8 common hiring mistakes killing your recruitment process (worst practices)
Finding not only the best talent, but also the right talent for your business is one of the most important parts of your business’ growth. You could have the best product in the world, but without the right team in place you’ll never achieve long-term, sustainable growth.
That’s why you can’t afford to be making mistakes in your hiring process. Your recruitment process needs attention, especially if you’re struggling to track down the right candidates for your company.
8 common mistakes in the hiring process
Delays in arranging interviews
When you come across a CV that hits that sweet spot, it’s super important to schedule an interview at the speed of light. Don’t assume your candidates have got all the time in the world to wait around until you’ve found a nice slot to fit them in. Candidates often have several interviews on the go at the same time. And if you can’t keep up, you’ll fall behind. When it comes to securing top talent, speed is everything.
Candidate spec not mapped out properly
How do you know if you’ve found the right candidate if you’ve not mapped out the criteria properly? The candidate criteria should be reviewed every time the role becomes available. As time goes on, your business changes and so does the market around you, which means your candidate spec will change too! Taking the time to thoroughly map out your candidate spec might seem like a laborious process, but it’s one that will pay off in the long-run.
Bland and vague job advert
When it comes to looking for a new career, job seekers are faced with a whole sea of job adverts. And to be honest, the vast majority of them echo one another. If you really want to stand out and attract the right talent, make sure your job advert sells the role, main responsibilities, location and package, and also conveys your brand’s personality.
Waiting for the perfect candidate
In life, there’s no such thing as perfection. And the same goes for finding your next hire. Yes, in an ideal world you’ll find a candidate that ticks all the boxes. But in reality, they won’t have absolutely everything you’re looking for. You need to decide on a few factors that are non-negotiable, and be open to offering training opportunities for any weaker areas.
Not considering trainees
Most companies want to hire ‘the full package.’ But sometimes experienced hires come with their own baggage and trainees can end up offering more value. If you’re recruiting for a new role, consider hiring based on their potential and qualities. Trainees bring a high level of enthusiasm, an eagerness to impress, and haven’t accumulated years of experience therefore making them easier to mould and integrate into your business.
Not providing feedback to every interviewee
Not every candidate is going to be offered the job, but it’s important you still take the time to provide meaningful feedback to everyone that’s made the effort to attend an interview. Whilst this might seem like a time-consuming task, it shows your business has got integrity. Plus, if candidates aren’t right for the role at that moment, who’s to say they won’t be in a few years time? But they’ll always remember if you didn’t give them the courtesy of providing interview feedback.
Relying heavily on references
References can be a great tool to support you in the hiring process, but often companies make the mistake of abandoning their own discernment and placing too much emphasis on the reference. If everything went smoothly in the interview process and the candidate’s impressed you, you shouldn’t let a reference hold you back.
Thinking the candidate needs to do all the impressing
If you think interviews are all about candidates impressing you, you’re wrong. It’s a two-way street. Interviews are just as much an opportunity for candidates to suss out your company as it is for you to suss them out. Candidates want to see you take pride in your culture and your professional reputation. Often, candidates will have several interviews on the go, and it could just be your eagerness to show them what a great employer you are that tips the balance in your favour.
Here at The People Pod, we take pride in thoroughly screening all our candidates so you spend your time interviewing only the best talent. To discuss your hiring needs, call us on 01204 589 555