Lori Johnston

Let’s be honest: If you could do it again, you may not hire some of the employees on your staff.

Some candidates might have seemed good on paper, but now that they’re part of your team, their abilities don’t match up with their resume. Maybe their work ethic isn’t as strong as it appeared during the interview process.
Don’t get discouraged, but instead learn from the mistakes companies make during the hiring and interviewing process. Marion Bayers, a human resources consultant with Leading Edge Human Resource Services in Fort Myers, Fla., identified five frequent hiring errors.

1. Hiring the first person that comes along.

Being desperate to fill a position, which Bayers calls “crisis hiring,” could cause you to offer a job to the first warm body that expresses interest in the job. That individual may be unqualified, and it could be costly in the long run when you have to rehire and retrain someone. Having a job description also will help you measure the qualities each candidate possess and make a smart hiring decision.

2. Lacking training to conduct a proper (and legal) interview.

Provide training so that you, your managers, or other staff members don’t jeopardize your company’s ability to attract and hire qualified individuals, or incur a lawsuit. Mistakes include discriminatory questions about religion, sexuality, or race. Also, if you or your managers talk, talk, and talk, you could miss the opportunity to adequately learn about a candidate before offering them the job.

3. Conducting insufficient reference and background checks.

Take time to call the candidate’s references and find out their strengths and weaknesses, as well as past job performance. Also, opting against paying for criminal history, drug, and even credit checks could get your company into trouble if an employee commits a crime while on the clock. A company could get sued for negligence, if a worker harms a potential client or existing customer, Bayers says.

4. Dragging your feet about filling a position.

If your company is not ready to hire someone for the job, but the job candidates think there is a current need to fill the position, you’re being unfair to the candidates, Bayers says.

5. Being narrow-minded.

If you only think someone who is young and energetic can do the job, you may be missing out on the opportunity to hire a more experienced or more introverted candidate. You also could face a discrimination case, Bayers says. Don’t fall into the trap of being too narrow-minded regarding the type of person you think is the best fit for the job.

From having an open mind to taking the time to do your homework in the hiring process, you can correct mistakes companies often make and find the right employees for each job.