The JobSync Blog
Are You Guilty of Hiring Missteps?
October 20, 2011
Recently, Businessweek published an article that no doubt got under the skin of some hiring managers. Written by Liz Ryan, a former Fortune 500 HR executive, the piece was undiplomatically titled "Nine Ways Employers Screw Up Hiring." And her startling conclusion? The hiring process is so rigid, misguided, and inefficient that it is rare for the cream of the crop to emerge with a job when the dust finally settles. Ms. Ryan then goes on to compile the worst mistakes employers make – are you guilty of any of these?
1. They don’t know what they want: Employers fail to ask hiring managers what’s not working in their department and how much these problems are costing the company by not having the right person in the job. Hence, they often create ill-fitting positions with ill-fitting candidates.
2. They write bad job ads: Most ads are poorly written. Instead of convincing smart people why they would want to work for the company, such ads just list dry job responsibilities and push worthy candidates away.
3. They ignore their networks: Candidates aren’t the only ones who need to work their networks. Employees, past employees, vendors, and clients are great sources for referrals, but a surprising number of companies fail to exploit such contacts.
4. They let excellent candidates slip through the cracks: Unnecessarily long hiring processes, insulting screening tests, awkward interviews, and more will push the best people into their competitor’s arms.
5. They put up stupid gates: Petty, small-minded hiring steps (e.g., narrow-minded interview questions) designed to weed candidates out immediately are often used by employers with no regard to whether a candidate would be good for a position.
6. They neglect to design smart gates: Something as simple as requesting a specific writing sample and seeing how few candidates respond properly is one method to screen out people who can’t seem to follow directions.
7. They elevate skills over judgment and brains: Sure a candidate may know Microsoft Office backwards and forwards, but there are more important attributes that employers must seek in candidates to find a productive member of a team who fits in.
8. They interview ineffectively: Poor preparation, poor questions, and poor orchestration of limited time (e.g., hogging up all the time instead of letting a candidate respond) are common problems that afflict many hiring managers from time to time.
9. They don’t understand candidates’ needs: Failure to understand a candidate’s motivations, interests, and goals is an invitation to hire someone who will eventually prove to be a bad fit for your company. Uncover these components and your instincts will quickly guide you to a great match.
Outstanding candidates are within your reach. Don’t leave candidates out standing because of these common missteps.
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