Read this post on the SharedHR blog.

We all know that making a bad hiring decision can be costly. Bringing in the wrong employee wastes a company’s resources and can frustrate co-workers. Below are some common hiring mistakes and ways to avoid them.

1. Prescreening candidates

While taking 15 minutes to prescreen each potential candidate may seem like an unnecessary added task, it can save you a lot of wasted interview time. Through these prescreen calls you can get a feel for whether the candidate has the background and experience you are looking for, whether the salary they desire is in the range you are offering, and you can get a feel for what this candidate can bring to your organization.

2. Evaluating “personality,” not job skills and experience

Of course we want to hit it off with the person we are going to hire, but basing a hiring decision on whether the two of you are going to be friends can be very costly down the road. Be sure to identify the candidate’s skills and experience. It is always a good idea to have the candidate interview with several different people in the organization. This will allow each person to ask their own questions and then all of you can compare notes at the end to determine who might be the best fit.

3. Giving an accurate description of the job

Don’t set your potential new employee up for failure by giving them a poor description of the job. All this will get you is an employee who can’t perform the tasks required or someone who is expecting to have responsibilities that they won’t have. Make sure to focus on all the job responsibilities, the exciting and not so exciting parts. This will allow potential employees to decide for themselves’ if they are truly interested in pursuing the position.

4. Talking too much!

Don’t just chat it up in the interview. This will not offer you an opportunity to gain the key information you need to make an informed hiring decision. Be sure to have done your homework prior to the interview so you are prepared. Ask questions that make candidates think and encourage them to offer examples. Ask questions that allow them to show you their ability to assess and respond—such as, “How would handle the following scenario…?”

5. Too small of a candidate pool

Don’t just settle on a candidate because you only have one to choose from. Make sure to take the time to come up with a handful of viable candidates that can all be an asset to your company and the position. If you find that you don’t have at least a few qualified individuals, then reopen your search. Taking a little more time will prove to be beneficial when it comes to making sure you have hired the right candidate.

6. Hiring too quickly

This is one of the most costly hiring mistakes you can make. Making a decision to bring on an employee before you should, will cost you way more than taking a little more time to be sure they are the best fit. Don’t hire someone just to fill the position. Make sure it’s the right person for the job. Bringing in the wrong candidate wastes time and money in training. It will also frustrate other co-workers who many times will identify the fact that employee is a bad fit before you will. They will also be the ones left picking up the slack for the inadequate hire.

We all want to make sure we hire the perfect candidate—the one that will prove to be an excellent employee and brings a lot to the table. By following the examples above, you can make sure to bring the best candidates into your organization, and set them up to be successful long term employees. 

Read this post on the SharedHR blog.