Avoid These 5 Common Hiring Mistakes

(PRWEB) June 10, 2005

Hiring a new staff member is a lot like taking a vacation with friends. Everyone goes into it with good intentions, but it doesn’t always end well.

Here are 5 common hiring mistakes:

1. Lack of preparation time. An unanticipated vacancy occurs leaving no time to plan a replacement strategy.

2. No central management. The effort is carried out by several people, instead of one.

3. Inefficient systems. Each member of the hiring “team” is unaware of what the others are doing.

4. Lack of information. Candidates don’t know enough about the company, its culture or the position. The hiring firm doesn’t know enough about the candidate.

5. Pressure to fill the position. The best candidate is not always there when the position must be filled.

The good news is that it’s easy to fix these mistakes:

First, include hiring and succession planning in your strategic or business plan. Assess your company's needs, and confirm that those needs fit well with the open position description. If not, change the description. Look at your organizational chart and try to predict who you will likely have to replace soon. Prioritize your materials based on that chart.

Don't have a job description for each position? Write them. Aside from specific responsibilities, include general skills needed in the position, such as client service skills, the ability to collaborate well, or delegating effectively.

Second, recognize that evaluating an applicant begins before they appear at your office. Study their resume and cover letter. Think about the conversation you just had with them on the phone. Watch for warning signs like:

• Poorly organized resumes. If they can’t organize that, how will they organize projects at your company?
• Mistakes. Poor proofreading at this stage probably won’t improve later on.
• Failure to provide requested information, like salary requirements or work samples. Responding to requests is a basic work skill.
• Poor phone skills. If they put you on hold or answer the phone unprofessionally, that’s bad.
• Delays in returning your phone calls. How would you feel if that happened at the office?

Finally, notice how applicants act in your waiting area before the interview. Are they reviewing their own resume or reading about your company? That's good. Are they pestering your receptionist about whether or not she’s free for lunch? That's a no-no.

If you tighten up these aspects of your hiring process, you will improve your success at making long-lasting matches for your company.

Dr. David Weiman of Weiman Consulting in suburban Philadelphia is a management psychologist who helps companies hire, develop and promote excellent people. His website is http://www.weimanconsulting.com.

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