What is the most valuable asset for any business? You are right if your answer is human resources. A company is essentially run by its employees, which is why it is so crucial to hire only the best.
And while job seekers find it difficult to land an interview and secure a job, recruiters would agree that it is equally, or much more difficult, for employers to find the right candidate for their companies.
The thing is, there are certain mistakes that recruiters make when hiring, which sets them back in getting through to that perfect candidate. So, if you are hiring for a position in your company, make sure you are not making the same mistakes as given below:
1. Not defining the roles and responsibilities clearly
Before you set out to hire candidates for a job, review the job description (JD) thoroughly. Does it clearly say what the responsibilities of the role are? Does it define the kind of qualities and qualifications the position requires? These are the questions you need to ask and answer. Our advice is to write a JD in simple language instead of using jargon to allow the candidates to understand what exactly you need.
2. Not having a streamlined process
Don’t just call in every candidate who applies for an interview and have just anyone conduct the interview. Instead, have a streamlined process of shortlisting resumes, having a short phone interview to determine if the candidate is indeed worthy of your time, calling the shortlisted ones for an interview, and having only the people who know and understand the requirement of the position well, conduct the interviews.
3. Not being prepared for the interview
Yes, candidates need to prepare for an interview, but so do interviewers. What exactly are you looking for in a candidate, and how do you find out if a candidate has what it takes to fill the position? One example of why you need to be prepared for an interview is, say, you are looking for ABC experience.
You can ask the candidate, “Do you have this ABC experience?” which would elicit a yes or no answer. Does it give you much insight into exactly what the candidate has done? No. Instead, if you ask, “Tell me about your experience of ABC”, it would push the candidate to talk more and give you an idea of how good they are.
4. Not checking background and references
Many organisations skip this part, and they end up paying dearly for it. Some candidates might be really good on paper and ‘perform’ great in interviews, but are they really who they say they are? The only way to find out is through reference and background checks.
Find out if they really have the degree they claim to have, how they behaved in their last company, if there are any criminal charges against them, and so on. You will be much better off knowing before hiring them.
Final words
Bad hires can be costly for a company. Unfortunately, according to a report published by HRD, “An alarming rate of Singapore bosses hire wrongly”. So, if you are looking to hire candidates for your company, make sure you avoid the above-mentioned mistakes to save the costs of a wrong hire.
