7 hiring mistakes even successful business leaders make
Even experienced leaders make hiring mistakes when looking for new talent. The digital world of hiring is a vibrant one full of constant change, and even the most established business leaders sometimes have trouble keeping up. Even the most established hiring professionals can still make mistakes because they are too set in their ways. Here are 7 hiring mistakes to avoid at all costs:
1. Overlooking Internal Talent
Your homegrown talent already knows the ropes and company culture. If you can find someone worthy to promote from within, you will save a great deal of money and time in training after the hire. You also give your current staff the ability to expand and challenge themselves, which is a very important feature to attract top talent in the first place.
2. Trusting Guts Over Hard Data
Today’s digital environment has given hiring managers access to more data than ever before about prospective employees. There is no longer a need to rely on any “gut feeling” when the answer to just about any question on an employee can be quantified. Hiring managers may employ many techniques, from simple spreadsheets to more sophisticated HR tools and assessments.
3. Shifting Roles Unexpectedly
As a company changes and expands, roles within that company must change and expand as well. Hiring managers must first determine whether shifting an employee’s role or completely redefining a position for new talent is the preferable solution. Although shifting an employee’s role may be less expensive, is that employee properly trained and capable to do the new job? Does the new position entail duties that are too expansive for a single person? Leaders often assume that an employee who is good in one position will be good in another, and this is not always the case.
4. Nepotism and “Liking” Someone
Long gone are the days of hiring an unemployed brother-in-law or giving the son his father’s old position. Competition in all industries has risen to a level that requires optimal productivity on a consistent basis in order to succeed. One of the worst hiring mistakes that a hiring manager can make is to skip over a more qualified candidate for a more familiar one.
5. Expecting Frontline Employees to Become Natural Leaders
Although hiring from within can save a company money and time, it should not be done haphazardly. Just because an employee has put in time on the front lines does not mean that he is ready to lead others. Hiring managers must evaluate even internal hires on the actual qualifications for the position. Internal hires may also be trained into a new position for less money than an outside hire, but this training must be completed satisfactorily before the promotion.
6. Evaluating the Person Instead of the Position
Nearly every employee will bring something unique to the table. However, do those unique talents actually fit the position? It is up to the hiring manager to avoid becoming so impressed with the talent that she forgets the purpose of the hire. Prospects should be considered based upon their ability to match the position’s qualifications, not just because he is an impressive individual.
7. Not Considering Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence, or EQ, is fast becoming a best practice within the world of HR. The saying “EQ over IQ” alludes to the fact that leaders must be knowledgeable in people skills as well as hard skills. EQ is sometimes more difficult to discern, but the modern hiring manager must choose and master a proper technique to do so.
The cost of a bad hire is time lost in training and within crossover projects, shortcomings that will eventually leak to the customer facing side of the business. Take note of the common hiring mistakes above that even experienced business leaders make, and avoid them at all costs. Reducing errors will benefit the new hire as well as other staff members and customers.
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About the Author
Patrick McLaughlin is an adept and empowering Talent Acquisition Professional, Managing MEA’s Recruiting Services. He has taken both new and seasoned recruiting teams to new levels of productivity utilizing innovative best practices, time management and training in bullet-proof recruiting fundamentals.