1. Hiring a Candidate Who Is Not a Long Term Fit
One of the biggest mistakes companies make when recruiting candidates are considering applicants that they know won’t be a long-term fit. When a new position opens up at a company, there’s often an urgency to get it filled. Even so, don’t be tempted to gloss over any indicators that your candidate is not going to be a long-term employee. For example, if you’re speaking with a sales candidate who says they don’t like to be micromanaged, but you know the position requires them to attend multiple weekly meetings, then they’re not going to be a fit. Also, don’t always take the candidate’s word for it. If you tell the candidate about the multiple meetings and they’re still interested in the job, then you need to use your best judgement. The candidate might just be saying they’re okay with it because this position has a higher salary. It’s a hard decision to make, but hiring a candidate who might have a problem with the company’s management style will ultimately end up costing the company more money and a replacement in the end.
2. Not Keeping Candidates Engaged
When candidates are left in the dark without any communication from a company then they will seek out other opportunities. The best way to prevent that from happening is to keep in touch with candidates, even when you don’t have any new updates or information. It’s important to keep candidates engaged so they don’t think you’ve forgotten about them and end up accepting another position. Call them every couple of days and let them know you’re checking in and want to see how they’re doing. Even just this quick interaction will help the candidate stay engaged and keep your company on their mind.
3. Lying to Candidates
Lying to candidates is a big mistake. You should never lie to a candidate, it doesn’t matter how small or insignificant the lie may be. Instead, you should always be upfront with your candidates and answer their questions honestly. There are so many different ways a lie can come back to haunt you, especially if the candidate does get the job and figures out that you weren’t telling the truth. Save yourself the embarrassment and the risk of turnover by being honest from the beginning.
4. Burning Bridges
Sometimes during the recruiting process you come across two great candidates for the position. You don’t want to choose between them, but there can be only candidate for the job. When this situation happens, it’s important to be honest and considerate when explaining to the candidate why they didn’t get the job in case something doesn’t work out with the first candidate or if another similar position opens up. Let the candidate know that they will be considered for future jobs and leave the conversation on a good note. Be careful with how you deliver the news in order to avoid making the candidate mad and burning any bridges.
5. Losing Your Momentum
Recruiters jobs are often filled with ups and downs, and your success is often dependent on other people. That’s why I think it’s important for recruiters to know that persistence is key. Don’t let one bad week get you down. Keep working hard and that activity will have a positive boomerang effect. It may feel like it’s taking forever for something good to happen, but your hard work will eventually pay off. Finally, don’t take things personally. That goes for when something good happens and when something bad happens. A lot of successes and failures are dependent on the relationship between the client and the candidate. You can only coach the candidate so much before it’s out of your hands. Celebrate your successes, and learn from failures, but know that sometimes the most qualified candidate doesn’t get hired, and it’s not a reflection on anything you did.
6. Sourcing the Wrong People
A huge part of recruiting your ideal candidate begins with sourcing the right people. If you source the right people, you will save yourself a bunch of time. Make sure you review the job description until you know all the ins and outs of what makes someone qualified. Ask questions if you need to and make sure you really understand who you’re looking for. The best way Make sure to schedule time on your calendar to source people because it’s an activity that you need to do in order be successful.
7. Long Phone Calls with Unqualified Candidates
Another tip is to learn how to get off the phone quickly and politely if you think a candidate is not a fit. Make sure to end the conversation on a good note and ask to keep their contact information for future reference. Just because that candidate wasn’t a fit for that particular position, you might work another position that they would be perfect for and you want to maintain a good relationship.
Not every candidate you recruit is going to work out, but making sure you don’t commit these mistakes will help your chances of hiring your ideal candidate.
