In Australia alone, staff turnover costs businesses up to $20 billion a year, according to an AHRI HR pulse survey.
As people are the centre of most businesses, the ability to hire the right staff can make or break an entire operation.
We’ve compiled some of the biggest hiring mistakes a business can make to help you avoid them:
You can’t train enthusiasm, work ethic or interpersonal skills. Many taught skills, on the other hand, can be transferred relatively easily from experienced to non-experienced staff.
Know ahead of time what you can and can’t promise a candidate. Promising the wrong thing can have massive implications further down the road.
A common misconception is that it is the role of the candidate to prepare for the interview. Effective hiring relies on the ability of the interviewer to ask questions that elicit informed facts and information, rather than just opinions from the candidate.
Many employers think the best way to find a candidate is having an exhaustive list of qualifications. This can lead to finding a candidate with generalist experience, as opposed to something with very developed skills in key areas.
Interviewers need to be aware of particular sensitivities that may arise in the interview process. Asking a question about what sports a candidate plays may discriminate against a handicapped person. Be wary of these when crafting interview questions.
There is always a rush to fill vacant positions, which can lead to the candidate being vetted poorly. To avoid this, make sure to set a realistic time frame on the hiring process.
Having a personal preference of one candidate over another will often shape a hiring decision. It is best to keep an objective scorecard to make sure you are hiring with your brain and not your heart.
False resumes, fraud degrees and exaggerated technical skills are not uncommon in the business word. Failure to complete adequate background checks could not only land you the wrong candidate, but also tarnish your company’s image.
Some candidates are “interview stars” but their performance may fizzle after being hired. The trick to avoid this is asking questions that uncover the candidates true personality. Try asking them about influencers or how they would deal with a situation, rather than simply talking about the job and resume.
When you run job ads or go to a job fair keep in mind that you are only accessing candidates actively searching for a role. Sometimes the best candidates might be the ones you have to go after, not the ones who come to you.
Some people think fast on their feet and don’t need much preparation. Others prefer to take their time preparing for situations. If you want to enable all candidates with the opportunity to shine, make sure they are all prepped when coming in to the interview.
A job is about doing, not talking. Instead of sitting down and talking for hours, consider taking the candidate on a quick tour and getting them hands on to see how they work.
It’s natural that you might want to work with people similar to yourself, but take a moment to consider if that’s the best thing for your business. Sometimes having a variety of personality types within a team covers more bases.
Until you have written a clear job description of what you want, you shouldn’t even consider starting to hire. A good place to start is thinking about purpose, duties, qualifications and next steps.
The amount of time a candidate will work for you is a very important factor to consider when hiring. A short term role is suited better to a fast learner whereas a long term role is often more appropriate to an experienced, reliable candidate.
Many business owners think their business will rise or fall based on the ability to get customers. This leads them to hire a sales team early to accomplish this – often before the product is entirely ready.
When a position opens up many business owners will look to hire a family member or friend as a favour. This is particularly dangerous as they are often not the best candidate for the role and may lead to personal conflicts.
By establishing a defined hiring process you can be sure that each candidate is being provided with the same information and opportunity. This should make the decision-making process more simple and efficient.
Whilst tempting, it is nearly always better to walk away and think about how the interview went. This reduces the likelihood of intuition hiring and makes the process more objective and reliable.
Possibly the most overlooked hiring mistake. Before you hire someone new it’s important to work out why the last person left. If it’s a persistent problem you may experience the same problem with the next candidate.