6 Spooky Hiring Mistakes That Haunt Businesses

In this blog, you will learn:

• Common hiring mistakes.
• Effective strategies to prevent recruitment errors.
• Discover more about our recruitment services to avoid making hiring mistakes.

Ghosts, ghouls and haunted houses aside, there’s a much bigger fear that businesses throughout the UK share… making a hiring mistake! According to the Brandon Hall Group, 95% of UK businesses admit to making at least one poor hiring decision each year. They also found that a bad hire can reduce team productivity by 72%.

The grave reality is, hiring can be challenging, and the last thing you want is to reduce team productivity or waste time and money.

It can be hard to find talent that ticks every box, but there are ways for businesses to refine their hiring practices and avoid errors during the recruitment process. Bad hiring mistakes can be costly, but with the right strategies, businesses everywhere can face their fear.

In our latest blog, discover common hiring mistakes that haunt businesses and learn how to sidestep these errors to attract top talent to your organisation.

What are common hiring mistakes?

6 common hiring mistakes, include:

• Poorly written job descriptions.
• Using unconscious bias.
• Rushing the hiring process.
• Waiting for the perfect candidate.
• Treating recruitment as a ‘box ticking’ task.
• Overlooking soft skills.

Poorly written job descriptions

A job description isn’t just a list of the responsibilities, requirements and expectations of a specific role. It is the first opportunity to attract the right candidates so your job description needs to be honest, accurate and detailed.

Poorly written job descriptions might fail to describe the role’s main purpose and the specific skills needed to succeed. This can negatively impact the hiring efficiency and even attract unsuitable candidates.

Unclear or vague job descriptions can be misleading. For example, businesses that oversell the position can lead applicants to believe that it offers more opportunities than it actually does. This can be detrimental to the reputation of a business.

When you are writing a job advert, clearly outline the role and specify your expectations for the new hire. You should also highlight the skills and experience required.

Using unconscious bias

Unconscious bias involves having beliefs and views about people that might not be correct or reasonable. Unconscious bias can lead to assumptions about candidates based on factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, or background rather than the actual skills and experience they possess.

For example, a hiring manager might unconsciously assume that a younger candidate lacks the maturity to lead a team, or that an older candidate may not be adaptable to new technologies. 

Many businesses make the mistake of allowing unconscious bias to influence job descriptions, CV reviews and candidate selection. Using gendered language in job descriptions can further limit the pool of applicants, potentially reducing their options for talent. 

For example, using the word ‘salesman’ instead of ‘sales representative’ or ‘salesperson’ may deter women from applying for a role. This mistake highlights the importance of using inclusive job descriptions which focus on skills and diversity, not socioeconomic factors.

With increasing awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is more important than ever for businesses to avoid unconscious bias within the hiring process and the overall running of their business.

Rushing the hiring process

The pressure to hire fast can be overwhelming; however, quick hiring attempts can be one of the most common hiring mistakes. Hiring managers are busier than ever, and their time is precious, but that doesn't mean hiring should be rushed.

According to the CV and Cover Letter Trends Survey, hiring managers and recruiters spend an average of 2 minutes and 17 seconds reviewing each CV before deciding whether to invite the applicant for an interview. 

This means that the candidate's CV must immediately capture their attention. It also raises questions about whether hiring managers have enough time to gain a complete understanding of a candidate's skills in such a short amount of time.

Rushing the process can lead to oversights, misunderstandings and the risk of hiring someone who isn't suitable for the role. Hiring managers should aim to prioritise their time and avoid hastily selecting the first available candidate.

Using an agency like ourselves, where specialist recruiters understand the skills required for each role, can be an effective way to secure the right candidate. It takes the pressure off hiring managers and allows them to focus time on their actual role, while the recruitment process is handled for them.

Waiting for the perfect candidate

Finding candidates with the right skills can be challenging and the perfect employee is rare. However, waiting for the dream employee to appear and remaining understaffed for too long can jeopardise your time and productivity.

Whilst it is essential not to rush the hiring process, setting standards too high is a common mistake businesses make. It is much more important to hire someone who meets most of your key needs and fits your culture.

There is a common saying in recruitment, "Hire for attitude and train for skill." The philosophy is based on the notion that you should hire an employee based on their attitude and behaviours because technical skills can be easily taught if this is an area which they are lacking. 

Holding out for the perfect person leads to delays, increased costs and lost talent. Jobseekers lose interest and patience when they feel the hiring process is unnecessarily long or drawn out. 

