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6 common hiring mistakes holding back your recruitment process

Common hiring mistakes

 

Having problems hiring the right employees for your business? When it comes to recruiting new staff, you naturally want to find the best talent on the market - talent that’s going to add value and propel your business straight into its goals. What more could a hiring manager want?

 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. Hiring managers can face a whole spectrum of problems whether it’s handling a shortage of applicants or dealing with dropout after dropout.

 

So in today’s blog, we’re taking you through some of the worst hiring practices and what you can do to improve your recruiting process.

 

  • Unclear candidate brief
  • Generic job adverts
  • Taking too long to arrange interviews
  • Not using assessment tools
  • Uncompetitive offering
  • Not knowing when to outsource

 

What are the most common hiring mistakes?

 

1.   Inaccurate candidate brief

If you don’t take the time to nail down the candidate brief, this will have a knock-on effect and damage your entire hiring process. You’ll end up focusing your job ad and interview questions on the wrong skills and ultimately hire the wrong candidates. The best hiring processes begin with managers carrying out a thorough examination of the candidate brief to clarify exactly what’s needed.

 

What to consider for a candidate brief: 

  • Core elements of the role (hard and soft skills)
  • How the role has changed since the last employee was hired
  • Upcoming changes or projects that will affect the role
  • Skill gaps of past employees
  • What skills you’re able and willing to train

 

2.   Generic job adverts

As a hiring manager, you’re likely juggling many plates and, in a bid to save time, you’ve created yourself a neat little job ad template to save yourself time, right? Well, by not putting more time and care into your job adverts, you’re probably causing yourself more work in the long run. As the first point of contact for your candidates, job adverts aren’t to be glazed over - they need a little TLC. Spend time bringing your job ad to life and really make sure you convey all the unique and exciting aspects of the role.

 

3.   Delays in arranging interviews

In today’s candidate-scarce market, companies are snapping up available talent quicker than ever. You can’t afford to lose out on candidates because of a delay in arranging their interviews. Where it may take you 2 weeks to arrange an interview, your competitor may have completed their interviews and got an offer on the table. Prioritise interviews and get candidates in as soon as possible.

 

4.   Not using assessment tools

The hiring process doesn’t just have to be a straightforward Q&A session. In fact, in some cases, it’s better if it’s not. Interviews are certainly useful, but sometimes they’re inadequate and you need to use different tools/methods to really grasp whether this is the right candidate for the role. Trial shifts are a great way to see your candidates in action and put their skills to the test. Psychometric tests are also a fantastic way to profile your candidates and flag any potential issues in their ability… although you should never base your decision solely on the test itself.

 

5.   Uncompetitive package

Companies will often make the mistake of not measuring themselves against their competitors. In a market where candidates can take their pick, it’s important you ensure you’re giving your competitors a run for their money. This doesn’t mean you need to match their benefits like for like, but just consider the ways you can improve your offering in your own unique way. If you can’t match your competitor’s salary offering, what other benefits could you include to compensate?

 

6.   Not knowing when to outsource

In a bid to ‘save money’, you may feel the pressure to handle all your hiring internally. But this isn’t always effective and can end up causing more problems than it’s worth. By leveraging the help of a trusted recruiter, you can save yourself the pain of candidate dropouts and staff shortages, and enable your business to function optimally. So learn to recognise when it’s time to outsource and, when you’re ready, give us a call!

 

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Vanessa Ramkissoon

Vanessa Ramkissoon | Recruitment Content Expert