You may know exactly the type of person that you want to hire, but whether or not you actually find the person is dependent upon whether or not you make costly recruitment mistakes in the hiring process. The multitude of possible mistakes boil down to three categories – expectations, process, and time. If your expectations are realistic, your hiring process is solid, and your time frame manageable, you can avoid most mistakes.
Recruitment Mistakes – Unrealistic Expectations
First of all, you must have realistic expectations of who you are going to hire. It is a mistake to expect an employee to perform exactly as he/she did at a previous job. Past performance is a good indicator but does not always equal future success. Situations change, and he/she may not be as productive or have as much initiative as he/she once did. Therefore, you cannot count upon experience alone when making such a decision. You are also wrong to assume that a new employee will perform exactly as your previous one did. You should keep your expectations reasonable and keep the job description manageable. Many employers also fail to look within the company to hire for new positions.
Recruitment Mistakes – Unclear Process
Another big recruitment mistake can be found in the actual process which employers take to hire people. You should be certain that you explain the interviewing process to your potential employees. If you leave them in the dark about the process, you will find yourself with anxious and unhappy candidates. It will also adorn your company with a bad reputation. Keep your other employees informed, and keep managers and key members of the company as part of the process. Provide a complete job description to your applicants so that you do not waste time interviewing people who can’t or don’t want to do the job. Hiring an outside recruiter is not advisable for smaller companies. Just follow these steps to avoid making recruitment mistakes.
Recruitment Mistakes – Bad Time Management
Time management is the final way in which employers make recruitment mistakes. Limit the time frame for which your advertisements run. When job-seekers see your add running for months on end, they will not take it seriously. Run the add for a brief period then pull it. If you do not find the right person for the job, revamp the ad and then run it again. Deleting the ad for awhile then reintroducing it with a new appearance will freshen the ad and give it a brand new appeal. Also, provide your applicants with a time frame in which they can expect a decision to be made. During this time, do your interviews, narrow the field, and reach your deadline on time. Keep your applicants well informed throughout the process.
As an employer, you should be perfectly capable of hiring talented new members for your company. You should not need a professional outside recruiter, although they are nice if you can afford one. By following a few guidelines, you can avoid making recruitment mistakes. Therefore, you will avoid hiring the wrong people and having to deal with the consequences. In hiring smartly, you can better ensure a happy and productive employee base for your company.
