Mar2007 Avoiding Hiring Mistakes Updated

Katherine Spencer LeeExecutive Director

Top Hiring

Mistakes and

How to Avoid Them

Mistake #1: Filling desks, not needs

Analyze what is really needed Consider all staffing possibilities for each

vacancy

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

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.

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.

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

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

Mistake #6: Ignoring interviewing techniques

Don’t “wing” the interview Ask candidates the same number of questions Take notes

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

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?

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

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%

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.

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

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

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

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”

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

Mistake #13: Conducting poor reference checks

Talk to supervisors, colleagues and others in the organization

Manage the process yourself

Katherine Spencer LeeExecutive Director

Top Hiring

Mistakes and

How to Avoid Them