Don't Make These 5 Hiring Mistakes at Your Houston Company
October 12, 2010
As recruiters in Houston, Texas, we hear about hiring mistakes all too often. A candidate looks great on paper, performs well during an interview, and then is a major bust once they’re actually on the job. While some turnover is a fact of life for all employers, you can increase your chances of a successful hire by avoiding these five mistakes:
#1: Not getting referrals.
Many employers rely on job postings to develop a pool of candidates. But when you’re looking to fill a job opening, one of the best places to start is referrals from your existing employees. You may even want to consider offering a referral bonus for a successful hire.
#2. Not testing candidates.
Questionnaires and interviews can only get you so far when it comes to evaluating the skills of a candidate. Pre-employment testing can give you a much better indication of how a candidate will perform on the job. The kind of test you use depends on the type of position you are trying to fill. But there are many options out there – including general skills tests, specific skills tests, personality tests, and job simulations. When it comes to testing, you may also want to administer the tests to some of your top employees first to get a good benchmark by which you can measure candidates.
#3. Not checking references.
There are many candidates out there who present false or misleading information on their resume or during their interview. Therefore, it’s critically important that you require at least three references and you follow through and check each one thoroughly. This might seem like a no brainer. But many employers skip this step – and pay for it in the end.
#4: Not giving candidates a realistic preview of the job and the company.
When a new hire is unpleasantly surprised by a certain aspect of their new job, they may perform below expectations – or quit altogether. Therefore, it’s important that you give candidates a realistic preview of the tasks and responsibilities the position entails. That means the good, the bad, AND the ugly. Also, it’s important not to over-promise on things you can’t deliver. Be honest about what you can and cannot offer to a potential employee.
#5: Being influenced by advanced degrees.
Don’t overlook real world experience just because a candidate doesn’t have a lot of letters after their name. For some positions, an advanced degree is a requirement. But for many, a successful track record is a better indication of job performance.
And if you need help recruiting, evaluating, testing, or hiring at your Houston company, contact Murray Resources. As experienced recruiters in Houston, Texas, we know how to identify, attract, evaluate and hire top notch talent.