8 Common Mistakes Hiring Managers Make

Hiring is hard, and it’s no wonder that recruitment remains a perennial struggle for so many employers! But hiring managers often make things more difficult than necessary with unforced errors in their processes or decisions. Here are eight of the most common mistakes made by hiring managers.

1.       They don’t ask the right questions. The questions may not be relevant to the role, or they may be oddball questions designed to throw the candidate off. Companies like Google have inspired unusual and challenging interview questions, but most hiring managers don’t put the level of thought and data-based research into them that Google does. Then, the hiring managers may ask different questions of each candidate, making those applicants difficult to compare.

2.       They don’t formally evaluate or assess candidates. According to research from management consultants Brandon Hall Group, only 5% of organizations evaluate candidates during the screening process and only 32% during the interview process.

3.       They don’t appreciate that job candidates are also job shoppers. Investing in employer branding increases the likelihood of a good hire threefold, according to the Brandon Hall Group research. The chances of a good fit rise when hiring managers sell the company just as effectively as they shop for new employees.

4.       They don’t collaborate well with recruiters. Poor communication and collaboration between hiring managers and recruiters can result in significant delays, poorly written job descriptions, poor candidate sourcing, miscommunications in interviews and job offers, etc.

5.       They don’t follow a standardized hiring process. Inconsistency in the processes they follow can create unnecessary delays, often because certain tasks stack up or create a bottleneck. Lack of standardization can also make the whole hiring process vulnerable to inadvertent discrimination.

6.       They discount cultural fit, or over-emphasize it. In other words, they might hire based solely on technical prowess, but fail to consider that this rock star performer is going to disrupt their team-oriented work environment. Or they might find someone who’s personality assessment fits with their workplace, while thinking (hoping) on the job training will make up for skill deficiencies. All these things must be considered in balance.

7.       They don’t follow up with references. Often this happens because the hiring manager doesn’t have time, but this deprives the manager of an opportunity to get valuable insight into the candidate while also verifying statements made in their resume or interview. Trust, but verify.

8.       They don’t perform adequate market research or benchmarking. This can throw off the entire hiring process. The job description may not reflect the current market realities of the role. The job offer may come in too low because they don’t realize this particular role is highly in demand.

CoAdvantage, one of the nation’s largest Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs), helps small to mid-sized companies with HR administration, benefits, payroll, and compliance. To learn more about our ability to create a strategic HR function in your business that drives business growth potential, contact us today.