Ten Biggest Hiring Mistakes

Most companies and even HR don't know the biggestThe solution.
hiring mistakes. I'll bet you can't name the number 1All that’s required is a structured approach
biggest hiring mistake?that enables companies toavoid the predictable pitfalls
So how do you fix your hiring problems if you don'tthat plague many high-level hires. Basedon our
know what they are?experience hiring thousands of executives, we have
Prior to publishing our book, “You’re NOTdeveloped amethodology that consists of eight
The Person I Hired” we conducted an in-depthdistinct steps:
study of hiring practices in 134 different companies in1. Build a multi-faceted Success Factor Snapshotä to
the manufacturing, high-tech, distribution, retailandguide the entiresearch process.
service industries. The study examined 2252. Implement a deep sourcing strategy to reach and
executive-level hires todetermine what worked well,attract selectiveand sleeper candidates.
what didn’t work well, and where3. Identify and verify success prospects.
mostcompanies tend to stumble.4. Create structured dossiers on selected candidates
Among its many findings, the study identified tento enable objective,unbiased evaluation and
common hiring mistakesthat plague companies of allcomparison.
sizes. You can get the complete survey for free by5. Conduct Success Factor-based panel interviews
clicking hereusing a
Three Causal Factors contributed greatly to the root“magnifying glass” probe methodology.
cause of these mistakes:6. Proactively address and overcome obstacles to
In most cases, the finding suggested these hiringhire throughout theentire active interviewing process.
mistakes are notcaused by willful ignorance or7. Streamline compensation and benefit negotiations
negligence. Rather, hires that fail toproduce thethrough structuredinterview-based preliminary
desired results are most often the result of agroundwork.
predictablecombination of causal factors, including:8. Follow through on the hire with proven transition
1) Inadequate preparation. The company fails to takecommunicationand work style assessment, coaching
the time tooutline a detailed, measurable definition ofand facilitation.
“success” that canbe used to source, evaluateTogether, these steps comprise the “Success
and select candidates. Instead,most hiringFactor Methodology,” (the content for our book,
organizations rely on outdated or insufficient jobspecsand our on-site hiring course ), a proven process for
that merely list desired attributes, educationalimproving your ability to find, recruit and hire
attainmentand other minimally useful criteria.toplevelexecutive talent. Each step in the process
2) Lack of information. Many hiring managers lack therequires the full collaborationof stakeholders in all the
informationand training to hire effectively at thebusiness units affected by the potentialhire. But when
executive level.you employ the methodology in a consistent and
3) Human nature. Interpersonal situations likesystematicmanner, the outcome is a hire with a
interviews are oftenguided primarily by gut feelings.significantly increasedlikelihood of long-term success.
The hiring team that has notbeen trained to minimizeFor more information on building a successful hiring
these distractions is easily influencedby preconsciousprocess visit our website at
perceptions and nonverbal cues.If you found this helpful please share with others.
In most cases it’s a lack of replicable hiringAlso, please leave a comment to let us know if we
process to improve outcomes.are helping. Even, thanks, helpful, interesting or a
An Methodology for Successshort note is appreciated.