A bad hire can cost your company anywhere from 30% to 150% of their annual pay – and that’s just their salary. Hiring the wrong person is even more costly when you consider its negative effects on team productivity and client confidence in your organisation.
The good news is that conducting a well-thought-out interview can be the difference between a great hire and a big headache. To add to your knowledge on how to hire an employee, here are some common mistakes that you’ll want to avoid while doing an interview.
Overlooking important traits
Avoid spending too much time probing specific skills required for a position while overlooking traits like critical thinking or initiative, which may be harder to develop or come by naturally.
Asking hypothetical questions
Avoid asking “How would you handle a problem client?”, and instead ask “Tell me about a time you handled a problem client.”
Candidates can and will tell you what you want to hear if you ask a hypothetical question. If you fall for such answers, you will encounter hiring problems.
Remember: A real-world experience is always better.
Not probing past work history
Not digging deeper into a candidate’s work history is a common mistake. Instead, zero in on a prior job that’s closely related to your open role, and spend time learning more about that experience.
Those details will give you a better idea of how qualified the candidate is for the position.
Talking too much about the company
Don’t spend too much time talking about your organisation. The interview’s purpose is to learn about the candidate, their experience, and how they’ll fit into your role in the company.
To hire an employee correctly, apply the 80/20 rule where you listen 80% of the time, and speak only 20% of the time.
Not doing live tests
Portfolios and work samples can be faked. Instead, perform a live test to see how good your applicants really are.
For instance, if you’re interviewing writers, ask candidates to write an article for your website. If it’s for a programming role, do a live coding test on platforms like HackerRank or CodeSignal.
Intimidating the candidate
There is enough pressure on an applicant during an interview without deliberately adding more. Now isn’t the time to see how they respond to high-pressure intimidating tactics during the interview.
Presenting a one-sided view
Be honest about the pros and cons of the job (as well as your company’s) during interviews. This will help weed out the wrong people and build trust with high-potential candidates.
Being inconsiderate or unprofessional
If you’re late or have to cancel an interview, apologise. Pay attention and don’t read emails or accept phone calls during the interview – that’s rude.
Prioritizing personality over skills and experience
Our natural tendency is to hire people we like, which is based on our feeling of connection with them. Don’t fall for the “just like me” trap.
Giving average attention to above average candidates
If you’re interested in a candidate, let them know during the interview by providing positive feedback. Ideally, you should follow up the interview with a thank you email within 48 hours.
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