(& How to Fix Them)
The hiring process can be tricky. In order to stay current with the job market and candidate expectations, it needs to be continually reviewed and updated. Investing time into evaluating and improving hiring procedures ultimately promotes efficiency and prevents bad hires.
To determine what may need to be altered in your organization’s hiring process, let’s look at five common hiring mistakes and what can be done about them.
Mistake #1: Untrained or unqualified interviewers
Interviewers need to have a complete understanding of the company, as well as the position, prior to selecting candidates and conducting interviews. Consider training interviewers to help them ask the right questions to screen for the best fit. Include significant material in the training, such as company policies and values, benefits information, and compensation.
Mistake #2: Not knowing why people leave
It is very challenging to improve the hiring process and increase retention without understanding why employees decide to move on. Implement exit interviews, and track data to discover trends.
Mistake #3: Making unrealistic promises… and not keeping them
Sometimes it feels like the “perfect” candidate has walked in the door, and it is easy for the interviewer to get overexcited. Don’t let that excitement lead to stretching the truth about the organization, the position, or possible future opportunities, especially if the guarantees clearly can’t be met.
Mistake #4: Biased hiring
Oftentimes, interviewers prefer candidates with a similar look or personality to their own, without even being aware of it. To avoid this, consider starting the interview process with a phone interview, and having candidates meet with several people from the company to get feedback from multiple sources.
Mistake #5: Rushing to make a decision
While it is important to make a timely hiring decision, it is essential to select a candidate because they are a great fit. Don’t hurry to hire someone adequate just to fill the position; someone extraordinary might be just around the corner!
Identifying mistakes and periodically revising and renovating the hiring process will lead to improved hiring decisions, happier employees, more efficient teams.