The pressure is on to get roles filled. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the cost of a bad hiring decision can be as much as 30 percent of an employee’s annual salary. That’s a whopping $24,000 in lost expenses for an $80,000 position. Apart from monetary expenses, poor hiring decisions also waste the organization’s time and slow the progress of conducting business.

Don’t let the pressure put you in a situation to choose too hastily. Take the time to avoid these common hiring mistakes and get the right fit the first time.

#1: Not Having an Organized Hiring Process: Hiring new staff members requires foresight — you must know what you require in the long term. Therefore, recruiters should understand what organizations aim to achieve in, the next five years, and how they will be using the new hire(s) to get there.

An efficient recruitment process needs structure for strategic hiring; otherwise, you end up hiring ill-fitting candidates, which lowers productivity and often results in an increased turnover rate. Keep in mind that finding the right candidates takes time.

#2: Skipping a Phone Interview: Pre-interviews, like a 10-minute phone call, are key to optimizing time. The resume looks great but can’t tell always tell you critical information. They may indicate they are “type a and extremely outgoing and personable”, but only a phone interview can assure it’s true. Some candidates won’t include crucial information, like salary history, unless they get a phone call; others might no longer be available or interested. While the phone interview may be a step candidates don’t prefer, it’s very helpful to recruiters when trying to optimize the actual face to face interview time you spend on each hire.

#3: Failing to Check References: They look great on paper, but are they really who they seem? Some people interview so well, you wonder if they got so good at it by doing it so often. Others don’t have the skill set to “sell” themselves, but they have the skills to perform. Even if they’re stellar applicants, verifying they are who they say they are and have done what they say they’ve done is critical. From entry-level candidates who exaggerate about how much experience they have (or don’t), to high-level hires that inflate their achievements – ‘trust but verify’ is a must!

#4: Not Accounting for Culture: A candidate with all the required experience and skills is great, but it’s also important to account for personality and cultural fit. This is because all team members should be able to work well together toward a common goal.

It seems that sourcing candidates, engaging them in the process, and, ultimately, keeping them as employees is getting more complex every day. Recruiting day in and day out is a tough job. But one that’s ultimately extremely rewarding as you see your business grow.

At Phyton Talent Advisors recruitment services, our experienced recruiters have a strong reputation within the industry and fill open roles with qualified candidates quickly.

Let’s work together to make your company the success it should be. Connect with us today.