Common sense seems to be missing from today’s recruiting practices. Many companies are caught up in fancy recruitment software and “new” interviewing techniques. What some recruiters have lost sight of is that recruiting is about people; after all that is what human resources is about! They need to get past the conventional recruiting methods that are holding them back. Here are the mistakes recruiters make:
•Getting buried under paperwork: Because of the sheer volume of resumes′ received, recruiters can’t identify and pursue the candidates they want. Recruiting has become a passive, paper-shuffling process. Recruiters need to embrace networking. Good candidates, like good jobs, can be taken before an ad is posted. A company should have a team of recruiters: those who handle applicants and those who actively network with the top candidates in different fields.
• Poorly written ad: Not only are poorly written ads a waste of time, it’s a double waste of time if a recruiter is relying on them to get qualified candidates. A job ad should read like a wish list for the ideal candidate. Recruiters need to sit down and listen to what the hiring managers are looking for, between the lines as well. Remember that a qualified employee needs the hard and soft skills to fit into the culture of any given company.
• Failing to get to know the candidate: A phone screening should not last longer than 30 minutes. If it’s taking longer than that to figure out if you want to bring a candidate in for a face-to-face interview, you are screening the wrong candidates.
• Poor interviewing skills: Many interviewers make the mistake in thinking that a job interview is one sided. Many companies spend a lot of time and money on the “new” interviewing techniques that ignores the motive behind why the applicant applied for the position in the first place. The honest truth is that most people apply for a job that will offer the most he or she can get. This is especially true if the candidate is highly skilled or his trade is in high demand. Make use of any perks your company may have to grab a candidate that has the potential to take your business to the next level!
Inappropriate use of social networking sites: Many human resources recruiters admit to using the information on these sites when make hiring decisions. Employers need to be careful they are not forming their decisions based on information they can’t hold to be factual or relevant to a position. There are also issues of privacy that employers need to be aware of.
Conducting a poor pre-employment background-screening: This is one of the areas recruiters consider their strong suite, but in reality they are not. Many times recruiters, like a candidate, make the mistake of sugarcoating any inconsistencies discovered in their background. Recruiters do this because they like the candidate and want to fill the position. This can be a costly mistake to the company. Obtaining accurate, up to date and factual information is easier said than done for someone who does not do it consistently and expertly. This is usually best left to a professional employee background-screening firm. For example, employment background firm, Accu-Screen.com has 16 years of experience conducting pre-employment background and criminal records screenings. They can produce the most accurate, factual information to help a company make solid, unbiased recruiting decisions.
