High turnover, sexual harassment, violence in the workplace, employee theft — when you hire the wrong person, a lot can go wrong. Avoid these common errors. For more on safety and hiring considerations, see Workplace Safety and Hiring Practices.
Common hiring mistakes
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Failing to identify company needs. Define your needs for the position. Instead of assuming you need a certain type of employee, test your assumptions.
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Failure to test employee skills. Identify the job's objective standard and test for it. Unless you assess an applicant's skills, you're gambling that they can perform — a bet you might well lose.
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Hiring out of desperation. Hire in haste and end with waste. If you can't hire in a timely manner, bring in a temporary or leased employee, or borrow a worker from another company.
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Hiring out of laziness. Most managers don't want to "deal with" hiring. Fight the common tendency to do less rather than more. If you don't like to hire people, outsource this activity.
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Hiring out of infatuation. Managers usually make the hiring decision in the first 10 minutes of the interview, and then spend the next 50 minutes justifying their choice. To avoid infatuation, use follow-up meetings and joint interviews.
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Letting baggage get in the way. The best and brightest won't always look and act the way you think they should. Seeking diversity is important for both compliance and competitiveness.
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Hiring based on recommendations. Just because someone thinks a candidate they know is a great worker doesn't mean they are. Go through the same hiring process with every potential employee.
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Promoting blindly from within. Remember the "Peter Principle": good employees don't necessarily make good managers. Promoting only from within can create inbreeding and stagnation. Fill at least one-third of your new positions from the outside.
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Skimping on background and reference checks. Don't let concern for privacy guidelines keep you from investigating backgrounds extensively. Poor hiring decisions aren't caused by barring prohibited questions but by not asking the right questions.
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Failure to recognize a poor hiring decision. Do your best to keep bad hires on their feet by putting them in at least the same position that you found them. Try to assist them with outplacement and a small severance package so you don't end up with a bitter ex-employee or, even worse, a lawsuit.
If you want the right employees, you'll need to go through the right process. When you hire the best, you'll enjoy higher productivity, greater loyalty, more innovation, better team players, and a healthier bottom line.
For practical insurance considerations related to workplace safety, you may also find useful information in Navigating Workplace Safety and Insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make sure a candidate has the skills required?
Use objective skills tests, work samples, or probationary assignments to verify an applicant's ability to perform the core tasks of the job.
When is it appropriate to use a temporary worker?
Use temporary or leased employees when you need to fill a role quickly, evaluate fit before hiring, or handle short-term demand without committing to a permanent hire.
What should I check during a background investigation?
Verify employment history, professional references, and relevant credentials while avoiding prohibited or discriminatory questions; follow applicable privacy laws and company policy.
How should I handle a hire that isn't working out?
Address performance issues promptly, document concerns, consider reassignment or outplacement support, and consult HR or legal counsel before termination.