We hope that most of the time we get our recruitment right but at times we don’t, and we can’t get it right all the time. Sometimes people leave as a result of something that could have been identified at the recruitment stage. Remember, we generally employ people for their skills and competencies and 90% of the time we manage people out of the business because of their behaviours and attitudes.
We invest considerable resources in the hope of finding great team members and I’m sure you’ve had enough of attracting the wrong candidates or candidates not even showing up for their interviews. The recruitment process for any business can be daunting, especially if you don’t get it right the first time. There are some common mistakes that businesses could avoid, giving them every chance of finding the right candidate. Here are 8 common mistakes businesses make with recruitment:
1. Ignoring promoting from within the business
It’s common for businesses to forget to look at the people they already have on board to see if anyone can do the role or who could grow into the role with development. Promoting from within can also motivate the team and increase morale. Take the time to write down the advantages and disadvantages of hiring an external person to a role versus a current team member.
2. Lengthy hiring process
Some businesses take too long in the recruitment process and run the risk of missing out on great candidates. 33% of candidates will lose interest and pursue other roles if the hiring process is lengthy. Majority of candidates will be applying for more than one role at a time and in this current job market, talent is being ‘snapped up’ very quickly.
3. Making assumptions
There are so many assumptions that can be made in a recruitment process! Making too many assumptions based on what the current job market is like without backing it up with some data and research, assuming one channel for attracting and searching for candidates will give you a representative sample of resumes or only focusing on ‘good looking’ resumes. Also, assuming the candidate that lives closest to the office is the right choice.
4. Lack of preparation
A recruitment process can feel overwhelming, but preparation is key in making sure you provide a positive candidate experience. Some common areas where businesses make mistakes are not preparing for interviews such as scheduling and confirming interview times and locations, developing interview questions and re-familiarise themselves with the position description.
5. Interviewers do all the talking and not a lot of listening
When interviewing candidates, some interviewers do all the talking and not a lot of listening, they use closed questions rather than open ended questions and they don’t make a candidate feel comfortable and relaxed from the start. Many interviewers we have found have actually failed to let the candidate know about the actual duties of the role.
6. Not doing your due diligence
Businesses don’t always have the hiring process following a level playing field in which each candidate is judged against identical selection criteria or not asking themselves clarifying questions to make sure the final decision on the chosen candidate is as objective as possible. It is important when selecting your candidates, you do your due diligence by finding out if the candidates information provided is accurate, for example, qualifications are true and correct. Reference checks are a good way to clarify the information, thoughts and opinions you came up with during the interview, for example, ‘this is what I found, would you agree’? It is also good to have another opinion of the candidate’s work habits and performance as well as behaviours.
7. Too many ‘cooks in the kitchen’
It’s important to have the right people involved in the recruitment process such as the potential candidate’s manager. However, having too many people involved can slow down the recruitment process.
8. Lack of communication
Ongoing communication with candidates throughout the recruitment process is important. 44% of candidates find poor communication as the most frustrating aspect of a hiring process and I’m sure we have all had this experience where you heard nothing back from your application. Candidates need to receive communication from you even if they are unsuccessful for an interview or were interviewed and are unsuccessful. The unsuccessful candidate may not be right for this role but potentially others in the future.
Adapting a more structured recruitment approach may help you avoid some of these common traps. When you are involved in the selection process you should always keep in mind the importance of bringing people in who are not just good at the job, but who will also play a part in helping to create a more positive culture.
Ready to improve your recruitment process?
My Recruit Right! Program will show you the 9-Essential Steps you need for a more effective recruitment process. The program has been designed to support you and your team to implement an effective, efficient and consistent process in line with current legislation and laws. We’ve done the heavy lifting for you! The best part is, you can complete the program when and where it suits you!
Enrol for my Recruit Right program here.