Common Hiring Mistakes

As an IT staffing agency, we see a lot of the “best” and “worst” hiring practices in the industry. Below are some mistakes we have seen that can be easily avoided:

Overlooking the Over Qualified

Employers shy away from over qualified candidates for fear that they will be gone as soon as another, higher-paying position comes along. Though this does happen, it doesn’t happen as frequently as one might expect. In this job market, there is a lot to be said for non-monetary benefits a company has to offer. If an employee feels valued in a secure position, or if they have a positive work environment that offers room for professional growth, they are not as likely to leave just because they can earn a little more money elsewhere. With the amount of cutbacks companies are doing, there is an unprecedented glut of talent in the market. Hiring managers should not filter out candidates just because they seem to be over-qualified for the position.

Having Human Resources Do the Recruiting

Even the most talented human resources representative is not going to have the depth of knowledge required to fill a job in a technical department. He or she can read a job description without fully understanding what is needed in the job. A lack of ability on the part of HR is only part of the problem. Forcing a technical candidate to walk through bureaucracy might deter them from pursuing the position further.

Letting Crisis Control the Job Description

Managers often face a hiring situation as the result of a project crisis. They need to get someone with a specific skill set to help them immediately. These circumstances tend to generate very specific job descriptions that are harder to fill. Often, someone with strong fundamental problem solving abilities can learn the needed skill and be a better long term employee. By hiring purely based on a specific skill set, managers can end up with a candidate that doesn’t have the broader capabilities that would allow them to adapt to future project needs.

Relying Too Much on “Gut” Feel

One of the worst mistakes is writing off a candidate too quickly. Managers will make up their mind about a candidate in the first part of the interview, and then spend the rest of the interview looking for something to support their feelings. Most people think they are pretty good at conducting interviews, but by and large, they have not had the proper training or experience in selecting the right people. Relying on this “gut” feel short changes the company and the candidate, when it is not backed by solid interviewing skills and techniques.

(From Dallas IT recruiters at the InSource Group.)