Mistakes made when Hiring

While there are problems that arise due to a company's recruitment processes, several additional issues stem from perception and attitude. These are often down to the individual hiring manager rather than a company policy or procedure.

 

Mistake 1: Discounting a Candidate Because They Are Overqualified

Don't discount a seemingly overqualified candidate without talking to them. It is essential to understand why a candidate is interested in your role rather than make assumptions. Perhaps their previous job titles were misleading, and the work they were doing wasn't as senior as you think. Maybe some circumstances in their life require a less stressful and busy role. While they may be applying because there are no other roles in the area, that doesn't mean they will up and leave at the drop of a hat. Talk to them, establish their motivations and make an informed decision on the application rather than a guess. If you receive the resume from an IT Recruitment Agency, they have already vetted the candidate and decided to present the CV for a reason, so don't discount it needlessly.

Mistake 2: Waiting for The Perfect Candidate

How long are you willing to wait for perfection? If you can wait for six months or more to find the ideal candidate (that may not even exist), then do you need to recruit for the role at all?

 

Waiting too long puts extra pressure on your existing team to carry an additional workload. This could lead to burnout, stress leave and more people from your team leaving. Talk to your IT Recruitment Agency about the market's realities and the likelihood of finding specific skills.

 

Mistake 3: Rushing to Hire

The converse of waiting for the perfect candidate is the panic buy. You worry that you might not find the skills you need, and your project will be delayed. This can cause you to rush out and hire the first candidate presented. While it's not good to take too long, rushing can be even worse. It increases the chances of making the wrong rash decision.

 

If a new recruit decides to leave, then all the time and money invested in the recruitment process and subsequent training is wasted. You'll be back at square one and need to go through the same recruitment process all over again.

 

For urgent short-term roles, talk to a IT Recruitment Agency London about hiring a contractor. They can fill the role while you look for the right candidate. This takes the pressure off you to find the right candidate and eases your team's workload.

Mistake 4: Relying Too Much on References

References are not gospel and must be taken with a pinch of salt; you should certainly never rely on written references alone. When people put down names as a reference generally, they will put down names of people they know will give a good reference. As a result, the reference process becomes a rubber-stamping exercise rather than a fact-finding mission.

 

A good IT Recruitment Agency can be very helpful in this situation. Not only can they provide testing to help verify skills and experience, but they can also tap into their industry network. Agencies are able to ask around and establish if an employee was let go for a specific reason, they will check, what their reputation within the company was like and if they are infamous within the industry.