Treating recruitment as a ‘box ticking’ task

Hiring isn’t simply posting a job, reviewing CVs, interviews and then moving on. The process of hiring extends beyond posting a job advert and waiting for the results.

Too often, businesses see hiring as a single action and fail to put in the effort to build a team which grows together. Instead of proactively seeking out the right talent and investing time, organisations simply ‘tick boxes’ and wait passively for candidates to apply. 

This can significantly prolong the time it takes to effectively find and recruit the right talent, ultimately impacting efficiency in the hiring process.

Overlooking soft skills

Neglecting soft and transferable skills is an error some businesses make when hiring staff.

Soft skills are personal attributes or behaviours that enable individuals to interact effectively with others. Valuable transferable skills such as communication and problem-solving can be transferred across different jobs and industries.

The CV and Cover Letter Trends Survey found that 48% of hiring managers considered teamwork to be one of the three most valuable soft skills a job applicant can include on their CV. This was followed by problem-solving, critical thinking (40%) and verbal communication (37%).

Organisations which prioritise hard skills may overlook individuals who could be a better fit for the role or bring a different dynamic to the company. It is still important to look for the most proficient individuals and consider a candidate’s strength of character and soft skills.

How to avoid hiring mistakes

Ways for businesses to avoid hiring mistakes, include:

• Streamline the recruitment process.
• Consider hiring over or underqualified candidates.
• Look for a candidate who adds to the company culture.
• Leverage technology and social media.

Streamline the recruitment process

When hiring, businesses must take the time and consideration to hire the right person and consider every aspect of the recruitment process. Recruiting doesn’t need to be a lengthy process as this can result in losing outstanding candidates. Equally, rushing through the process can lead to oversights, unnecessary turnover and high costs.

Optimising the recruitment process is crucial for managing candidates effectively. A streamlined approach not only enhances efficiency but also boosts productivity by removing delays.

A quick and efficient hiring process showcases your company culture, demonstrating to candidates that your organisation values their time and operates in an organised manner. A smooth, positive experience also makes candidates more likely to accept your offer and allows you both to make more informed and objective decisions.

Streamlining the recruitment process allows hiring managers to take the time to create structured interviews, foster a growth-oriented culture and improve efficiency. This can significantly reduce time-to-hire while maintaining thoroughness. 

Consider hiring over or underqualified candidates

It is tempting for businesses to reject overqualified candidates or dismiss underqualified candidates, but this mindset could restrict access to a wider pool of talent. Both these types of candidates can bring unique skills and strengths to the table.

Highly experienced candidates bring their own insights, experience and strengths which can drive business forward. Being overqualified can enable new hires to mentor colleagues and increase overall company performance.

Overlooking underqualified candidates can also result in hiring mistakes. Their potential and drive to develop can make them strong long-term assets. They often possess unique skills such as strong loyalty and enthusiasm for growth and improvement, which can prevent high turnover.

Underqualified candidates may need training and support, but they are more likely to be shaped into ideal employees who grow with the business and contribute to long-term success.

Look for a candidate who adds to the company culture

It is important to ensure that teams are made up of diverse personalities and experiences which bring different perspectives and ideas to the company.

Considering how well a new candidate will integrate into company culture is important. Whilst skills and experience often come first, a new hire must also be happy in their new workplace and their integration into company culture often determines this.

Rather than hiring candidates who mirror the current team’s values and behaviours, it is important to also look for those who contribute to the growth and development of your business. Not only can this help enrich the current company culture, but it also prevents you from creating a team that lacks diversity and fresh perspectives.

Leverage technology and social media

As workforces change, it is important to consider how to attract and engage Millennials and Gen Z talent. Social media is playing a huge role in shaping how Gen Z thinks about their careers. A joint study by St James’s Place Financial Adviser Academy and Indeed found that 68% of Gen Z are using social media platforms to research and plan their careers.

The study revealed that Gen Z are twice as likely as Gen X to use platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram for career guidance and 53% of Millennials are also embracing this trend.

Utilising technology and social media in the hiring process is crucial to ensure businesses widen their talent pool. This can enhance their chances of appealing to talent who may bring new skills and insights to the workforce.

Leveraging technology such as Artificial Intelligence can help to track applicants and streamline recruitment processes. Businesses which fail to integrate the latest technologies may fall behind in the competitive market.

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If you’re struggling to recruit top talent, why not take a look at everything we offer or submit a vacancy to get the ball rolling today!

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Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations. 

In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.