HR Basics: 4 Common Hiring Mistakes You Really Need to Avoid

Employees are one of the most important assets to a business, so that’s why hiring the right candidates is crucial to a business’ success.

You want your employees to complement one another because bad hires can cause disruption in business, job dissatisfaction and high turnover. According to a Dice article (titled The Cost of Bad Hiring Decisions Runs High), “The Harvard Business Review points out that as much as 80 percent of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions.”

What you want to avoid in your hiring process

Below are several hiring mistakes you surely want to avoid during your next hiring process.

Hiring too fast — When you are short-staffed, there is pressure to find a replacement. Sometimes that pressure can affect the way you hire. Do not settle for the first person that meets the skill set. It is important to interview several applicants with the proper skill set. According to Business Insider, “Typically, you need at least six weeks to attract and vet enough high-quality candidates.”
Hiring based on resume alone — An employee is more than just their resume. Resumes are great to find basic qualification and experience. However, the person must fit your company’s vision. You will learn this by appropriate interviewing skills. It is important to see how an applicant reacts to different scenarios. Find out if their goals are the same as your company.
Rushing references checks — Checking references is crucial to get a sense of the applicant’s work methods. Don’t just check with one previous supervisor. Ask for actual co-workers and several managers. Plan your reference checks with more than basic questions. It is good to make a list of questions that apply to your environment.
Hiring solo — It is important to have a team in place for the hiring process. Gain knowledge of the job description with the hiring manager and have multiple people sit in for the interview. It is good to have different perspectives to avoid being biased.

Hiring right takes time

Remember, hiring the right candidate takes time and hiring the wrong employee can cost your business. Selecting the wrong person not only costs your company a significant amount of money, but it may also impact morale and productivity in a negative way.

During your next hiring process, develop a clear plan and take your time to ensure you’ve found the right candidate!

This was originally published on the Genesis HR Solutions blog