5 Common Recruiting Mistakes To Avoid

The hiring process is one of the most exciting times for any business and its ownership. However, it can be equally just as challenging to find great hires. You may make a few recruiting mistakes along the way.

While it’s a great feeling to build your team with strong talent, the process it takes to succeed is quite involved. A few bases to cover include writing and advertising job descriptions, reviewing resumes, interviewing candidates, going through second (and third) interview rounds, and onboarding the new hire. It’s a fine art to recruit a new hire!

Successfully recruiting employees is dependent on a myriad of factors, and there is ample room for error. The good news is you can learn from mistakes made to ensure you get it right the first time. Here are a few common mistakes to avoid when hiring new employees.

Hire Hastily Without Breaking Down the Recruitment Stage

Whether your business is growing faster than expected or one of your star employees abruptly quits, it may be tempting to rush the hiring process and choose the first person who could work. However, the potential financial and time-related drawbacks of a quick fix aren’t worth it. Taking your time to break down and honor all aspects of the recruitment process will help you make a thorough, advantageous decision.

Generally, the recruitment process is comprised of the following parts:

• Identifying what and who you need. Make a blueprint of your ideal candidate. This should be done in addition to clarifying the duties of the role.
• Strategize how to attract the right job seekers. Should you post on LinkedIn or Indeed? Figure out what job advertisement channels and/or websites will best reach your target candidates. Other factors to consider are the surrounding areas and education levels.
• Evaluate the candidate pool. After you’ve marketed the position, the next step is reviewing resumes. Keep a pile for applicants you have identified as being among the strongest.
• Arrange and conduct interviews. During this step, prepare in-depth questions to ask the potential applicant. This helps carefully assess each candidate’s potential future with your company.
• Call references and check backgrounds. Even if the candidate aces the interview, never to skip this step, no matter how dire your need is to hire someone. This step can confirm qualifications and illuminate any details the candidate may be omitting.
• Facilitate the hiring and onboarding process. Address salary information, finalize the start date, get proper paperwork in order, and welcome the new team member in the final step.

Forgoing the Pre-Screen Phone Interview

Arranging and conducting in-person interviews can be immensely time-consuming, which is why phone interviews can be so useful. These work to pre-screen applicants. This helps highlight information that either takes them out of the running or further encourages you to meet with them in person.

Within 20-30 minutes, you may find out that a candidate’s pay expectations are not within the boundaries of what you can offer. Or, you might discover that they’re a bit misinformed on what the position actually entails. Taking the time to make quick phone call can save both parties the hassle of arranging a fruitless meet and greet.

Failing to Assess the Candidate’s Ability to Mesh With Company Culture

In addition to evaluating a candidate for their qualifications, it’s also important to consider their ability to mesh with and contribute to your company culture.

Ensuring there’s a solid cultural fit helps reduce the possibility of a turnover. Are the potential employee’s values in line with your mission? Is their working style on par with the workplace environment you’ve created? It’s likely that they’ll settle in easily and develop strong working relationships with other members of your team.

The inverse is also true. If a candidate states they prefer to work independently but your company stresses collaboration, it may not be the best situation for either party to further pursue.

Taking Too Long to Hire

You don’t want to rush into the common recruiting mistakes of hiring someone without going through the proper steps. At the same time, you also don’t want to take too long. It’s a tricky balance. Remember that just as you’re seeking to hire someone, each person who applies and interviews with you is looking for a job.

Let’s say you have a candidate who is nearly perfect. However, you keep holding out for someone who is completely flawless in their qualifications, interview, and background screening. Don’t be surprised if the nearly perfect candidate has a job by the time you decide they’re the best contender.

“Perfect” candidates rarely exist. In the world of HR and recruiting, perfect hires are known as “purple squirrels” because of their mythical nature. Bottom line? It’s rarely worth the productivity you’re losing out on to pass over someone who is a 9 in search of a perfect 10.

Outreaching to a Search Firm That Has No Experience In Your Niche

The recruitment process is a multitude of moving parts. However, all of these are equally important. For those who need to hire someone quickly but who don’t have either the time or the experience to do so efficiently, it’s quite common for them to call in reinforcements.

Recruiters are hiring experts who know the recruitment process fluently. If you’re thinking of outsourcing your hiring needs to a professional, you’ll fare better if you seek someone out who has experience in your field. Specialized recruiters who understand your industry know exactly how to advertise jobs and seek out the right candidates. Many will even have a pool of qualified candidates already on hand, thereby accelerating the hiring process tremendously.

Hopefully, these tips give you an idea of what to do and avoid when recruiting new hires. If you’re patient, diligent, and realistic in your efforts, you should have no issue hiring the right person to join your team. This is a time consuming task, so remember you can always seek out a search firm that understands your industry.

Happy hiring!

Lauren Brookes is a writer based out of Colorado who focuses on career advice and recruitment strategies. She contributes content for S.R. Clarke & Associates, LLC, an executive search firm specializing in the construction industry.