Hiring the right people can save your company thousands (or sometimes even millions) of dollars. Hiring managers can easily underestimate the domino effect of one wrong hire until the turnover rates start increasing. It is important to do your due diligence in the hiring process to ignite growth within your company.
Here are some mistakes you’re making when scouting for new talent.
Using a Tiny Net
In other words, you need to expand your search. What happens when you have a job listing up for months, but you’re unable to find any quality candidates? Do you post it again on Indeed? Do you cross your fingers and hope you luck out? It may be time to cast a wider net.
The easiest way to do this is to get a recruitment firm to conduct the search for you. Agencies have databases that can cut through the clutter of digging through thousands of candidates. They’ll also be able to connect you with passive candidates that otherwise wouldn’t apply.
If that isn’t an option right now, you can use multiple platforms to drive traffic to your opening. Utilize your social media accounts. Depending on the market, you can find online groups and websites to advertise your openings.
The “Infamous” Job Description
Job descriptions. How much attention do you actually give to what you’re advertising? This is where the hiring journey starts after all, so it may be worth perfecting. Unclear or confusing requirements impede the progress of finding the best talent and cheapen the brand.
Using a qualifications-based job description may put off top performers. These descriptions rely on generalizations and outdated information. Oftentimes, they don’t even reflect the actual job itself. If you have an archive of job descriptions that you’ve been recycling, make some small modifications to improve noticeability. A job description isn’t a grocery list.
An ideal description needs to contain:
- Pay range: Something that a lot of companies leave out, but will ultimately save you AND the candidate’s time.
- Hours: There needs to be transparency about the flexibility of the position.
- Job title: Should accurately reflect the work that is performed.
- Main responsibilities: Include all the essential functions of the role.
- Location: Whether or not you are including a relocation package. The candidate also needs to know if they have a long commute or not.
- Qualifications: Experience level, skills, certifications, licenses, education level and technical proficiencies. This may even include personality traits.
- Special demands: Anything that could be a deal-breaker for a candidate like required overtime and physical demands.
Creating and maintaining job descriptions is easy. Like a resume, you want to keep everything updated. Just like how you’re sifting through hundreds of applications, candidates may be sifting through hundreds of openings.
Not Being Selective Enough
For a single opening, you shouldn’t be bringing in dozens of applicants to interview. Even if they’re all great, you’re not going to be able to keep track of them. The more applicants you see, the easier it is to forget the notable qualities of everyone.
Pick out your top five applicants. The goal is to get the applicant through the chain. If they’re stuck at a standstill because you’re busy weighing your other options, chances are the A-players aren’t going to wait. Most people aren’t willing to wait a month for a second interview.
A recruiting firm will get you a few top candidates quickly. If you go with a firm, your push towards a new higher will be quicker.
Not Checking References.
Don’t start a relationship with someone who’s untrustworthy. A good candidate will be forthcoming about their experiences during the hiring process. Even if someone looks good on paper and they’re able to talk up their career successes – they may be leaving out key details. Check with their former employer and verify their credentials. Some people are fantastic interviewers. Selling yourself is a skill, and while it’s useful, it doesn’t always reflect reality.
If you need help navigating through the hiring process, you can click here.