As we get ready for the new year, we at CareerBee believe it is important to evaluate our current recruiting practices and define our improvements for the next year.
Why? Because even though recruiting the right talent is a critical aspect of a company’s success, many firms find themselves doing common mistakes in the hiring process.
This can be due to time constraints, lack of resources, or misjudgments. But no matter why these pitfalls happen, the problem is that they can hinder a company’s ability to attract and retain the best candidates.
That is why In this blog post, we’ll explore the most common mistakes companies make when recruiting for open positions and discuss strategies you should implement instead in 2024.
The recruiting mistakes to avoid in 2024
What mistakes do you need to avoid in 2024? Here’s an overview:
- Writing generic job descriptions
- Neglecting your employer brand
- Slow decision-making
- Focusing too much on technical skills and ignoring cultural fit
- Waiting for applicants instead of doing active outreach
Let’s take a closer look at each of them.
1. Writing unclear job descriptions
One of the most common mistakes we see happening in the recruitment process is the creation of generic or misleading job descriptions that are vague and don’t tackle what the job is really about. And it starts with the title of the job ad. When you fail to articulate the responsibilities, expectations, and qualifications accurately, it can result in attracting candidates who do not fit the job or your company. This results in a waste of time for all parties involved and leads to big frustrations.
What to do instead? It is important to invest time in truly understanding who you need for the job based on what tasks you expect the person to do. Make sure to choose a title that the target group you want to attract would look for. On top, separate between must-have and nice-to have criteria. This will make it easier for the right candidates, to identify if the job fits them and will make your decision process easier later on. If you are unsure how to create a good job ad, make sure to download our free job ad template here.
2. Neglecting your employer brand
Especially for small- and mid-sized companies, the employer brand plays a significant role in attracting top talent. But companies often make the error of neglecting their online presence and reputation. Keep in mind that in today’s digital age, talents research companies extensively before applying, that includes social media, and a negative online image will impact their decision making.
What to do instead? Start with your career page. Make sure to have a career page that speaks to talents and shows insights into working for you. On top, it will be important to make sure to use the power of social media to your advantage. For example, showcase your company culture by for example sharing employee statements. It is also important to respond to reviews on sites like kununu.com or glassdoor.com and create a positive image. A strong employer brand will help you to not only attract the right candidates but also reinforce your company culture.
3. Slow decision-making
Of course hiring the right candidate should not be a process that is rushed too much. But at the same time, it should not be a process that is dragged for months. Especially as candidates nowadays are receiving many job opportunities at the same time. When the process is too slow, candidates will choose another employer and you might have lost a lot of the previously invested time while loosing the candidate in the last steps of the process.
What to do instead? The key rule here is good organisation and to have a timely communication with your candidates. Have a very well organized recruiting process where candidates feel comfortable and valued throughout every step so you can make a decision within 2-4 weeks instead of months.
4. Focusing too much on technical skills and ignoring cultural fit
While technical skills are undoubtedly crucial, companies often make the mistake of focsuing too much on them and overlooking the importance of cultural fit and interpersonal skills. Especially nowadays where jobs are changing fast and also the requirements and challenges constantly evolve, it is important to find someone who can keep pace with it and who will stick with the company due to high cultural fit and great interpersonal skills.
What to do instead? To address this, incorporate questions or assessments of interpersonal skills and cultural fit into the hiring process. You can for example engage candidates in scenarios that reflect the company culture and values and ask them how they would react in specific situations. This approach will help you to identify talents that not only meet the technical requirements but also integrate seamlessly into the team.
5. Waiting for applicants instead of doing active outreach
Waiting for a highly qualified candidate to just apply via your website is a thing of the past in todays job market. If you want to get the best talent, you need to actively approach them with a good or better offer than what they have right now.
What to do instead? Invest some time and do active outreach via LinkedIn or other social media platforms. Write a short and concise message about what you offer and what is in for them. You will probably need to contact quiet a few candidates, but in the end, you will get very good results and also get direct feedback from the market.
If you do not have the capacity for it, we recommend to work with a recruiting agency like us to help you with it.
Conclusion: The recruiting mistakes to avoid in 2024
Getting ready for 2024 also means challenging current recruiting practices and learning from past mistakes. From unclear job descriptions and neglecting the employer brand to slow decision-making, ignoring cultural fit, and not focusing on an active outreach, these pitfalls can have long-lasting effects for your team.
By addressing these challenges head-on, you can build a robust and effective recruitment strategy for 2024 that not only identifies the right candidates but also prepares your for the future.
