Companies Keep Making Bad Hires (Here’s Why)

As a business owner, hiring manager, or HR professional, it’s likely that at some point you’ve made the wrong hire. It happens – sometimes a job seeker can ace the interview – and still end up being a bad fit.

Unfortunately, hiring the wrong person costs the company money – not just in the time and effort needed to hire the candidate, but in the time and effort, it will take to complete the process all over again.

The cost of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding a new employee can be as much as $240,000, according to Jörgen Sundberg, CEO of Link Humans, an employer branding agency. And that doesn’t take into consideration potential lost business revenue if the open position is vital to the company’s bottom line (such as sales.)

So how can a hiring manager or HR professional ensure that they’re not wasting time recruiting, interviewing, and making job offers to the wrong people?

4 Common Hiring Mistakes

1. Not Doing your Hiring Homework

Someone who appears awesome on paper may lack the soft skills necessary to thrive in the workplace. Similarly, many job hunters are adept at making a wonderful first impression with a confident handshake and well-rehearsed responses but may not have the expertise you need.

To find a great new hire, you’ll need to dig deep. Conduct a screening call prior to an official interview. See how job candidates respond to real-life scenarios by hitting them with some unconventional questions or a problem to solve. Do your homework and you’ll be able to identify candidates who possess the right attributes for your open position.

 

2. Hiring too Quickly or too Slowly

When you need someone immediately to keep up with growing demands or fill vacancies, standards have a way of falling. But hiring based on availability over talent can cost you big time. That’s why it’s important to conduct multiple interviews and follow through with professional background and reference checks.

On the flip side, some managers – especially in small businesses – can take way too long to hire someone. With a limited staff and perhaps tight money, there’s often pressure to wait for the perfect person. However, procrastinating on a hiring decision or endlessly holding out for the ideal applicant can lead to great candidates going elsewhere – leaving you with second-tier talent.

 

3. Creating a Weak Job Description

A poorly thought-out job description can lead to hiring the wrong people, which means knowing what goes into creating a strong job description. Finding the talent you need starts with knowing what you want. So think through the desired qualifications, experience, and cultural fit you want so you can present a clear portrait of what the position entails to applicants. You’ll attract a more focused candidate pool, and greatly curtail the possibility of hiring the wrong person.

 

4. Failing to Involve your Team

Seeking input from others on the team can help hiring managers spot potential problems you may have missed. That additional feedback can be especially important in a small-business environment where staff members interact frequently and depend on one another. Extra eyes may prevent many of the woes that come with hiring the wrong person for your business.

Looking for Quality Employees? We Can Help!

Lanmark Staffing provides over 40 years of combined human resources, recruiting, temporary placement, sales and management, and temp-to-hire services. Visit our website and learn how our team of local, experienced professionals can help you find the right employee for the job.

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