According to some studies, a bad hire can cost your company up to $240,000. That is why it is critical for recruiters to try to improve their process and avoid costly mistakes whenever possible.
Bad hires will occur from time to time, but there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of making one. Recruiters, whether they’ve been in the field for two or twenty years, may even make some common mistakes.
Let’s dive in to find out more about these common recruiting mistakes and how to take steps to mitigate them.
Not Focusing on Skill Set
Many recruiters will consider experience, education, and skills. However, experience and education aren’t nearly as important as the candidate’s ability to do the job well. It may be difficult to assess their skills solely based on their resume, so you’ll need to develop good interview questions to assess their soft and hard skills.
Recruiters can do this during an employment screening, for example. You can easily figure out whether their resume is accurate, and you can ask them any questions you have about their work history. You can also send some skill assessments to the applicant, but you’ll need to know how to interpret the results. If you ask a candidate to take this test, make sure to review the results; otherwise, you may make a bad hire.
Not Using Technology
Many recruiters may be stuck in their ways and refuse to use technology. Technology, on the other hand, can help to streamline the recruiting process and automate some processes, allowing you to focus on hiring extraordinary talent.
For example, you may wish to buy an applicant tracking system (ATS) to store resumes and organize all candidate information. With this type of system, you can run background checks, store assessments, and other relevant data.
You may also want to consider using machine learning software to help you find the best candidates for the right jobs. Once you’ve compiled a list of top candidates for the position, you can have this tool send out automated emails to recruit them.
Other tools, such as scheduling software, interview platforms, and niche job boards, will help you in finding the most qualified candidates.
Writing Bad Job Postings
Before you post a job on a niche job board, make sure you know what position you’re looking to fill. If you are hiring a software developer, do your research to make sure you know what types of software they will be developing.
Nothing will turn off job seekers more than discovering that you don’t even know the specifics of the position. Supplying an exact job description will attract more qualified candidates. Instead of describing the type of person you want to hire, you should outline the responsibilities.
It would be best to meet with the hiring manager and human resources team to create a strategy and write a job posting that gives you the right fit. You can describe what a week would look like in a specific job. You’ll need to know what skills or degrees a candidate needs to have to qualify.
You should gather as much information as possible. This way, you can iron out any problems before you start interviewing.
Not Screening Candidates
Some recruiters will do a resume screening without contacting the candidates. But you need to screen the resume while also holding a phone or video call if applicable.
A gap in employment, for example, may be viewed as a disqualifier by some recruiters. Talking with the candidate, on the other hand, may help you understand why they have that gap. They may have had some personal issues, but they could still be great candidates with all the skills you need.
A fifteen-minute phone screen could help you decide whether candidates are a good fit. You can, for example, evaluate their communication skills, experience, education, hours worked, salary requirements, and much more.
If you don’t have time for a phone interview, consider having a chatbot interview for you. Having candidates send you a video interview may be beneficial as well.
Not Being Transparent
Nothing turns off a candidate faster than discovering they were duped or lied to. Be clear about the job from the start. You may make a bad hire if you portray the wrong traits, skills, or experience that the position requires.
Tell them exactly what skills your ideal candidate would have before you begin the hiring process. That way, they can assess whether they are the right candidate.
It would be beneficial to inform them of your recruitment process. If you have five rounds of interviews, be upfront about it from the start. If you’re honest with them and communicate effectively, they’ll be more likely to trust you and not panic.
Ignoring Company Culture
According to one survey, one out of every ten people said they made a bad hiring decision because the hiring team did not communicate the company culture to the candidates.
Companies that are looking to the future are looking for people who will add to their culture rather than people who will fit into their culture. You’ll need to find people who share your company’s mission and core values.
Otherwise, your organization’s growth will be stifled, and employees may even leave if they don’t feel like they fit in.
Not Asking for Help with Recruiting
Another mistake that some recruiters make is not knowing when to ask for extra help. If you find that you’re constantly falling behind and can never catch up, you might need to reach out for some external help.
This is where the YM Careers Network can help. Contact us today to speak to recruitment specialists to get your niche roles directly in front of the right candidates at exactly the right time. We’ve streamlined the recruitment process so you can stop spending days on mass job boards and cut your recruiting time in half. Reach out today to find out how you can connect with active and passive jobseekers and get your hard-to-fill roles finally filled.
