10 HIRING MISTAKES EMPLOYERS MAKE

Mistake 1: “We want the person who just left the job”

No you don’t. The person who has just left is not the person who will want the job as they can already do it, you need some stretch in the role for the prospective candidate.

The person you hired originally is who you are looking for.

Mistake 2: References are taken as a “tick box” exercise

There is NO better way to really find out about an employee than to find out how they performed in a previous job. This will be much more reliable than any interview process.

Once you are confident the reference is accurate…

Mistake 3: Not selling your company brand

You may think you are the best company to work for but without providing a great impression and an engaging interviewer to a candidate, they won’t feel the same.

First impressions are critical.

Mistake 4: The Line Manager is not actively involved

Everyone says their staff are their most important resource but how many times is the recruitment left to the HR/ recruitment department? You will get out what you put in.

Have the prospective manager involved from the start.

Mistake 5: Out of date, too narrow or too vague job specs

It may seem like a chore to write but if you cannot agree what the job entails, what the key competencies are for the role, don’t be surprised if you cannot find the right candidate.

Stop re-hashing old job specs and work out competencies of the role.

Mistake 6: Over Interviewing

Interviewing a candidate more than 4 times generally means that you are not doing interviewing effectively. Interviews alone only have a 30% accuracy.

“Tell me about yourself again and again and again…”

Try other assessment methods:• Group role-plays • Psychometric tests• Presentations• Exercises

Mistake 7: Delaying the Recruitment Process

Don’t start the process until you can answer the question “if I saw the perfect person tomorrow would I hire them immediately”.

Delaying the process sends all the wrong messages to candidates.

Mistake 8: Not involving the existing team in the process

Those who will be working with the person have a huge interest in who you hire and can be very perceptive in terms of the fit and the skill-set match.

Get the team involved, they can help and they will appreciate being asked.

Mistake 9: Under-utilising your own people to source candidates

The best hires are generally referrals from someone who has worked for or with someone. Ensuring there is a constant pipeline of referrals is critical to find great talent for your organisation.

Network your own organisation and contacts.

Mistake 10: Over stating the role

If you mis-represented the role at the start, you may hire the person but they won’t stay. You have already broken the psychological contract with the employee. They may dis-engage from the start.

Be open and honest about the role from the beginning of the hiring process.

Name Peter CosgroveTitle: Director – CplPhone: 01 614 6160 / 087 6200836Email: peter.cosgrove@cpl.ieTwitter: @petercosgroveWebsite: www.cpl.ie