Building a great team for your company isn’t easy to do. It’s difficult to know which candidates will be high-performing employees both upon hire and in the future. While you will inevitably have some departures, the hope is that you hire people who will be long term assets to your company.
Let’s check out five common hiring mistakes to avoid and their best solutions.
1. You’re too narrow in your search.
While it’s good to know what you want from a candidate, be careful about limiting your search. Have a diverse pool of candidates so you may find the right person based on skills, experience and personality.
Solution: Look for candidates that come from a wide range of backgrounds. Don’t be afraid of people who are different from the rest of your team. They can bring an outside perspective to your company and challenge you to do different things.
2. You trust first impressions.
It’s a common thing to do. You hire someone because you like them. You feel that once they get to know your products and services, they’ll do great. The problem is, they lack the specific skills needed to do the job successfully.
Solution: Don’t trust first impressions entirely. Some experts recommend to “screen out” instead of “screen in.” This means looking at reasons why the person might not be right for the job.
3. You like to hear yourself talk.
You probably are a great speaker. But an interview is not the time to take over the conversation. Otherwise, it appears that you are trying to sell the job rather than screen the candidate.
Solution: Be well-prepared for the interview. Have a list of questions to ask and avoid rambling on about job expectations. It’s your job to screen the person, not sell the position.
4. You lack a concrete hiring process.
Not having a clear hiring process can hurt your company. Your organization should have a clearly defined hiring policy that all hiring managers follow. By documenting these policies, you give managers an easier time making decisions, too.
Solution: Create an employee handbook and hiring policy, if you don’t already have one. If you do, review it with your team so that everyone is on the same page, and make changes if necessary.
5. You leave out the company culture.
People today are spending more time at work than at home. Share your company culture with the candidates so they can decide if it will fit their personal lives. Long hours or busy seasons with overtime can affect their performance.
Solution: During the interview, make sure you spend some time on the company culture. Share things such as benefits, salary, perks and flexibility.
Selecting the best candidates is made easier when you have your ducks in a row. By avoiding these five common hiring mistakes, you can be smarter about who you hire and build a prosperous team.