Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring New Staff

As an administrator or business owner, the hiring of employees can be a very frustrating task that eats up a lot of manpower, time, and valuable capital.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of NextHire, Bob Myhal, "hiring well is the most important thing you can do for your small or medium sized business".

The reality of the situation is you absolutely cannot do everything yourself, and it is critical to have a trusted group of dedicated employees to serve as your eyes and ears, as well as to ensure the health of the business and excellent customer service.

Unfortunately, making mistakes while staffing can not only cost you time and money in the short term, but in the long term as well.

Companies that fail to implement effective hiring practices have a much smaller chance of succeeding than companies that take the time to approach hiring the proper way.

Hiring and training employees is very often the largest expense a business can incur, and doing your best to avoid making these seven very common mistakes will be the difference between success and failure.

Rushing through the recruiting process is the first mistake businesses make when searching for new recruits.

It is more than understandable that you would want to fill the empty spaces in your staff, especially if it is a critical position to the health of the business. However, filling the position with the first candidate you interview that has the experience or credentials you desire can be a huge mistake.

There is much more to staffing than a resume or application--you must have confidence that the person will also be a team player, has the ability to follow directions, and is willing to adapt to changes just to name a few characteristics.

The point is that personality can matter just as much as ability.

1. Rushing the process
2. Ignoring crucial information and following your gut
3. Waiting around for the perfect candidate
4. Allowing personal feelings to get in the way
5. Focusing only on someone's negative traits
6. Letting candidates know how you feel via non-verbal communication
7. Not training new candidates properly

Following your instincts rather than your information is the second hiring mistake made by business owners.

Many of us grow up learning to "follow your gut instinct".

In fact this can be one of the largest mistakes when evaluating candidates for any position.

These important decisions should always be based on actual information you have gathered through the various steps of the evaluation process--from experience and references, to notes taken during interviews.

Waiting for the perfect person is the third most common mistake when it comes to hiring new staff.

Although rushing to hire someone can be a very big mistake, holding out too long can be just as detrimental to the business.

The fact is that no prospective candidate is ever going to be perfect, and holding out for this person can mean being understaffed for an extended period of time.

This can result in over working the staff you do have, mistakes due to being overwhelmed and fatigued, and thus a decrease in productivity.

Concentrating on the negatives is not a good way to approach hiring new staff.

Try to avoid ripping apart every aspect of every resume or application of every candidate that applies. Every person has negative aspects and positive aspects that need to be considered when it comes to finding the best staff.

Instead of looking at where a candidate is lacking, concentrate on their individual strengths when deciding whether they are a good fit for the position.

Allowing personal prejudices to effect decision making is a huge mistake employers make.

It is always important to separate your personal life from your professional one, and this especially reigns true during the hiring process.

You must leave any preconceived notions or ideals you may have about any group of people at home, or you may end up passing up on a great asset to your business.

Giving away your opinions nonverbally about a specific candidate is the sixth most common mistake made by companies searching for great employees.

It is much easier than you may think for most people to pick up on things such as body language and facial expressions.

Hiring will always involve interviewing candidates, and when you ask questions you must not give away the answer you want through nonverbal communication.

The result will be a variety of honest answers, rather than the same rehearsed conversation the person could have very well practiced in the mirror right before they arrived.

The last mistake commonly made by employers is a lack of support and training after hiring. This is the biggest mistake any employer can make when hiring new employees.

Even if the person you decide to hire has decades of experience, taking for granted that they will know enough to be thrown right into the fire without training is not only very detrimental to the business, but can also be harmful to the candidate themselves.

Not properly preparing a new hire for the responsibilities of the job they were hired for can harm confidence, self esteem, and cause unnecessary errors that will cost money and waste time.

Avoiding these seven common mistakes during your hiring process can increase the productivity, efficiency, and profitability of your business.

Never forget that hiring great people is the number one key to the long term success of your business.