5 Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid

Your request to bring on additional staff members has finally been approved. How hard can it be to hire new employees? Whether you are new or experienced with the hiring process, it’s never an easy task for any organization. Not only is it a struggle to find the perfect fit for your opening, but your competition is fighting for the same top talent. To help make the process easier, here are some common hiring mistakes to avoid.

Assuming your website posting is enough

A common hiring mistake is posting the open position on your company’s website thinking it is enough to draw in the perfect candidate. Even posting the opening on multiple job boards isn’t always sufficient, as this only reaches out to the limited amount of people who are actively searching. The candidates run the show in today’s market and the best people are most likely employed. In order to get an upper hand against your competition, you must take advantage of as many resources as possible. A specialized staffing agency is a great additional resource in the hiring process to find the right candidates. Agencies know the market extremely well and know where to find the top candidates, employed or not.

Judging a candidate by their resume

Letting a resume sway your opinion of a candidate is another setback in the hiring process. Soft skills and personality cannot be shown on paper. A candidate could look great on their resume, but may not be the right personality match for your team. Don’t assume that you’re going to hire an applicant just because their resume is impressive. Call or meet with every applicant. Better yet, work with a staffing agency that will meet them first. This way, you’ll only get resumes of applicants that have the skills you are looking for AND are most suited for your company culture. Don’t let a “perfect” resume alter your decision.

Only looking when there is an opening

Shutting down all recruitment efforts once your team is fully staffed is another hiring mistake. You should always be open to meeting qualified candidates interested in working for your company as you never know when a position will become available. Continue to network and continue to grab interest, reminding people why they would want to work for you.

Hiring too fast

Rushing under pressure to fill an opening is a costly hiring error. Don’t hire the first person you find, no matter how bad you need the additional help. Take the time to get it right the first time as the cost of a hiring mistake averages around $17,000. Write an accurate and thought out job description before you start looking. This way, your company, or the staffing agency assisting you, will attract the right people from the start. What are the most important responsibilities of the job? What will they do daily, monthly, annually? What skills are required? Degree? Why would people want to work for your company?, are great questions to get you started. A top reason employees quit their jobs is because their position turned out to be different from what they originally applied for. Be patient in getting all of this together before you start recruiting.

Not hiring fast enough

And on the other end of the spectrum, taking too long to hire is just as problematic. Spending too much time looking for a needle in a haystack will also cost you, as the position remains vacant and your other employees will suffer. Many hiring managers go into the hiring process with unrealistic expectations, looking for a clone of the person who was previously in the role. Set your standards high, but be realistic as it probably took years for the previous employee to master the role. Dragging out the search will eventually lead to your top contenders finding other jobs, taking you back to square one.

Although there isn’t a foolproof solution to flawlessly hire new employees, acknowledging some common hiring mistakes will make the process a bit smoother.

To avoid even more mistakes, learn how Key Resource Group can save you time and money during the hiring process.

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