10 Recruitment Mistakes 

According to a study by the Center for American Progress, it costs about 20 percent of an employee's salary if your organization has a high turnover of staff, That can be very costly.

Mark sat with his head in his hands and groaned, dreading what was coming next. In a few minutes, he would be letting Alison go, just a couple of months after hiring her. How had it come to this?

She'd applied with a great résumé, interviewed well, and seemingly checked every box. And yet she'd failed to hit targets, caused disruption in the team, and just not delivered in any area. With a sigh, Mark leaned back in his chair and waited for Alison to knock on his office door.

But you can attract the best candidate for the job and for your organization if you are aware of a few common pitfalls. In this article, we explore 10 recruitment mistakes and how to avoid making them.

10 Common Errors in Recruitment

There is no guaranteed process for successful recruitment, but knowing the obstacles and potential problems that you might face can help you avoid them, or deal with them if they do arise.

Recruitment Mistake 1: Not Creating an Accurate Job Description

Describe the job accurately and honestly in your advertisement. If you don't, you'll be less likely to attract candidates with the qualities and abilities that you're looking for.

A good job description is more than a simple list of duties; it should describe the role's overall purpose, identify key areas of responsibility, and describe the specific skills needed to succeed. Our article, Writing a Job Description, explores how to do this.

Be sure not to "oversell" the position, either, leading applicants to believe that it offers more opportunities than it does. For example, don't imply that there's a likelihood of quick promotion if there isn't. If you do, your ambitious recruit may feel let down and leave.

Recruitment Mistake 2: Failing to Consider Recruiting From Within

Sometimes, the best candidates could be right under your nose!

It can make economic sense to fill roles internally, as it cuts the costs and time associated with advertising for external candidates. Also, an existing staff member will be familiar with your organization's processes, values, and mission. Chances are, they would get "up to speed" in a new role more quickly than an outsider would.

Promoting and training your people can boost their morale and productivity. You'll likely benefit from knowledge and experience from other parts of the business that could lead to better communication and collaboration.

Recruiting from within can also protect important knowledge that would be lost when people leave your team or organization. Our article, Succession Planning, has more on this.

Recruitment Mistake 3: Relying Too Much on the Interview

Some managers use only an interview to evaluate potential candidates, but is it the best method?

In his 2015 book, Work Rules!, senior Google executive Laszlo Bock says, "Most interviews are a waste of time," as interviewers can spend most of their time trying to confirm the impression they formed of applicants in the first 10 seconds of meeting them. And, as we discuss in our article, Effective Recruitment, a candidate may say or do anything to get the job that you're offering.

One guard against this is to use competency-based interviews. But consider supplementing these with a test or exercise to find out how they might perform "on the job." For example, you can use Inbox/In-Tray Assessment to reveal how good they might be at planning, organizing, prioritizing, and communicating.

Evaluating skills and behaviors through diverse means will also allow a diverse range of candidates to shine. After all, not every potentially excellent team member can present themselves at their best under artificial, nerve-wracking conditions. This is especially true if they are, for example, autistic or dyslexic, or struggling with a poor internet connection.

Recruitment Mistake 4: Using Unconscious Bias

Recruitment relies on your decision-making abilities, which means that you must avoid unconscious bias. You may unwittingly discriminate against certain candidates in favour of people who share your background, social class, ethnicity, age, or gender.

Accepting candidates regardless of any of those characteristics means that you have a larger pool of talent to draw from, improving your chances of recruiting the best person for the job.

However, as unconscious bias is by definition something that you're not aware of, simply trying hard to escape it is unlikely to work. Instead, create systems that undermine or block its effects, such as anonymized shortlisting.

At the very least, be sure to invite colleagues from beyond your usual circle to contribute to selection and to constructively challenge your judgment.

Recruitment Mistake 5: Hiring People Less Qualified Than You

Some managers are afraid of taking on someone more confident or talented than they are because they feel that they may be a threat to their position. But smart managers know that they need bright people to share their insights and bring their strengths to the team.

In a New York Times interview, American entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki said, "‘A' players hire ‘A+' players. But others hire below their skills to make themselves look good. So ‘B' players hire ‘C' players. ‘C' players hire ‘D' players." [2]

Hiring people who are better than you can improve your skills and drive your business forward. A good example to follow is that of renowned U.S. automotive executive Lee Iacocca, who said, "I hire people brighter than me and then I get out of their way."

Recruitment Mistake 6: Rejecting an Overqualified Candidate

It's tempting to reject an overqualified candidate, either for the same reason as in Mistake 5 above or because you're afraid that they will become bored and leave your organization for a more satisfying challenge elsewhere.

But highly experienced and talented people may have the skills and ability to help you develop your team—even if they don't stay long. To encourage them to be loyal to your organization, think about what opportunities for development, progression, or reward you might be able to offer to this exceptional person.

Recruitment Mistake 7: Waiting for the Perfect Candidate

You may have a picture of the ideal employee in your mind but as you wait for them to appear, you may be jeopardizing your team's productivity by keeping it understaffed for too long. Your team members may have to pick up the extra workload or work overtime, which can affect their morale.

Recruiters call perfect candidates "purple squirrels," because they are so rare! Instead of waiting for someone who fits the role exactly, it's usually best to hire someone who meets most of your key requirements, fits your corporate culture, and has good soft skills. They can pick up job-specific skills once they're in place.

Recruitment Mistake 8: Rushing the Hire

OK, the perfect candidate may not exist. But that doesn't mean you should rush to hire just anyone.

Take your time. Think about what it will cost in time and money to hire and train someone, only to find that they're not up to the job. You could end up having to repeat the whole process.

Interview twice if you have to and, if necessary, arrange for an external contractor to cover the role until you've got the best person that you can.

Recruitment Mistake 9: Relying Too Much on References

How much can you trust the information on a résumé?

While applicants may have listed excellent experience and qualifications, you'll likely want to check the truth of the details they've provided. One way to do this is to ask for references.

However, don't place too much weight on references, good or bad. Someone's positive experience at one organization does not mean that they will automatically shine at yours. And a negative reference from a previous employer does not mean that they won't thrive on your team.

As we suggested earlier, you can find out if a candidate has the right skills for your team by setting them a test or exercise that is relevant to the role that your are advertising. You can also do things in the early weeks of an appointee's employment with you to catch problems early. Read on to find out more.

Recruitment Mistake 10: Expecting Too Much, Too Soon From a New Recruit

Don't assume that, thanks to your rigorous selection process, the appointee will simply "hit the ground running."

Typically, it takes a new starter about three months to become fully integrated into a team and to begin producing significant results. It's understandable to want to see an impact more quickly, especially if the position has been vacant for a while, but this can mean that you don't give them the time to "learn the ropes" properly.

During the first few weeks, it's important to help your new recruit to familiarize themself with the organization's and team's goals, and to support them as they learn. Make them feel welcome on their first day, and introduce them to the team. Let them know that they can ask questions and seek advice, and arrange regular meetings to see how they're doing.