5 Recruiting Mistakes Hiring Managers Make

I have hired hundreds of employees during my career.  From front line customer oriented folks to skilled trades to company executives.  While there is no magic formula or process for successful recruitment, there are still some recruiting mistakes hiring managers make. Getting some of these basics corrected is critical to a great hire.

Mistake 1: Validating Resume Information

It is amazing how many hiring managers skip this step and assume everything that is written is 100 per cent accurate.  Ask key questions about projects and experience.  Dig deep into what the candidate’s role was in their highlighted accomplishments.  Only then will you really understand what the individual has achieved and may be able to contribute to your organization.

Mistake 2:  Rushing to Fill the Role

Sometimes we think we have the perfect candidate or ‘settle’ because we are desperate to have a warm body in place getting things done. While the perfect candidate may not exist, make sure you review any quality candidate.  Interview more than once, get other opinions and don’t make an offer until you are satisfied that the candidate can and will perform the job to your expectations.  Doing the work yourself or having everyone from the team pitching in is a lot easier than having to correct someone’s mistakes and ultimately having to re-hire and train a second person to fill the role.

Mistake 3:  Relying Too Much on the Interview

There are candidates out there that interview extremely well.  There are great potential employees that have ‘okay’ interviews but would be great assets to the team.  The interview should represent about 1/3 of your decision making process.  First, ensure you have a good understanding of their skills and experience and how that fits with your requirements (refer to Mistake 1).  Next, make sure you get key insights during the interview – assess for fit, understand their goals etc.  Lastly, introduce some type of objective assessments during the process.  This could be in the form of behavioural assessments, testing or presentations depending on what is relevant to the role.

Mistake 4:  Hiring A Candidate Less Qualified

I once interviewed with a VP trying to fill a Director role within her department.  The candidate was very knowledgeable, had worked in the industry and was extremely professional.  When I suggested that he would be a great hire, her response was “but he can do my job”.

Some managers are intimidated by the prospect of an employee who is more knowledgeable or capable.  They perceive this as a threat rather than a great advantage for the company.  Hiring individuals that complement your skills or are more knowledgeable in certain areas will make you look good and allow you to delegate more.  This will allow you to focus on your own personal development and new projects to challenge both you and your team.

Mistake 5:  Considering Candidates from your Industry Only

Seeking industry expertise unnecessarily limits the candidate pool and is no guarantee for success.  Safe predictable hires can also fail.  Industry driven hiring will leave your organization with little understanding of best practices outside of the industry that can help drive the business forward.  ‘Outsider’ candidates bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the organization and can enhance the team’s approach to workplace challenges.

Recruiting is a time consuming and expensive process.  Investing the time up front is critical to ensure the long-term success of the organization.