Last updated : November 11, 2024
There are many pitfalls associated with hiring a bad candidate and it’s often a discussion among human resource professionals. There’s a feeling expressed that it might be better for employers to forgo hiring rather than hire someone who isn’t a good fit. How do hiring managers avoid making the wrong choices and find good people to join their workplace?
The cost of bad hires
The costs associated with replacing, hiring and training employees are substantial: up to 250 percent of the position’s salary can be spent between support for outgoing employees and resume screening, interviewing and testing and training for incoming new hires. Making a bad decision is expensive, but doesn’t happen intentionally.
Up to 80 percent of employee turnover is a result of bad hiring decisions, either in personality clashes with corporate culture, a misunderstanding of job duties, or a lack of qualifications. Supervisors acting entirely on gut feelings, or human resources departments screening resumes through superficial keyword searches can also lead to bad hiring decisions.
Finding the best takes time
The short answer: don’t rush. It’s often better to pass on all the candidates in a pool of submissions and wait for the ideal candidate to come along, rather than settling for the best of what’s available.
It’s important to start with an idea of what the ideal candidate for a position looks like. Without that, it will be hard to gauge whether a prospective hire fits the bill. Exactly what does this position entail? What qualities will immediately disqualify a candidate? What certifications or experience are absolutely necessary to perform the job? Knowing the answers to these and similar questions is the place to start any hire search.
Once those answers are established through some company introspection, take advantage of all of the available resources to find the right candidate. Market the position aggressively and in a way that’s attractive to top potential prospects. Advertising is still an effective way to entice job seekers, especially for positions for which a large number of individuals are qualified. Newspaper and magazine advertisements and headhunters may be valuable ways to find the ideal candidate.
The time and effort required for a thorough candidate search may be tedious, but having to do it all over again is even more tedious and more expensive.
Allow the right one to find you
Apart from marketing that a position is available, it’s important to communicate exactly what the expectations and job requirements are so that prospective candidates know what they’re applying for and whether they’re qualified.
Clear, concise and comprehensive job descriptions are essential, and they’re the first glimpse of the position candidates will have. An inaccurate or incomplete description may lead to underqualified applicants; worse, it may lead the best candidate to look elsewhere.
Social media and multimedia marketing are excellent tools for this process. Videos of other employees in similar positions gives candidates an idea of what kinds of people succeed in the position, as well as providing them some insight into the corporate culture and helps them decide whether they would be a good fit.
Seek the ideal instead of settling
In addition to attracting potential candidates with good job descriptions and recruitment tools, it’s also important for hiring managers to seek out their own candidates. Professional associations and personal networks are a great source of potential applicants. Reaching out through online groups and following up on conference connections may lead to the best. In this case, a “offense” pays off more often than “defense” and waiting only gets you applications from people who are aware of the opening. By being proactive, you are in a sense advertising yourself as a company that does the same, and being wanted is sometimes a powerful enticement to true talent that may find themselves looking for a change they never knew they wanted.
Hiring decisions are among the most important a company makes. Taking time up front, communicating the need clearly, and seeking out your ideal candidate can help you avoid hiring someone you only find out later will cost the company time and money.
