In this day and age, small businesses can avoid most hiring mistakes. You want to make sure you’re hiring the best talent for your company, as the quality of the people you hire will directly impact your company’s success.
So here are some mistakes you should avoid at all costs:
Not interviewing enough candidates
One of the biggest mistakes a small business can make is not interviewing enough candidates. When you only interview one or two candidates, you’re not giving yourself enough options, and you may end up hiring the wrong person. Interview at least three to five candidates so that you can compare their skills and qualifications and find the best fit for your company.
You can also use a phone interview as a first step to narrow down the number of candidates you’ll need actually to meet in person. This way, you’ll know which ones are worth having an actual conversation with and which ones aren’t.
Not checking references
Another mistake small businesses often make is not checking references. References are a great way to learn more about a candidate’s skills, qualifications, work ethic, and personality. You can ask the candidates for their references and then contact those references to get more information.
You can also do a background check on candidates to learn more about their background and work history. This will help you determine if they will be a good fit for your company. If you need a comprehensive check, you can contact a background screening company to help you find out more about your candidates.
Hiring family members
Many small businesses tend to hire their family members, which can be a mistake. You may feel like you have some extra leeway with them, but the truth is that you don’t. By hiring your family member, you’re putting more pressure on them, and it’s not fair to either one of you. Remember that they are just as capable of doing a bad job as anyone else, so try to avoid this at all costs.
Another reason is that if your family member doesn’t do a good job, you’ll have to face your family, which can be awkward. You don’t want to lose face with them because they will feel let down. And as we all know, guilt is a compelling emotion, and it’s better not to make someone feel guilty of something they didn’t do well.
Letting the candidate’s resume speak for them rather than asking questions about it
When you rely solely on a candidate’s resume, you’re not getting the full picture. By asking questions about their resume, you’re able to find out more about their skills and qualifications. You can also get a sense of their work ethic and personality. This is important because you want to ensure that the candidate is a good fit for your company.
If you just rely on the resume, you may hire someone who isn’t a good fit for your company or doesn’t have the skills and qualifications you need. You also don’t want to hire someone who will be a bad fit for your company culture. So make sure to ask questions about the candidates’ resumes to understand better who they are.
Focusing on credentials, not skills or experience
One of the biggest mistakes a small business can make is focusing on credentials, not skills or experience. The focus should be on looking at qualifications first, but you should also consider other things like the candidate’s work ethic and personality to ensure they won’t be a bad fit for your company.
You may find someone with all the right skills and qualifications, but they might not be suitable for your company because they do not share your company culture, or they might not work well with others. You want to make sure that the person will fit in well with your company’s overall culture and that they will mesh well with everyone else to avoid any conflict.
Making assumptions about a candidate based on their gender, age, race, religion, etc., instead of objectively looking at their qualifications
Many people make the mistake of making assumptions about a candidate based on their gender, age, race, religion, etc.
If you’re hiring a woman for a project that has a predominately male workforce, then she may feel more pressure from her co-workers to do well. She may also feel less supported in the workplace.
This is why it’s important to hire based on qualifications and not career background or anything else so that everyone feels they have an equal chance at getting the job.
Remember that there are also illegal questions because of these common assumptions. These can include anything revealing information about a person’s ethnicity, nationality, origin, or religious beliefs. Avoid questions related to age, gender, or anything else that might be considered discriminatory.
By avoiding these mistakes, you can ensure that your company hires the best talent for the job. This will help ensure that you can get the most out of the best employees that will help your company succeed.
