Want to Hire the Right Employee? Avoid These 7 Hiring Mistakes

October 20, 2020 | Staffing Blog

Finding strong employees to add to your team is a complex task. You need to know where to post your job listing(s), develop a compelling way to engage with talent, set aside time to review applications and coordinate interviews, and ensure that you are communicating and following up with preferred candidates. Then, after all that process, you need to intelligently evaluate talent to make a successful hire or you will have to start all over again. That’s a lot of time and effort!

Not to worry, as we are experts at helping companies find the right talent to fill critical positions. First, let’s start by addressing common hiring mistakes that are often made by employers so that you can avoid ending up on that never-ending, stressful staffing roller coaster.

What Not to Do When Hiring

The success of each team in your company depends so much on each person pulling their individual weight. That’s why it’s so important that you give the hiring process the attention it needs. It’s tempting to rush through hiring because you need to fill a key position, but try to be patient. Also, make sure not to make these common mistakes.

Mistake #1: Relying on First Impressions

Everyone has heard it since they were young, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Sure, there are a few understandable reasons why you might think ‘no’ right away (unprofessional appearance, arriving late for an interview, etc). Still, it’s important to see the interview through. You never know when your first impression — whether it be good or bad — is completely misguided. Some examples include:

• An individual may be nice and a good conversationalist, but that does not prove they have a good work ethic.
• Though their resume looks good, the individual’s personality may not mesh well with your current team.
• They don’t have a lot of experience, but you discover that their goals and work ethic fit perfectly with the role you’re filling.
• Some people can talk themselves up really well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will follow through when it comes to working.

Mistake #2: Overselling the Job

Though you want each job listing to sound compelling to your potential candidates, trying too hard to convince them of how great the job is can come off as needy. This can result in your candidates feeling like you’re having trouble filling the position, which is a major red flag, especially for candidates who have competitive experience. You can still convey excitement about the job but do so in a measured way.

Mistake #3: Leaving Out Highlights of Work Culture

Remember to include what’s appealing about the position. While you don’t want to oversell it, you also don’t want to skimp on this intel, either. A good description of your work culture includes why you’re proud of your team, the benefits, perks, and flexibility.

If your company has introduced any employee-first benefits since COVID-19, such as more work-from-home opportunities or flexible work schedules, be sure to emphasize this as part of your “new normal” work culture.

Mistake #4: Neglecting Your Social Media Platforms

Your social media platforms are where potential employees are going to scope out your company and see if they want to apply for the position. Make sure your social platforms are updated, have complete information, have compelling content, and are appealing to potential candidates so that you get the response you desire.

Mistake #5: Ignoring Diversity

Teams that are more diverse are generally more creative and productive. This is because their various backgrounds and experiences will produce more ideas and a wider range of thoughts to encourage and challenge each other. Each person can bring something different and helpful to the table to generate a better final result.

Mistake #6: Keeping a Narrow Mind

It’s great to have a list of characteristics, traits, skills, or experiences you’re looking for in a candidate, but don’t let that keep you from considering other options. Doing so could cause you to pass up the opportunity to bring in a strong individual who could be helpful in ways you hadn’t thought of before.

Mistake #7: Hiring the First Good Candidate

When you think you have found the best potential hire, it can be hard to let them walk out the door after the interview without hiring them on the spot. Still, you don’t want to jump the gun and hire an individual too quickly.

Finish all interviews with your top candidates first. Then, give yourself time to evaluate everyone before making a hiring decision. Plus, even if you are convinced of the best candidate for the job, it’s good to let that individual feel like there is a competition for the position, so they are even more thrilled when they get the call that the job is theirs.

Need Help Avoiding Hiring Mistakes? We Work For You

Allegiance Staffing can help you avoid these hiring mistakes by filling critical roles with top talent in our talent pool. By utilizing our staffing services, you will realize cost savings, better access to the right talent for the job, time savings from less time required on recruiting and hiring, and a stronger team.

• Our expertise can augment your company’s HR function.
• Our talent pool is made up of vetted, highly-skilled individuals ready to work hard.
• We offer affordable solutions based on efficiency and speed of service.

We invite you to find out more about our labor solution to help you build a dream team that leads to sustained success. To get started, reach out to us today!