What Not to do When Hiring

1. Using a generic job description

It’s best to be as detailed as possible when defining the role and responsibilities of a position. How can you determine if an individual is the right fit when you haven’t taken the time to consider the duties they will be performing? To maximize your odds of a successful hire, you should also consider what attributes you believe necessary for an individual to possess in order to excel.

2. Ignoring company culture

To avoid personality conflicts and help a new hire fit seamlessly into their role, you should ask yourself questions such as: What is the culture of the company? What values do the current employees follow? What are the personalities of the people a new hire will be working side by side with every day?

3. Having an undefined hiring process

Presenting an unorganized and scattered interviewing process will not reassure the candidate. Don’t forget that this is a big risk for the interviewee. He or she needs to feel confident in your company before they will consider accepting a job offer.

4. Letting emotion control our decision-making process

We’re more likely to hire someone because they sell themselves well and we ‘click’ with them than because they are the right person for the job. Distancing yourself from the situation is never easy, but it can help you make the best possible choice for your company.

5. Calling only the references the candidate gives you

No candidate is going to provide you a reference who will give you anything but a glowing rendition of what the candidate wants you to hear. The key is to get unsolicited references from those who have a relationship with both you and the candidate. Unsolicited references are gold, don’t settle for less of you might end up with fool’s gold.

6. Not getting a psychological profile on the candidate

You can learn a great deal about the candidate this way. Plus, if an entire department or company has been profiled, it allows you to evaluate if he or she is a good personality match for the culture of the company.