IPSEM Squared has launched a job board based at the South East Asian market and we know there are a few common recruitment mistakes that employers make when looking for new talent. These include unconscious bias in the recruiting team, an excessive number of people involved, and mismatched expectations.
While they are preventable, these mistakes can result in poor hiring decisions and outcomes. Here we look at five common mistakes and recommend ways to avoid them. There are several things you can do to make sure that your recruitment efforts are as successful as possible.
Unconscious bias is where a person’s life experiences, beliefs, and values impact their decisions without them realising. A company's culture should include a commitment to preventing unconscious bias in hiring as it has an impact on both the hiring procedure and the organisation as a whole. It is critical to keep an eye on hiring managers' choices as unconscious bias can make it challenging for companies to build diverse teams. For instance, employers should carefully consider the wording of job advertisements as well as the method used to interview and evaluate candidates. The language and terminology used should be neutral and represent the company's brand. Having a diverse interview panel is one of the best ways to prevent unconscious bias and increases the likelihood of selecting the best candidate first time around.
While the hiring and recruitment process will be slowed by having too many people involved, it may also adversely affect the candidate experience. Your time to hire will be negatively impacted, increasing the chances that your candidate will find employment elsewhere. It is advisable to only have a few interviewers as well as the minimal possible number of interview rounds. Additionally, avoid taking photos of candidates while they are being interviewed. If at all possible, hold off on making any announcements until after the job offer has been accepted by your preferred candidate.
Here, each side may have very different expectations. Often job descriptions do not reflect the actual responsibilities of the position, and the candidate can make incorrect assumptions. Numerous things can lead to this kind of mismatch including recruiters omitting key information or not going through the proper steps to identify the suitability of candidates applying for a role. Recruiting organisations need to actively understand the perspective of the candidate to ensure a mutually satisfying solution. The best recruiters should be aware of how to resolve problems like these. They understand that the hiring process is a great opportunity to weed out unqualified applicants and those whose skills don't match the job description.
Overlooking the need to properly communicate with candidates is a common recruitment blunder. It's crucial that you have open lines of communication with the candidates and that the communication is prompt and clear. Even if a candidate isn't a good fit, it’s important to inform them they haven’t been successful. Undertaking a post-recruitment review to ask about their experience of the process can help you improve in the future.
A successful interview process will help you hire the best candidates for your position based on the insights gained. Use fresh, structured, and job-related interview questions instead of overused and predictable ones to avoid bias and provide an inclusive and positive experience for candidates. Prepare in advance a structured interview format so that the same questions are asked of all candidates interviewing for the role to ensure consistency and fairness in the process, and to limit the opportunity for unconscious bias. Be clear as to why each question has been included with a definition of the type of information you are looking for out of each candidate’s answer.
While there are a number of areas where your recruitment progress can go off track, IPSEM Squared can assist you in ensuring you find the best candidate. If you are considering bringing on new staff, IPSEM Squared can help you navigate the recruitment process.