Avoid these common recruitment mistakes and maximise your hiring potential

With any recruitment campaign you want to be sure you are not only attracting the right candidate but actually getting that person into the role efficiently. It is true that there is now a vast amount of recruitment resources available, far more than in the past, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that attracting the best talent has become any easier – and avoiding common mistakes is key to success. There are a few little mistakes that are often made by hiring teams that can end up having a big impact on a campaign’s outcome! We have identified what these are to help you avoid them during the recruitment process and maximise your hiring potential… Rushing the job description and forgetting to proof your copy One of the most commonly made mistakes is in the copy itself. Many companies find themselves posting job information that is out-dated and doesn’t truly represent the responsibilities of the job in question. Not only is the correct description important for ensuring you get the best response and don’t find yourself inundated with applications from inaccurately qualified candidates, it is also the person specification that you should be comparing applicants to – and not to each other (more about that later). Your job description should be effective in providing the primary function of the role and what skills and qualifications are required for success. Make sure that this copy is well proofed as inconsistencies or errors in job descriptions can end up turning away the best applicants. Offering below-market wage rates If the wage you are offering is below the appropriate bracket for the role in question, your applicants are naturally going to be less qualified. Offering below-market wage is problematic as it is likely to turn away applications from individuals with the right skill set and experience. Resisting candidates with fresh ideas If you instantly reject candidates on the grounds that they don’t fit with the generic likeness of current employees you can end up stifling evolution within your organisation. New ideas in a role could help breathe new life into the workplace and provide solutions that your team perhaps wouldn’t have otherwise considered. Over-reliance on group consensus about applicants It can of course be beneficial to consider your team’s feedback about applicants but it is a mistake to allow this to sway you. Relying too heavily on group consensus could result in the hiring of a popular personality over a less-popular, but far more qualified, professional. Always consider that not all personalities shine during the process – and remember that skills and qualifications really do matter. Automatically rejecting overqualified candidates If you have a process of automatically putting thumbs down to candidates who appear overqualified, you could be negating the potential for business growth. Some hirers say no to overqualified applicants as they fear they may not stick around or will become too expensive – but highly qualified applicants could end up giving your business the edge you need. Rejecting less experienced candidates without consideration On the other end of the spectrum, if you reject less qualified applicants without properly considering them you could be missing out on a potentially harder-working and willing employee. Always assess each application on their own strengths. Not considering the potential of skills above prioritised skills Make sure that you take into account skills above the ones that you have identified as integral to the role in question. Putting too much weight on these skills could cause you to overlook the potential in others. Comparing applicants to one-another instead of the job description This is key to hiring success. If you judge the success of applications based on how they stand up to other applications, you aren’t focussing on the role. Always ensure that each application is judged based on how they stand up to the job description. There you have it – eight common recruitment mistakes that, when avoided, could help you maximise your hiring potential. Interested in finding out how eRecruitSmart could help you discover the right people for your business? Get in touch today.