5 Hiring Mistakes That Kill Recruiting Efficiency

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TreesHiring great employees is as is crucial as it is complex. Nothing matters more in winning than getting the right people in the right places.

For this reason, organizations all over the world spend untold amounts of money, time, and energy pursuing top candidates. While some companies consistently get ahead and recruit those who have passion, audacity, and intelligence, others continually fall short of their staffing goals.

Ironically, the main reasons for their shortcomings are not external factors, such as available applicants. Rather, the problem stems from common hiring mistakes that countless companies fall victim to.

The positive news is that each firm can make certain alterations to increase its odds of staffing the dedicated, competitive, and engaged employees it needs. The first step in the process is identifying the problems that keep a company from doing so.

Below, you’ll find five common mistakes that prevent many organizations from hiring top candidates.

1. Waiting for the Perfect Applicant

In 99/100 cases, the perfect resume and job seeker doesn’t exist. Just like everybody else, no applicant is ever perfect. Strong management and honest appreciation make an individual great — not the content of his or her resume.

Regardless, companies spend hundreds of hours and pass on top-quality job seekers simply because those individuals’ backgrounds fail to meet each and every requirement set forth by the employer. This carries the following negative consequences:

– It greatly minimizes recruiting options

– It results in numerous, competent job seekers being passed by

– It significantly prolongs the staffing process

– It lowers morale among hiring managers

2. Failing to Write a Compelling, Thorough Job Description

Intelligent applicants only respond to intelligent, thoughtful job descriptions.

GrassAmong other things, a job write-up should include an organization’s history, corporate culture, and vision, as well as a comprehensive description of its product(s) and/or service(s). In conjunction, the company should list notable clients and organizational awards.

Mentioning the following will also significantly increase response rates:

– Daily duties

– Where the job seeker could expect to be in the company if they execute all required tasks

– To whom a job seeker will report if hired

– The benefits the job seeker would gain working at the company

– The ideal background of a job seeker who fits the role

– Compensation for the role

3. Failing to Manage the Hiring Process Efficiently

From start to finish, a recruitment project should last no longer than six weeks, and should take no less than three weeks. If the process lasts longer than 1.5 months, the hiring managers tend to grow fatigued, and they no longer approach the project with vigor.

Conversely, when recruiters or employers make a decision too fast — without meeting an applicant numerous times — they risk making an impulsive, costly hiring mistake.

4. Not Compensating Based on Market Demands

Not paying enough is a lose, lose situation. When companies don’t compensate accordingly, they scare off top applicants and incite resentment among those whom they do hire.

On the other hand, when firms pay too much for an employee, it often puts undue pressure on the candidate. The hiring manager can sometimes have unreal expectations that ultimately lower performance and morale.

WavesAs a rule of thumb, an employee’s current compensation package should be the No. 1 factor when determining what amount of pay that individual should be offered. If a firm wishes to compensate less for a candidate, it ought to be more flexible about the candidate’s background requirements. 

5. Failing to Sell the Position to Potential Applicants

Recruiting is about selling. A hiring manager’s job is to stir up enough interest among the desired job seekers that they consider the organization their first choice for employment.

An employer needs to present a compelling argument as to why that individual should want to work for their company as opposed to the other firms recruiting that individual.

Regardless of size, industry or budget, all organizations can recruit job seekers who are intelligent, competent, driven, and reliable. On occasion, however, companies can be their own worst enemies.

While no firm will ever get recruiting perfect, the ones who come closet are the firms that accurately identify their problems and quickly rectify their shortcomings.

By Ken Sundheim