You may assume mistakes in an interview are limited to the prospective employee; however, the truth is, many employers make their share of mistakes when it comes to interviewing someone for a position. When you have a small business, a mistake can be amplified since the owner is also acting as a hiring manager, without the benefit of proper human resources experience and training.
Many of these mistakes take place before the candidate even walks in the door for the interview. Here’s a look at five mistakes employers might make when preparing to hire a new employee.
Ineffective Job Listing
Some employers, especially ones who are not used to writing job vacancy postings, may place an ad that is missing critical details or doesn’t accurately describe the position and the necessary qualifications. By listing a vague job ad, you could be inundated with thousands of resumes that are not the right fit. This could cause you to accidentally miss a good candidate while sifting through unqualified responses. In addition to drafting a proper job listing, you need to place it in the right publications. Placing it on job boards that target your key industry can help streamline the types of responses you receive.
Not Pre-Screening the Candidate
Pre-screening candidates can save you hours of time not wasted on face-to-face interviews with candidates that are not going to be a good fit. This gives you the opportunity to set better salary expectations as you might find out that a candidate expects a salary that is far beyond what the position pays or that their experience and knowledge is not in line with your current needs.
Not Researching Your Candidates
Dig deeper than just a person’s resume. Employers expect prospective employees to do their homework on the business they are interviewing with, and employers should do the same. Research their online profiles, social media, and whatever relevant information you need to look at. Relying solely on their resume may leave many unanswered questions or cause you to skip things you should be asking about during the interview.
Defining the Most Important Qualities
Before you bring a candidate in for an interview, you should make a checklist on what your most important requirements are. If you need someone with particular software experience and that is your number one requirement, it will help you stay focused during the interview when you are determining a candidate’s overall qualifications.
Failure to Prepare Your Interviewers
If you are hiring for a position, but other people are conducting initial interviews, it’s important to ensure they are prepared with the right questions and topics. If you are doing the interview yourself, you should take the information you’ve learned about the candidate, your requirements checklist, and other information to verify you have questions that will help you narrow down which candidate is the right fit for your company.
Use of a Labor and Employment Attorney
Having a West Palm Beach employment attorney on retainer is also a good idea for any business, especially a small one. Your attorney can help with a variety of employment related tasks, including drafting and reviewing employment contracts and ensuring you comply with all federal and state employment laws. Our team at Pincus & Currier LLP has experience in employment and labor law topics. Contact our office at 561-868-1340 to schedule a consultation.