The Ten Most Common Hiring Errors

Professionals sometimes put off hiring a new employee for as long as possible. Finding the right person to fill the vacancy is crucial. It takes time and commitment to hire somebody. There’s a strong desire to introduce someone who is available at the time and seems to have the requisite skills. This is a common blunder. Here are some other common recruiting blunders made by professionals:

1. There is no job description. The hiring manager will be able to see clearly the skills an individual will need to do this job by writing down in detail the tasks that this employee will be expected to do.

2. Hiring someone who lacks the requisite qualifications The skills required for the position would be obvious from the job description. It’s also vital to bring the applicant through a test to ensure that his or her qualifications are up to date. (Test ones proofreading, filing, and grammar skills.)

3. Hiring someone without first requiring them to complete a behavioral assessment The evaluation will help you decide whether or not this person will fit into the office and complement the other employees’ skills. It will also assist you in communicating with the individual in a manner that they will understand. Most managers employ people who are similar to themselves because they really need someone who can do some of the stuff that the manager can’t.

4. Choosing someone with the wrong attitude or disposition for the role Some occupations require people who are outgoing and welcoming, while others require people who tend to work alone. Some tasks necessitate a detail-oriented person, while others necessitate someone who can see the big picture. Knowing what personality style and attitude is ideal for the job will aid the manager in finding the right candidate.

6. Not conducting an interview with the candidate You need to talk with someone personally, either face to face or over the phone, to really understand how you can work with them.

7. Failing to prepare for the interview by formulating a list of questions to ask Spending time planning a list of probing questions for the applicants will help you find out who best fits your job description.

8. Instead of posting the work online, advertise it in the newspaper and/or hire a recruiter so that you have a variety of applicants to choose from. Some people are tempted to recruit the first person who applies. You should have a range of applicants to interview and choose from if you advertise for candidates in several forms and use a recruiter.

9. You interview someone without screening the applicants. It is easiest to conduct screening interviews once you have a group of applicants to weed out those that are clearly unacceptable. Screening interviews are often conducted over the phone, but they can also be conducted via email.

10. Failure to verify references and background information. It’s tempting to recruit someone right away after you’ve agreed on a candidate. It is worthwhile to review credentials and history to ensure that this applicant has presented himself or herself honestly.