7 common recruitment mistakes...

10 years of recruitment experience has shown me on many many occasions that every hire and recruitment process is different. Over the years it is always clear when clients are making very simple mistakes which can cost them money or even worse result in them hiring the wrong person for the position. The best scenario in recruitment is to get the most talented candidate who fits your required skill set, budget and whom is motivated by your position.

‘Going by REC’s formula, the number of bad hires made in the first quarter of 2017 (745,880) multiplied by average weekly earnings for full-time employees (£539 per week) meant businesses paid unsuitable recruits £402,029,320 every week’

Here are some quick simple mistakes companies can make:

1. Not generating an accurate job description

I have spent many an hour meticulously going through job descriptions with clients. Through years of experience, I know that having an open / frank conversation about a position can save an employer an incredible amount of time and money. Taking time will mean that when a recruiter pre-screens candidate on your behalf, the right candidates will end up being introduced to you.

Ever spent an hour interviewing someone who’s nowhere near the right fit ? This is how you stop it from happening.

2. Only conducting 1 interview

They say you only get one chance to make a 1st impression but sometimes the 2nd impression is the most important. Many (bad) candidates can put on a great performance in one interview. However, cracks in a poor candidate will always show in a 2nd meeting. It can be a good idea to have a 2nd interview at your office and to involve a senior point of contact but also a possible peer. I’m not a fan of numeric or ‘intelligence’ testing but a good personality profile can help you understand a character better and how he/she may stack up against the likely challenges. Another tip in the sales industry is to try looking for references from previous customer who can explain what the sales process was like with the candidate and their technical experience / character.

3. Long interview processes

Hiring managers are generally very busy as, of course, are candidates. The reality is for the right candidate you need to make time. High calibre candidates are very hard to come by. When you come across a candidate at 1st interview who you feel could be a great fit for your business push the process forward. Waiting around for the ‘perfect’ candidate can cost you getting the best and most suitable candidate for the job.

4. Low ball salary offers

The biggest issue with low ball salary offers is…. Sometimes it works! You may get your candidate at the low level salary rate you offered but consider a couple of things before you do this.

Will they be counter offered?

During their notice if an opportunity comes up at the salary they are looking for, are they likely to consider it?

Would you not rather a fully motivated candidate who is happy with their package and so can fully focus on the job challenge?

What is the cost to you in not getting the candidate for these reasons and starting the process again?

5. Not considering culture fit

The one thing that most clients don’t volunteer when discussing a job brief is personality and culture fit. Usually with clients, the focus will be the candidate skill set, experience and budget. It is crucial to pay attention to culture fit when employing. Not doing so can me upsetting the balance of the existing team and mean having new employees in front of your customers who do not represent the core values you have as a business. It can also mean the candidate simply doesn’t enjoy the environment and so isn’t a success

Think about what the common personality fit you have within the existing team what works what doesn’t. If someone is overly corporate whereas your team is more informal and personable in style would that really work for you even if the candidate appears perfect on paper?

6. CV’s Uuuuugggghhh….

I spend about 40% of my time reading CV’s. I hate them. Here’s why:

It’s easy to write a good CV. It’s easy to paint a perfect picture of yourself or write yourself up in the best light. The reality is my thoughts on a good candidate are based 5% on their CV and 95% based on the interview I conduct with the candidate. A good recruitment consultant who knows his / her market well can dissect a candidate in terms of their experience and suitability for a position. Look at a CV and get an idea of course but speak to the recruiter and discuss their background and the reality of whether they are suitable for a role. If our job is done properly, you shouldn’t even need to see the CV.

7. Not discussing the future

A common misconception by clients is that it would be wrong to discuss a candidate’s progression within a business at interview stage. ‘I’m not hiring the candidate to take my position or to become a manager, I want them to fulfil the role I am recruiting’ is what seems to be the idea. However, if you consider a client requirement typically involves looking for someone who does the same very job you are recruiting for with another company, effectively a lot of the time in terms o job responsibility we are looking for candidates to take a sideways step.

Consider the candidates perspective: Yes the salary may be better but ultimately I’m going to be doing the same thing. So discuss what the long term future could look like with success and how the role can develop. You are not signing a formal contract ensuring the candidate will be promoted. You are simply discussing the scope of the position. It will give the candidate a target and a possibility to develop beyond the role they are applying for. This ultimately means you are also making a long term hire.

If you want any help with recruitment in the interior building product sales market, get in touch.

Happy Recruiting…

​Izaac is a Recruitment Specialist in the Interior Building Product Market sector.