The key errors that are frequently made during the recruitment process

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The recruitment process can be tricky to get right. After all, you want to make sure that you are hiring people that are going to make a difference to your business, work hard and of course, stay loyal. One of the main reasons why so many recruiters struggle to find quality candidates is because there are a number of mistakes that are frequently made. However, once recognised, the process becomes much easier, far quicker and most importantly, more successful.

Bad Job Description

Companies can’t expect to attract the right people for the job they’re advertising if they don’t take the time to make sure that the job description they’re using isn’t spot on. Make sure you include the skills you are looking for, any qualifications required, what will be expected of the candidate, your ideal profile, salary range and location. It is also important to highlight anything that your company does that might be slightly different. For example, if you don’t operate normal 9-5:30 working hours, make sure you specify this because it’s better to let people know from the beginning rather than going through the entire process and then having the candidate pull out.

Poor CV Screening Strategy

It is vital to have a clear vision of what your ideal employee should possess. Nowadays, recruiters can get hundreds of applications for a single job so unless you have a clear strategy of what you are looking for, you may end up spending hours, days and even weeks sifting through a mountain of CVs.

Start by writing down some essential skills and qualifications that you candidate can’t be without. Do they need to have a degree? A minimum amount of experience? Strengths in particular areas? A certain type of personality? Once you have identified all your necessities, you can go through CVs and immediately eliminate those that aren’t suitable. Keep going over your shortlist again and again until you have narrowed it down to just a few candidates who seem absolutely perfect for the role.

Conducting Unprofessional Interviews

The vast majority of people still assume that job interviews are a test directed at candidates to see if the recruiter likes them. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth as it’s just as much of an opportunity for a potential employee to gauge whether or not the company is somewhere they would like to work. As well as coming across as personable, it’s just as important to remain professional otherwise the interviewee could walk away with a very negative perception of the company.

Make sure you have a professional location to hold the interview – avoid canteens, coffee shops and restaurants because even though it can be less daunting, it can also be very distracting. Ensure that your candidate has your undivided attention and regardless of whether you think they are suitable or not, make sure they leave with a positive impression of you and your company. After all, you never know when you may encounter that person again or who they may share their interview experience with.

Not involving your team

Presumably your new recruit won’t be working just with you? There are bound to be other people in the office whether it is team-members or other employees within the company and if you want everyone to get on, involve them in the process too. Obviously it would be quite scary and impractical to interview a candidate in front of the whole company but if you like them based on what you have seen so far, there is no harm asking them if they would like a quick tour of the office to give others an indication of what they may be like. This tip works both ways because it’s just as important for a candidate to be able to assess whether or not they think they will fit in well with the company and their new colleagues.