Do you have a worryingly high turnover of staff? Do you struggle to fill your vacant positions with the right candidates? If so, it’s not down to a shortage of a skills shortage in the vast majority of cases – it’s all down to you and your hiring processes.
Hiring is, of course, a critical part of running a successful business. And the more wrong fits you bring on board, the worse the impact it will have on your company. Hiring the wrong people impacts on your productivity levels, team harmony, customer service, and ability to grow.
With this in mind, here are some of the most common reasons why employers hire the wrong people for the job – and how to make changes to ensure you get back on track.
You don’t see the person behind the job role
All companies have a culture inside them, and only the right kind of personality will be a good fit. You have to be able to see the overall picture and person behind the CV, or you might end up bringing someone on who won’t be able to fit in with the team. For example, a candidate might have the best CV you have ever seen, but if a phone call to their old boss reveals that candidate was a bad influence on the workforce, don’t expect that particular leopard to change their spots just because they are working for you.
You don’t screen candidates
The screening process is vital when you are hiring. First of all, it saves you wasting a lot of time interviewing inappropriate candidates. But secondly, and most importantly, it means you could be talked into giving someone a job. There are plenty of people out there who have a wonderful gift of the gab, and you might find yourself being persuaded to give them a try, despite their poor-quality CV. In fact, it’s one of the best reasons for using recruitment consultants. They can screen your candidates on your behalf, and will only send you relevant and appropriate people to interview.
You put too much focus on selling your business
The interview process should be about getting to know the candidate. But many employers find it the ideal time to show off about their company and sell the business to the candidate instead. Here’s the thing – good candidates will already have a good idea of who you are, what you do, and your strengths and weaknesses. And the interview process must be about asking questions of the candidate, rather than giving them a sales pitch. It’s fine to answer questions, of course, but you will hire the wrong person if they can’t get a word in edgeways.
You ignore your gut feelings
Sometimes you get gut feelings in business, and it’s important to listen to them. No matter how impressive a CV a candidate might have, if you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right, you should always rely on your instincts. Yes, formal and comprehensive hiring procedures are vital, but at the end of the day you have an intuition – so use it.