Business

Common Hiring Mistakes Businesses Should Avoid

Common Hiring Mistakes Businesses Should Avoid

One critical factor that can contribute significantly to your business success is your employees. As such, it’s essential to pay attention to some vital details to pick the best fit for your company. Research reveals that businesses can spend about $4,129 on hiring new staff, making it crucial to do it correctly. Here are some common hiring mistakes you should avoid to yield the best results for your business. 

1. Rushing the hiring process

The hiring process can be time-consuming, but you need to be thorough to make the best choice for your company. Concluding that it’s better to get someone than having no one at all, whether they fit your criteria or not, could cost your business in the long run. Even if the job role you’ve put out there isn’t attracting as many applicants as you’d like in the initial stages, it’s best to devote ample time and effort to find the right one. Doing this will increase their chances of being retained and contribute significantly to your business. It will also help you identify if the applicant is genuine and not overselling their capabilities. If you can afford to, you can even try taking them through more than one round of interviews to be sure you’re making the best decision.

Sometimes, in looking out for the best talent, you may limit yourself by searching only one place or advertising on only one platform. However, doing this may cause you to miss out on some excellent staff for your company. A narrow search reduces your chances of getting a vast pool of talent to choose from, and things could become monotonous. However, you can broaden your horizon by exploring other recruitment avenues. For instance, you can try reaching out to an experienced packaging headhunting agency that has access to a broader pool of talent for your packaging company. 

3. Sticking to one hiring technique 

As the working world rapidly evolves, your business must improve its way of doing things, including your recruitment processes. Although you may be used to some traditional hiring techniques, it would help if you upgraded some of your methods. Doing this will make the recruitment process smoother and more effective for your company. For example, to help make it easier for you to shortlist, you can try using technology such as gamification. This technique will give you an idea of how your potential employee thinks and how they’ll thrive in your work environment instead of spending days going through several CVs. 

4. Considering external hires immediately instead of your internal staff 

Your internal staff could prove very resourceful if you have a job vacancy. As such, it would be a plus to announce any openings internally first. If you’re unable to find the best fit, you can then circulate it externally. Considering your employees also has several benefits for your business. It motivates them, assuring them that there’s an opportunity to grow in your company. Additionally, they’re already used to the business environment, so they’ll require fewer resources to train them on your company culture and onboard them into the business. 

5. Creating job descriptions that may misinform potential employees

The job description you put out there can play a significant role in the kind of talent you attract and how satisfied your employees will be when you hire them. As such, it’s best to craft your job description to precisely cover your requirements, so your applicants know what to expect. This way, they won’t feel overwhelmed after you hire them because you stated less than their job requires. They may also feel bored and uninspired because the job looked more demanding on paper. Your job description should be as transparent as possible and cover essential areas such as their primary responsibilities, roles they may have to play occasionally, job benefits, and an idea of how the role fits in with your business’ culture. 

6. Talking more than listening

An interview lets you know more about your candidates and determine whether they’re a good fit for your business. Aside from asking them some questions to understand how they think and find out more about their experience, it would be best to allow them to talk a bit more about themselves and think on their feet. You can do this by asking your questions in a way that will enable them to share more about themselves. Experts recommend open-ended questions that require more flexible answers than those that may require straightforward responses such as yes or no. Doing this will also help you to go beyond the first impression and make an informed decision.

7. Lacking a clear hiring policy

Your hiring policy is crucial in guiding you to make the right hiring decisions for your business. It’s essential to have a clear hiring policy even before recruiting to help you have a targeted search. It also enables you to avoid potential legal issues in the long run if you hire contract workers, for instance. It’s best to consult the relevant stakeholders, including your human resource team and legal counsel, before drafting a hiring policy. Some essential questions include what your goals for hiring are, what the pre-hiring process entails, the relevant background checks to carry out, etc. Aside from giving your company some consistency, a clear framework will also let your employees know what you expect of them in terms of conduct. An excellent hiring policy will not only protect your business but also help create a great experience for your employees and make your recruitment straightforward. 

8. Overlooking referees

Referees can help you avoid making the wrong choice for your business. Contacting them before selecting a candidate can give you an idea of how they fared at their previous workplace, why they left and give you a realistic picture in case your applicant oversold their capabilities. There are many ways to receive feedback from these referees. They can either write a letter, place a phone call, or send a mail. You shouldn’t leave this step to just anyone; a dedicated hiring manager will be the ideal person, as they usually know the best questions to ask. However, it’s best to let your candidate know you’re checking their references beforehand to avoid any legal issues. It would help if you remembered that it’s best to know the candidate better to understand their personality beyond these referees before making a final decision. 

9. Writing off other potential employees

Although the candidate you interviewed may not have the requirements for your specific job role, it can prove beneficial for your business if you keep their information in your talent pool just in case you might need their skill set in the future. An applicant may not fit the job profile now, but they could be the best choice later. Even if their skills are too broad, they may fit easily in other areas and be willing to learn on the job. Therefore, it would help if you didn’t write them off completely. If you don’t hire them now, you can let them know that you’ll contact them in the future if anything comes up. This way, you’ll not miss out on a potentially great employee for your business. 

It’s best to plan to make your hiring process as fruitful as possible. Keeping these in mind will help you make the best recruitment decisions for your business among the thousands of applications you may get. Avoiding these hiring mistakes will also help improve productivity and enhance your business’ success. 

About the author

Tom Bernes

Tom Bernes is the Editorial Director at The Next Hint Inc.

Prior to joining The Next Hint Inc, Tom had a hand in a number of online and print publications, including InternetNews.com as chief copy editor and Government Technology Magazine as managing editor. He also did a stint in Sydney as group editor of RBI Australia's manufacturing group, which is when he also developed an affinity (a love, really) for cricket.

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