where you can attract candidates. It could also be worth advertising on social media, in local print newspapers and at local job fairs. You could also consider hiring headhunters or using a recruitment agency, as well as doing your own scouting on LinkedIn. The more forms of job marketing you try, the more candidates you will attract, giving you more choice.
Asking generic interview questions
Candidates can easily rehearse answers for generic questions such as ‘where do you see yourself in five years time’. Such questions aren’t likely to give you a true idea as to a candidate’s personality. There are much better ways to make use of an interview such as conducting an aptitude test or simply encouraging a casual conversation with a few pointers as to get them opening up.
Not allowing time/money for training
Once you’ve settled on the candidate you’d like to recruit, make sure to allocate time and money for training and introductions if necessary. Throwing new recruits into the deep end and expecting them to get on with it could prompt them to leave. Take the time to nurture your new recruits so that they feel valued.
