Poor hiring decisions can have serious consequences, including financial losses and decreased employee morale. By fine-tuning your procedures for recruiting, interviewing and onboarding new team members, you help keep your company strong and competitive. To improve your overall process, consider these seven common hiring mistakes – and how to avoid them.
1. Failing to Do a Pre-Employment Screening
Pre-screening applicants is a critical first step to keep your hiring process running smoothly and effectively. Before committing to the expense of bringing applicants to your site for in-person interviews, work with an experienced screening firm to verify credentials. Including pre-employment screening in your hiring process can provide you with valuable information such as skills and salary requirements.
2. Using Inconsistent Timelines
A rushed hiring process can result in missed details such as an incomplete work history or inadequate educational achievements. Meanwhile, a process that drags on for too long can discourage the best candidates from waiting for your decision. Using a consistent hiring timeline is vital for ensuring that candidates know what to expect.
3. Making a Poor Impression With Job Descriptions
Your job postings should include more than a basic list of the duties and qualifications required for your open positions. You want to attract candidates who will fit with your company culture while offering creative thinking and innovation. Avoid templates. Instead, take time to write unique job descriptions for different positions within your company.
4. Failing to Ask Open-Ended Questions
Choose open-ended questions in interviews rather than questions candidates can answer with a simple yes or no. For example, ask for descriptions of job duties rather than asking if an applicant has experience with a certain task. In addition, consider physically walking through your site for a portion of your interviews, asking candidates questions and encouraging discussion as you go.
5. Using the Wrong Hiring Metrics
To build a strong workforce, hiring managers should choose diverse candidates with a wide range of skills rather than focusing solely on personality. Identify the critical characteristics that will help candidates succeed in different positions within your organization. Further, tailor your job requirements and interview questions to highlight those factors.
6. Failing to Conduct a Background Check
A significant number of job candidates include false information in their resumes and job applications – especially in highly competitive hiring environments. Conducting a pre-employment background check with every candidate is vital for hiring team members who will benefit your organization. By working with a professional background screening firm, you gain access to critical information, including criminal history, previous names and addresses, and any discrepancies in data provided by candidates.
7. Settling for Inferior Candidates
The overarching goal in hiring should be identifying applicants with the right skills and the right attitude who are a good fit for your organization. Many employers make the mistake of settling too early in the hiring process. If you haven’t yet found an individual who meets all your criteria, continue your search until you encounter the right person. Avoiding a bad hire is critical, even if it means re-opening your search process.
Work With an Experienced Background Screening Firm
Understanding what hiring mistakes to avoid is only the first step in implementing an effective hiring process. By working with a reputable provider of pre-employment screenings, you gain access to critical information to help you make the best possible hiring decisions. To find out more about how you can benefit from high-quality screening services, please contact Global Verification Network.