1. POORLY WRITTEN JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Try to keep your job descriptions from sounding like a list of aspirational qualities that aren’t ever going to be found in a single person. For example. putting down every computer language in existence is unlikely to ever match a candidate’s skill set, and is more likely going to place you in the position of having to sort through those who lied in order to match this unrealistic expectation. Instead, write a realistic job description that simply describes the person for the job, with emphasis on the personality traits that are most suitable.
2. PASSIVE JOB SOURCING
Try to keep your job descriptions from sounding like a list of aspirational qualities that aren’t ever going to be found in a single person. For example, putting down every computer language in existence is unlikely to ever match a candidate’s skill set. and is more likely going to place you in the position of having to sort through those who lied in order to match this unrealistic expectation. Instead. write a realistic job description that simply describes the person for the job. with emphasis on the personality traits that are most suitable. Try to keep your job descriptions from sounding like a list of aspirational qualities that aren’t ever going to be found in a single person. For example, putting down every computer language in existence is unlikely to ever match a candidate’s skill set. and is more likely going to place you in the position of having to sort through those who lied in order to match this unrealistic expectation. Instead. write a realistic job description that simply describes the person for the job. with emphasis on the personality traits that are most suitable.
3. UNDERSTAFFED HR DEPARTMENT
If your company has resorted to a bot to sort through resumes based on key words, you probably need more HR staff. Most people have learnt to load up their resumes with a fairly generic set of key words. but it takes a human to read between the lines and pick out the most authentic candidates. Hire more HR staff, and you’ll increase the quality of your resume evaluations.
3. HURRIED RESUME REVIEW
However, even when a resume finally makes it to the hiring manager to be evaluated. they are often still scanning for key words and not properly reading it. While some resumes will obviously not be worth the time, being hasty could lead you to a miss a gem that wants to bring a new element to the role. or is simply too eclectic to fit the cookie cutter mould.
4. IMPERSONAL/ GENERIC INTERVIEWS
Interview questions are often far too predictable, with “tell me about your biggest failure” coming up so often that most of us have a stock response for it. It’s always very useful to talk about failure in a positive life, but it’s ultimately far more important to get at the character of the person you’re interviewing. Ask them about their favourite hobbies. aspirations. and most heart-felt moments. Ultimately. try to get to know interviewees as a fellow human being. not just as a set of skills, and make them feel like a friend
5. IMPROPER TREATMENT OF UNSUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES
Interview questions are often far too predictable. with “tell me about your biggest failure” coming up so often that most of us have a stock response for it. It’s always very useful to talk about failure in a positive life. but it’s ultimately far more important to get at the character of the person you’re interviewing. Ask them about their favourite hobbies. aspirations. and most heart-felt moments. Ultimately, try to get to know interviewees as a fellow human being. not just as a set of skills. and make them feel like a friend.
6. LACK OF RECEPTION FOR NEW HIRES
A new hire’s first day will undeniably be nerve-wracking and exciting for them. so it’s important to ensure that they receive a nice welcome and introduction to the rest of the team. Try to avoid having them start on a Monday (generally a very busy day for everyone). and instead have them start on a Tuesday. when the rest of the team has settled into their week and have time to talk to the new recruit.