The hiring process is usually a long and challenging one managed by the HR department of a company to find the most qualified candidates and the right fit for the role within a company. From drafting job posts, vetting through the various job application and resumes to conducting the interview process and follow-ups, many things could go wrong and lead to bad hiring decisions.
Implementing good hiring practices that won’t drive away great candidates is an integral part of business operations that affects business growth in the long haul. Moreover, highly-skilled candidates with solid work experience often look for red flags in companies, especially during the hiring process, as they have other options in the marketplace.
If your company is looking to re-assess its hiring practices, consider these seven major pitfalls to avoid and tips on improving recruitment practices to save time and cost and protect your business reputation.
Table of Contents
1) Unclear job posts without proper details of the job description, etc
2) Failing to ensure gender-neutral job descriptions and equal opportunity employment
4) Using recruiters who are not familiar with fundamental aspects of the role
5) Interviewers with outdated interview practices
6) Failing to conduct proper reference checks
7) Undue delay in reverting to candidates after interviews
1) Unclear job posts without proper details of the job description, etc
Updating job ads with relevant details on the job description, specific qualifications and skills, and salary range will help prospective candidates determine whether they fit the role before applying. This way, your company saves time by ensuring the hiring process runs smoothly by only vetting suitable candidates for the job before setting an interview date.
Job posts with specific and concise descriptions of the job demands and the skills relevant to succeed in that role would attract the right attention from candidates with versatile skills and solid work experience.
2) Failing to ensure gender-neutral job descriptions and equal opportunity employment
In today’s highly-digitised work environment, recruiters and companies need to ensure job posts are inclusive with gender-neutral job descriptions. Being an equal opportunity employer open to candidates regardless of race, gender, and sexual orientation suitable for the role sends a strong message to future talents about your corporate culture.
As an equal opportunity employer, your company stands to benefit from selecting the right fit from a wider pool of talents.
3) Ignoring internal talents
The greatest asset of your company is your current employees. Looking for the right fit within your company means cost savings and training time as existing employees are familiar with the work processes and systems used in the company. A general rule of thumb for hiring is always to promote internally or make the job post available to internal and external candidates.
Internal promotions create a good impression on your company as no employee likes to pass off a job opportunity within the company without their knowledge. Moreover, employees have the opportunity to grow and fulfil their personal career goals in a healthy work environment that results in low employee turnover in the long run.
4) Using recruiters who are not familiar with fundamental aspects of the role
External recruiters or HR staff unfamiliar with the role advertised is a potential red flag that may result in your company making a bad hire. Interviewers and recruiters need to understand essential job requirements to conduct a smooth interview session by asking candidates relevant questions to assess whether they are the right fit. Similarly, candidates will also benefit from recruiters and interviewers familiar with the role by providing specific details about the daily demands of the position.
5) Interviewers with outdated interview practices
The interview process is a formal chat session with your potential employee. Only ask questions that help gauge their skills and work experience relevant to the role to make it easier to select the right fit. Asking rhetorical questions like “What would you bring if you were stranded on an island?” only serves a dramatic effect and doesn’t help assess the candidate’s skills or work experience relevant to the role.
The main focus of a job interview is to have a real and meaningful conversation to see if the candidate can work well in your company and succeed in the specific role to achieve company goals for long-term business growth.
The HR department can conduct regular training sessions to ensure your hiring managers are well-equipped on best practices to interview candidates, including relevant interview questions to determine the right fit for the role.
6) Failing to conduct proper reference checks
Reference checks are strong proof of a candidate’s past work performance, personality, and mindset at the workplace. The interviewer must conduct proper reference checks before making the final job offer. It is highly unprofessional to revoke a job offer because you discovered later some unpleasant details about the candidate’s work performance.
Accordingly, failing to conduct proper reference checks is one of the worst hiring practices that may damage your company’s reputation in the marketplace.
7) Undue delay in reverting to candidates after interviews
At the end of the interview session, don’t forget to share details about the next step in the recruitment process to avoid the candidate being clueless. More importantly, update candidates within a reasonable time and thank them for applying for the job even if they didn’t make the cut. Responding to candidates that have applied for a position in your company on time is a great way to maintain a good reputation and attract the right talent for future roles, including those who may have previously applied for a job with your company.
Final thoughts
With many different people and stages involved in the recruitment process, it is easy for things to go wrong. Improving hiring practices would result in securing the right talent for your company, promoting good corporate culture among existing employees, and attracting versatile future talents. Ultimately, re-assessing hiring practices will ensure your company’s good reputation in the long haul.
Connect with us today to find the right remote talents and professionals that are a good fit and serve as invaluable assets paving the way to great success for your company!
