Avoiding Bad Hires: The 5 Cardinal Sins of Recruitment

Hiring new talent can be both daunting and exciting, because if your company is like most companies, personnel and related costs are the largest expenses on your budget. And recruiting top talent can be expensive, depending on the position and the urgency. Then add to that expense of a bad hire. An Undercover Recruiter report found that bad hires cost companies about $240,000 in hiring, retention and compensation.

While different recruiters look for varying traits, here are a few cardinal sins of recruitment that you should avoid:

1.     Giving resumes too much weight

While an effective resume and LinkedIn profile are important, candidates and recruiters alike often place too much emphasis on them. Matching a list of skills and experiences to a job description is easy, but it doesn’t ensure a successful, value-adding candidate.

To find an employee who’s a perfect fit, companies need to focus on experiential knowledge coupled with soft skills.

Considering the contents of the resume in addition to getting insight into the individual gives recruiters a much broader picture of both the type of person the candidate is and what type of employee he or she will be.

2.     Not explaining the job description adequately

Too often, employers focus on the “what” of a job without explaining the “why.” If you don’t thoroughly and accurately explain a job’s requirements to candidates, they may think that they’re a good fit when they aren’t, or think that they’re not the right fit when, in fact, they are.

Failing to communicate the core purpose of a job and the company’s vision and expectations leads to missteps for both the candidate and the recruiter. Being thorough and transparent allows recruiters to help employers shortlist candidates who most closely match the opportunities. This helps organizations find the best candidates more efficiently.

3.     Focusing on job-specific competencies

When an employer places too much emphasis on the competencies needed for the job, a candidate’s dynamic experiences and skills can get ignored. The knowledge, skills and abilities specific to the job the candidate is applying for are important, but not seeing what else the candidate has to offer could deprive your organization of a great hire.

Forbes claims that for many positions, dynamic skills really matter. When people are motivated and want to contribute to your business’s growth and development, that adds value to the company. Skills and knowledge can be gained; experience builds over time; but a great attitude can overcome a host of shortcomings!

4.     Overlooking soft skills

Global Talent Trends 2019 reports that 89 percent of talent professionals saw that new hires fail to thrive due to a lack of soft skills. However, many employers continue to overlook this important aspect of candidates’ qualifications.

The most valuable employees exhibit must-have skills like teamwork, perseverance, dedication, time management and adaptability. Making their organization successful is part of their DNA.

5.     Not making sure the candidate is a good cultural fit

A bad hire costs a company about 30 percent of that employee’s first-year earnings. It’s important to find candidates who have the skills to do the job but also will align with the company’s vision. Employees who blend into your organization’s culture can hit the ground running and add value to the firm almost immediately. They naturally keep the company’s long-term goals in mind and tend to avoid making obvious mistakes.

How to avoid these mistakes

When your company avoids these costly mistakes and brings on the right people who will last for the long term, your overall growth and profitability will improve. Brookwoods Group, an executive recruiting and staffing company in Houston, Texas, can help you find the best-fit talent.

We bring detailed insight to your company’s staffing needs to find candidates who are holistically perfect for you. We find you talent who possess the experience and skills you need, along with being a ideal fit for both your organization’s and work team’s culture.

We are a certified veteran-owned business that’s been serving Texas’ staffing and recruiting needs since 1998. Let our experienced recruitment professionals find you the talent you need.

Contact us to get in touch with one of our team professionals today.