Help Avoid Hiring Mistakes

Small businesses are prone to costly hiring mistakes.

Here are the top 5 and how to avoid each one:

Mistake #1: Offering compensation that is not competitive.

Compensation can be a lot more than salary and fringes—such as opportunities for professional growth and advancement, a pleasant yet exciting work environment, and flexibility in assignments and hours. Stress all parts of the package when making a job offer.

Mistake #2. Relying only on traditional recruiters.

Expand sources of potential employees by using online job boards, university job fairs, employment agencies, schools, and professional organizations.

Mistake #3. Not marketing your firm.
While you are sizing up employees, they are sizing up you. Don’t assume they know your company’s strengths — even if you have sent them brochures or mentioned them before. People interviewing for jobs may be too focused on how they are coming across to memorize what they have read or what you have told them.

Mistake #4. Not planning for turnover.
Don’t wait for someone to leave to look for a replacement. You may need a “body” so soon that you don’t have time to figure out that the job has changed slightly and that you are looking for someone with different
skills from the person who left. Plan for turnover, especially in key positions. Build a talent pool early—and
often—so that key positions can be easily filled if a key person walks.

This leads to frequent, costly turnover. A well-thought-out recruiting plan can avoid these costly mistakes.