Introduction
Selecting the appropriate candidates is one of the major decisions organizations make. It is possible for an efficient recruiting process to attract candidates who are talented enough to help organizations achieve future success. At the same time, there may be certain factors influencing the quality of hiring decisions. They include insufficient preparation of the interview, poor knowledge of what kind of candidate is required, interviewer bias, and overvaluing intuition. The results of the research into personnel selection are quite helpful in this situation.
Writing Vague or Unrealistic Job Descriptions
This is because organizations usually make the mistake of providing very vague or overly qualified job descriptions. The job posting must clearly define the nature of the job, its duties, requirements, skills needed, and working conditions.
Providing many qualifications on the job description will only limit the number of people who can apply for the job. According to SHRM, even a small difference in the wording of the job descriptions may become an extremely important factor when determining whom one wants in the organization. It is vital to know what qualifications are really necessary and which skills can be acquired later.
Relying Too Heavily on Resumes
Although the resume can be valuable in providing background details on a candidate, it should not be relied on alone in making hiring decisions. The resume gives information on past education and work experience but does not indicate how well a person can do certain tasks.
An organization may make its evaluation more effective by using the resume along with other types of evaluations such as an interview, a work sample, a skills test, etc. A meta-analysis of personnel selection studies revealed that any combination including work samples, cognitive ability measures, and structured interviews yields high predictive validity for job performance.
Conducting Unstructured Interviews
An additional mistake is the use of informal interviews where the same set of questions is not posed to each candidate, and the interviewer bases their judgment mostly on intuition.
It has been shown in research that a structured approach to job interviews is always better. Structured interviews include pre-set questions and scoring criteria; thus, candidates can be judged according to the same criteria related to the position. The CIPD also advises structured interviews as a measure to eliminate bias in the process. It follows that the company needs to develop questions prior to the interview, pose similar questions to each candidate, and apply scoring criteria to each question.
Allowing Unconscious Bias to Influence Decisions
The decision to hire can be influenced by unconscious assumptions about age, gender, origin, education, communication skills, or many other things that might have nothing to do with the ability to perform in a particular job. SHRM states that bias can take place at all stages of the recruitment process – from advertisement, to resume evaluation, interviewing and even final choice.
To eliminate bias from decision making it is not enough to instruct interviewers to “be objective.” Firms can apply standardized evaluation criteria, diversified interview teams, structured questions, uniform evaluation sheets and job related tests.
Hiring for Qualifications Instead of Job Performance
Though an applicant can have many credentials that are not necessarily suitable for the job at hand, an individual with an unconventional background may have the right skills needed for success.
An organization should first define what success is before embarking on any recruiting efforts. Then the selection process can measure the qualities needed for success. The current research done by organizations stresses such skills as communication, team work, professionalism and critical thinking.
Moving Too Quickly Through the Process
David Magnani, President of M&A Executive Search said, “recruitment is a time-sensitive process where skilled individuals are often approached by several employers. But being hasty just to fill a position may lead to bigger troubles in the future. Neglecting an assessment procedure, interviewing inadequately or not checking any facts may cause more difficulties in the future.
Recruitment should be both time-saving and include all important aspects of assessing a candidate. CIPD suggests choosing appropriate assessment procedures depending on the post and taking into account their effectiveness and impact.”
Ignoring Candidate Experience
The candidate will not only assess the employer but also his fellow candidates when recruiting takes place. The image of an organization may be ruined by any lengthy process, confusing information, frequent interviews, disorganized testing, or a failure to communicate. The CIPD points out that it is important for the process to be quick and that the candidate understands what to expect from the selection process.
Overlooking the Importance of Job-Relevant Assessments
There are many organizations which rely solely on interviews despite the fact that an assessment test would give a better proof of abilities. In case of a work sample test, technical exercise, writing test, oral presentation or other type of role-based test, a candidate can show his actual skills.
According to research carried out on personnel selection, combinations including work-sample tests and structured interviews have shown high predictive validity. Depending on the job position, there is a need to choose the right assessment tool.
Failing to Evaluate the Hiring Process
Valentin Radu, CEO of Omniconvert said, certain organizations may use interviews exclusively when a performance-based test would yield better results for proving competence. Work sample, technical, writing test, presentation, or situational assessment will give an opportunity for the applicants to show their true abilities.
The scientific studies of selection procedures have proven a high level of validity of the combination of work samples test and structured interview. The right type of assessment should be selected according to the position, but it should resemble the real job duties as much as possible.
Conclusion
Typical recruiting mistakes usually emerge when employers use gut feeling, qualifications, rush, or unstructured interview in the process of recruiting. The better way to start is from preparing an adequate job description, followed by proper evaluation which should be valid, consistent, and job-related. Moreover, employers should consider the experiences of candidates as well as review their recruiting procedures in order to see whether they predict future success or not.
Recruiting does not imply searching for the best-looking resume or the most impressive candidate at all. It is about collecting credible evidence that a person possesses necessary competencies, skills, and potentials for this job. Consequently, it becomes possible to make good hiring decisions, but also to make the recruiting process itself more objective and professional.
