Hiring the right person for a position is a tough task. And when there are several vacancies to fill, it can even become overwhelming.
As a recruiter, you screen hundreds of resumes, interact with different people, interview tons of potential candidates, and make accurate assessments of each candidate’s skills, experience, and personalities. These require both time and energy. When you are under a lot of pressure, you become prone to making costly hiring mistakes.
While mistakes are usually more common among less experienced recruiters, bad practices and hiring errors can also take a toll on even the most experienced recruiting teams when they are put under certain pressure. It’s true that mistakes are unavoidable, however, being aware of these mistakes that many hiring teams make during the recruiting process can help you take action to solve or prevent the issues.
Below, we enumerate the most common hiring mistakes recruiting specialists make.
Mistake #1: Failing to Highlight Vital Details on the Job Posting
Job responsibilities, requirements, schedule, and compensation are not the only pertinent information you should be publishing on the job advertisement. It also helps to outline career opportunities if you want to find good talents. Top employees want to be assured that they will be given an opportunity to grow with the company. So if you want to appeal to them, then you need to detail the company’s career development opportunities in the ad.
Another big factor that employees consider when seeking a job is the work environment. Applicants look for companies that possess a positive culture, so you need to paint a clear picture of the organisational culture in the job post while highlighting its positive aspects.
Mistake #2: Posting Job Ads in the Wrong Places
When it comes to advertising the vacancy you are looking to fill, reaching the right people is as important as writing an impactful job description. With a constantly changing employment landscape, it is imperative that you know where to look for ideal candidates. You need to figure out where your target audience is most likely to hang out and then be able to appeal to them directly.
In today’s competitive employment pool, it’s not enough to simply post an ad on job search portals and newspapers anymore. You also have to search for relevant LinkedIn groups, niche job boards, and even freelancing communities online. If you want to get the attention of the best in the field, you have to be willing to go the extra mile, such as personalising your emails, and trying to reach out to your prospects via social media.
Mistake #3: Paying Too Much Attention to the Candidate’s Resume
Too often, recruiters spend too much time assessing candidates based on their resumes. But, reading every single word on a resume is not really necessary. To determine whether or not the candidate would be a good fit, you only need to make a checklist of the qualities and skills they possess that the role you’re looking to fill requires. Skim the resume and simply take note of keywords and phrases associated with those abilities to save yourself some effort and time.
Moreover, take notice of the resume’s overall appearance. This would help you gauge how much effort and time the candidate has placed into making a positive first impression. While screening applicants through resumes may be difficult in the beginning, you’ll eventually get used to it in the long run and be able to tell whether he or she deserves your attention or not in a matter of seconds.
Mistake #4: Forgoing Interviews Over the Phone
Many would not consider phone interviews as an effective recruiting tool. However, it is actually an ideal pre-screening method as it can help you figure out if the applicant seems as good as he is on paper and truly has potential without having to set a face-to-face meeting. This gives you plenty of time to screen more applicants in the early stages of the hiring process.
Mistake #5: Not Testing the Candidates
Tests are an imperative aspect in screening applicants. Not only does it allow you to determine if the candidates have the necessary expertise and skills, but also help you figure out how interested they really are in working for the organisation you represent. If the applicant refused to perform a task or complete a test, chances are he would not have worked out in the long run, so just move on to the next candidate.
Mistake #7: Failing to do Background Checks
Checking the shortlisted candidates’ references is a step you do not want to skip. According to a survey, 6 in ten companies has revealed that a reference they contacted didn’t give positive feedback regarding a candidate.
While it may be time-consuming, doing background checks helps affirm that the information in the candidate’s application is credible and true. It also gives you the opportunity to learn more about the applicant and how he conducts himself on a daily basis.
Mistake #8: Making Desperate Hires
When you are tasked to fill a position within a specified short time frame, the pressure can get the best of you and start to cloud your judgment. If it does, you may find yourself looking at hiring the first person that walks into the door. It is tempting, but it will definitely come back and bite you sooner than you think.
Be careful who you recommend to the companies you work with. Remember, they sought for your expertise because they believe you can help them find a suitable person for the position. If you hire someone–anyone–just to fill the vacancy, you could lose clients along the way.
Lay out a timeline for your client and discuss the recruiting process in detail. This way, they know how much work needs to be accomplished and when they can expect it to be delivered, diminishing the factor of time pressure.
Recruiting is tough enough, so make sure to avoid these mistakes to simplify the recruiting process.
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