The hiring process can be full of challenges. Recruitment and hiring are expensive line items to be sure. The cost of a bad hire (or several) is even more of a hit to your bottom line. It might not seem like such a costly mistake at first, but truly, reducing turnover and retaining talent is one of the most profitable actions a company can take.
Even the most experienced hiring managers can sometimes onboard someone who they regret hiring. Whether a bad hire is someone who is not as experienced or qualified as they led a company to believe or someone who simply is not able to meet the needs of the job, the cost at the end of the day is the same. Each new team member always carries some form of risk. That’s why it’s a good idea not to rush, be thoughtful with your decision-making, and take these steps to reduce that risk as much as possible.
1. Take a Closer Look At Your Hiring Process
Firstly, it’s essential to evaluate your recruitment and onboarding strategy. Are you rushing because the project needs are so great? Is there an opportunity to broaden your reach? Expand your talent pipeline? Strategy is the keyword here. You need to think through the hiring process from the perspective of reducing your risk of a bad hire. Organizations can take steps to avoid hiring problems in the interview stage by having a consistent interview strategy, following a set list of questions, and getting to know a candidate through several layers of interviewers (such as a call with a recruiter, in-person meetings with a supervisor, a quick chat with the director, and so on). Having multiple people evaluate the fit and qualifications of a candidate will help to weed out the bad seeds before they become problematic.
2. Hiring Proactively and Carefully
Another common source of bad hiring choices is having to make decisions under pressure, such as project timelines or increased workload. Hiring from a strategic, long-term mindset can help your company avoid costly errors in staffing choices. Thinking strategically to evaluate your current and future hiring needs will help you to prevent reactive recruiting. Think about hiring in terms of your long-term needs.
Take the time to assess what experience and qualifications are needed to succeed within the listed job opportunity and engage with recruiters and staffing firms to help you find the type of quality talent that will meet your needs now and in the future. When you hire multiple people at the same time, you inevitably increase your risk. Slow down. Be thoughtful. And start looking before it’s an emergency.
3. Offload Your Risk by Working with a Staffing Partner
Possibly the best thing you can do to remove luck from the hiring equation is partnering with a hiring expert who knows what to look for in a candidate, how to bring them best onboard, and provide them with the support and information a new hire needs to get up to speed quickly. That investments costs companies in a big way, but by bringing in someone who has the expertise to find and recruit the right people for the job, you’re on your way to more successful hires and more peace of mind.
Connect with Our Expert Recruiters
If you’re looking for a partner in your staffing strategy for the new year, connect with the team of expert recruiters at ESGI today.
