Want to improve your hiring process?
Here are a few mistakes to avoid when recruiting new staff (and what you should do instead).
Rushing the hiring process
A lot of companies rush the hiring process.
This is because many companies wait until they’re understaffed and overworked to start the hiring process. But at this
The negative impact of this is that you’ll usually end up hiring anyone and everyone rather than focusing on someone that is a true company fit.
Prioritize time spent on recruiting so that you make a thorough job of it.
If you have to turn away customers or work extra hours in the meantime do so. You don’t want to rush the process and hire an inappropriate candidate that quits within the first month, only for you to be back at square one.
Not knowing what qualities to look for
It’s important that you hire an applicant that ticks all the boxes.
Make sure that you know what these boxes are. You don’t want to hire someone just because they dressed smart and seemed confident in the interview when they may not possess the skills to actually perform the job well.
List the qualities you want and narrow your search until you find these.
Interview score cards could help to rate candidates based on your qualities so that you’re making a more calculated decision. Some companies even use machines to scan applications and look for buzzwords.
Failing to advertise company perks
When attracting the best talent, it’s important that you advertise the perks of working for your company so that you’re not just listing demands from applicants.
Most people want to know what’s in it for them when looking for a job. By not listing the benefits of your job, you could risk scaring away applicants that may be the perfect fit.
Your applicants need to sell themselves to you, but you also need to sell yourself to them.
Make sure list benefits whether it’s flexible working hours, the ability to work from home, health insurance, the chance of promotion or a company car.
Relying on job listing sites
When looking for places to advertise your job, look further than job listing sites like Monster and Indeed.
Whilst these are places worth advertising, you can reach out to more applicants by considering other places too.
This could include advertising on social media, paying for an ad in your local newspaper, posting flyers or even teaming up with a recruitment agency who can advertise for you.
Asking the wrong interview questions
Don’t ask questions that you already know the answer to.
Make each question meaningful, allowing you to gain more information on each of your applicants.
If someone has detailed in their application that they used to work in retail, don’t ask them if they’ve ever worked in retail before. Ask them instead about the specifics of the job to see if they already have some of the skills needed for your role.
Rejecting overqualified candidates
Employers often reject overqualified candidates in fear that they won’t stick around or that they will expect too much from the job.
In reality, most overqualified candidates tend to be the perfect fit and may be looking for a break from a high-stress job.
Use the interview process to understand why they want the role despite being overqualified.
Neglecting your new recruits
Once you’ve chosen who to hire, allow time for introducing them to the team and make sure that they are given adequate training.
Don’t just let recruits fend for themselves. Without proper introductions and training, your new recruits may feel as if they’re not being appreciated and they may decide to leave and look elsewhere for a job.
Even experienced recruits may still need to be guided through your company’s individual way of doing things.
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