Hiring mistakes that every company should avoid, especially in IT

What exactly is the hiring process?

Hiring is the process of reviewing applications, selecting the best candidates for interviews, testing candidates, making a decision between candidates, and performing various pre-employment tests and checks. It's also critical to hire the right people to help your company grow and achieve its objectives.

Every new employee you bring on board brings their own set of personalities, skills, and talents to the table. When your company has a small workforce, one person can change everything, from the culture to your reputation.

• Identify which vacancies must be filled.
• Plan your recruiting strategy.
• Create an attractive job description.
• Advertise your job opening.
• Sort through the applicants.
• Conduct interviews with the most qualified candidates.
• Contact the interviewees again for the feedback

Follow these 12 simple steps to Avoid Hiring Mistakes

When hiring a new employee, follow these twelve basic steps to avoid making hiring mistakes.

1. Conduct thorough research

Conduct extensive research to learn about the skills and experience that your organisation is seeking for the specific job position. Examine comparable job descriptions and resumes of qualified candidates. Monitor job trends in your area and industry to identify the most popular job titles and keywords that job candidates are looking for and compare salaries to determine the appropriate pay level for your role. Create a list of the key job duties your new employee will be responsible for and consider the characteristics your ideal candidate will possess to help lay the groundwork for writing a competitive job posting.

2. Write an eye-catching job description.

Follow best practices for clear, meaningful job descriptions to compete with other companies. Consider what your ideal candidate is likely to search for and incorporate these popular keywords into your description for maximum exposure. To encourage suitable candidates to apply, include accurate descriptions of the job's responsibilities, requirements, and rewards and keep the tone conversational, informative and friendly.

3. Examine applicant resumes

When you have a large number of applicants, it's time to start narrowing your candidate pool based on their resumes. Send a rejection email to applicants who do not meet the key job requirements.

Things that you should look for in a resume while narrowing down applicants

• Quantitative evidence of a candidate's previous accomplishments
• Detailed examination of skills and qualifications
• Longevity in previous roles, though "job-hopping" may be common depending on the industry
• A distinct career path of the candidate

Following the review of resumes, contact your top candidates to learn more about their qualifications. This will assist you in creating a short list of the best candidates and deciding who should advance in the hiring process. You can start scheduling phone screens and interviews by sending emails to learn more about your candidates' experience.

4. Conduct interviews with your top candidates

When interviewing candidates, begin with a quick 15 to 30-minute phone screen to determine if they meet the basic job description and if there is a mutual fit. Then, invite at least three of your most promising candidates for a face-to-face interview. In order to reveal their skills and qualifications, important personality traits, and level of enthusiasm for the role and company, ask strategic questions.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's best practices for employers explain how to avoid interview discrimination by avoiding topics such as age, race, marital status, and so on.

Here are some general questions you should ask for any position:

• Please tell me about yourself. What drew you to this position/company?
• What are your advantages and disadvantages?
• What is your proudest professional accomplishment?
• Describe your ideal workplace.

5. Verify references

Checking references is an excellent way to gain additional insight, validate skills, and ensure that you are hiring employees who are truthful about their work experience and qualifications. Request at least three references from your top candidates and contact them right away.

Consider asking three to five of the following questions to your candidate's references:

• Can you confirm the job title, responsibilities, start and end dates, and so on for the candidate?
• When did you first meet/work with the candidate?
• Tell me about your experience working with the candidate.
• Why did they resign from their position?
• What are their main advantages and disadvantages?

6. Organize your recruitment efforts

When you're hiring for multiple positions or have dozens of applicants for a single one Things in your company can quickly become overwhelming. Using candidate statuses (New, Reviewed, Phone Screened, Rejected, etc.), you can organize your recruitment efforts and keep track of interesting candidates as they progress through your hiring process.

7. Select your ideal candidate

When you have several candidates who you believe would be a good fit, it can be difficult to choose the best one. Reflect on what you learned about your candidates' skills, personalities, and experience from their resumes, interviews, and references before making a decision. Think about how your candidates will fit into your team and company culture and compare notes with anyone else involved in the hiring process. It is critical to consider your company's requirements and select the candidate who will assist you in reaching your objectives.

8. Make an employment offer

When you've decided on your top candidate, it's time to make an offer. Before sending the official offer letter, email the candidate to schedule a phone interview. During the call, express your enthusiasm for inviting them to join your team and present the terms of your offer, such as salary, benefits, start date, and so on. Send an official written letter if the candidate accepts your verbal offer. Everything you discussed during the phone call should be covered in your offer letter.

9. Inform unsatisfactory applicants as soon as possible.

To avoid damaging relationships, notify your rejected candidates as soon as you know they aren't a good fit. Deliver a prompt, personalized rejection over the phone to candidates who have progressed this far in the process. Give honest but supportive feedback to help them understand why they were rejected, and wish them luck in their job search.

10. Manage your legal responsibilities

When hiring an employee, you must comply with a number of legal requirements in order to comply with federal and state labor laws, especially if this is your first hire. While it is always best to consult with a legal professional for more advanced assistance with the legal aspects of the hiring process.

Important: Once your candidate has accepted your offer, conduct a background check.

11. Improve your new hire onboarding procedure.

A good onboarding process not only makes your new employee feel welcome but also lays the groundwork for a loyal, productive employee and prepares them for success in their new role. Give your employee a tour of the building, show them to their dedicated workspace, and provide them with information about building access, email login information, tools they'll need, and so on.

12. Properly integrate into your team

Once you've hired excellent candidates, make sure to properly integrate them into your team. Introduce the new employee to a mentor who can assist them in adjusting to their new position. A thorough, structured onboarding process is critical to the long-term success of new employees and can increase employee engagement and retention.

Conclusion

It appears that finding qualified candidates, engaging them in the process, and ultimately retaining them as employees are becoming more difficult by the day. Recruiting is a difficult job that must be done on a daily basis. But one that will ultimately be extremely rewarding as you watch your company grow.

You will almost certainly make hiring errors along the way. If you don't have time to learn from your mistakes, leave it to us, and we will do it for you because we are experts in the industry. Check out our Services for more information.