mar2007 avoiding hiring mistakes updated
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Katherine Spencer LeeExecutive Director
Top Hiring
Mistakes and
How to Avoid Them
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Mistake #1: Filling desks, not needs
Analyze what is really needed Consider all staffing possibilities for each
vacancy
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Mistake #2: Failing to recruit constantly
The best employers continually search for top talent
Keep in touch with candidates, even when you’re not hiring
Participate in trade associations Collect resumes online
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Mistake #3: Creating poor job descriptions
The Fantasy Job Ad
Seeking Level-2 help desk professional with
10 years of experience with Cisco, LINUX and
Windows systems. Master’s degree and bilingual
skills preferred. Must be willing to work nights and
weekends.
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Mistake #3: Creating poor job descriptions
The Mystery Job Ad
Growing firm seeks a level-2 help desk professional.
Must have good technology skills and be willing to work
a flexible schedule.
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Mistake #4: Having no system for screening
resumes
An effective system includes:• Benchmarks• Special requirements• Qualifications/attributes critical to success
Review resumes all at once Avoid procrastinating Don’t delegate the task
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Mistake #5: Ignoring red flags on resumes
Note vague terminology such as: “Participated in,” “familiar with” and “in association”
Be cautious with functional resumes
Read resumes beginning at the bottom
Judge the appearance Give the benefit of the doubt
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Mistake #6: Ignoring interviewing techniques
Don’t “wing” the interview Ask candidates the same number of questions Take notes
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Mistake #6: Ignoring interviewing techniques
More than two-thirds of executives surveyed said the most productive time for meeting with candidates is between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
The first candidate interviewed for a job is somewhat less likely to be hired than other candidates
Source: Robert Half International
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Mistake #6: Ignoring interviewing techniques
Start the conversation with an easy ice-breaker question that illustrates you’ve done your homework.
Move into challenging questions:• How do you define success?• Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult
end-user. How about a difficult manager? • What kind of work environment do you like least?
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Mistake #7: Doing more talking than listening
Don’t share too much information about your company
Focus on one question at a time Avoid drawing conclusions until the end of the
interview
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Mistake #8: Focusing too heavily on hard skills
Recent Robert Half Technology CIO Survey• Technology executives
emphasize business fundamentals.
Question:• When evaluating candidates for
IT positions with your firm, has the importance you place on knowledge of business fundamentals, such as accounting, finance and general operations, increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last five years?
Increased 41%Stayed the same 54%Decreased 3%Don't know 2%
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Mistake #8: Focusing too heavily on hard skills
Look for: Passion - Does the person care about his/her
work? Does it come through in most answers?
Optimism - Top performers acknowledge difficulties and how they learned from them.
Work ethic - What has the candidate been doing if unemployed? Top performers use the time wisely.
Expectations - Candidates should be motivated to learn and advance, but not have unrealistic expectations.
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Mistake #9: Inviting too much input
You may select the least objectionable candidate versus the best one
Participants in the selection process bring different motivations
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Mistake #10: Making rushed decisions
Never skip any stages of the hiring process• More likely to make poor
matches
Learn as much as possible about top candidates before making a decision
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Mistake #11: Making slow decisions
Keep the process moving Avoid losing highly skilled candidates to
competitors Inform candidates of where you are in the
hiring process Average time to hire for an IT staff position: 56
days
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Mistake #12: Persuading reluctant candidates
Be wary of candidates who are hesitant to accept an offer• Even if they decide to join
your company, they may not stay long
Don’t rely entirely on past performance when identifying “superstars”
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Mistake #13: Conducting poor reference checks
Never skip this step Remind reluctant references of the
importance of their feedback Take note of the tone of the response Let the reference do the talking
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Mistake #13: Conducting poor reference checks
Talk to supervisors, colleagues and others in the organization
Manage the process yourself
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Katherine Spencer LeeExecutive Director
Top Hiring
Mistakes and
How to Avoid Them