10 common recruitment mistakes employers make (and how to avoid them)

Hiring the wrong employee can cost small businesses significant time, money, and productivity. There are a few common recruitment mistakes we see employers make again and again during the hiring process, from poorly written job ads to unstructured interviews.

In this post, we outline the most common recruitment mistakes employers make, explain why they lead to poor hiring outcomes, and share recruitment best practices to help businesses attract, hire, and retain the right people.

Key takeaways from this post:

• Structured recruitment processes lead to better hiring decisions.
• Clear job descriptions improve candidate quality.
• Employers should avoid relying solely on intuition during interviews.
• Strong onboarding reduces early employee turnover.
• Following recruitment best practices improve long-term retention.

1. Not following a structured recruitment process

This rates number one because approaching recruitment haphazardly can really hamper the results.

There are many parts to the recruitment process and no single step guarantees you’ll attract top-flight applicants and select the best one.

You may have a great role that many talented people apply for but then make mistakes due to messy interview or random candidate-selection processes.

The trick is using all the steps together consistently to get the best outcome. Be aware of the pros and cons of each phase, so you know where you might discount or endorse someone incorrectly. The pros of one step should mitigate the cons of another.

A structured approach is also much easier to implement, which means it is easier to analyse and improve upon next time. Use technology to help automate basic tasks and assist with analysis.

Remember too, that you will have way more unsuccessful candidates than successful, and if they have a bad experience, that will damage your reputation. Be organised when they show up. Uphold any time commitments you make. Communicate proactively with all the candidates, so they are informed of progress.

2. Failing to clearly define the role’s purpose and responsibilities

Starting recruitment with a job description that doesn’t accurately define the work you need done is a really basic error.

Many organisations don’t take the time up front to determine the current and future needs of the company and role, and then let the recruitment process shape the position.

Everything flows from having a clear view of the job, tasks, and your expectations. Ask yourself what you’re recruiting for? An accurate, honest job description will keep you focused on the sort of person, skills, and qualifications you need.

It will also mean potential candidates know exactly what they are applying for, which will help attract the right sorts of people (and help you keep them once they’re hired).

But there is a balance to be struck. You don’t want the job description to be so detailed and granular that it is hard to understand and confuses the purpose of the role.

3. Overselling the job opportunity

In seeking to attract the cream of the crop, it can be tempting to aggrandise the position or promise more opportunities than there actually are.

It won’t take long for your new hire to find out whether the role is more limited (or more demanding) than described, or if any promised likelihood of advancement or bonuses were exaggerated. Any mismatch in expectations can cause a sharp loss of motivation and could start the person looking for work elsewhere (nearly 33% of new hires look for a new job within their first 6 months, according to Harvard Business Review research).

Again, the work you do in defining the job will help clarify what you need from a candidate and exactly what you can offer them.

4. Over-reliance on CVs or references

Some people spend hours pouring over CVs, analysing and comparing details. Others may take all the glowing praise of referees literally.

CVs really aren’t that accurate at predicting a candidate's suitability for the role; it’s easy to embellish or make up details, and it’s hard to verify any claims made.

We recommend sorting quickly through CVs to create a short list. Look for consistency, alignment with your needs, quality formatting, grammar and spelling. Compare them to LinkedIn (or other social media) profiles. If any achievements look too good to be true, flag them for checking later.

Use referees to supplement the information you collect during the interview and selection process. We all choose referees because we know they’ll paint us in a favourable light. When talking to referees, ask about strengths and any development needs to help get a fuller picture of the person.

Learn more about how to effectively screen applicants.

5. Poorly structured interviews

Interviews are an important chance to meet candidates, get a feel for their abilities and personalities, and hone in on their background, insights, and motivations. But too often they can be variable, vague, or overbearing.

Interviewing is a skill that needs to be approached with preparation and structure. You’re not sitting down for a cosy chat but nor is it an inquisition.

Try to create a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere to put people at ease. Have basic set questions so you can compare responses. Also have some curly or unusual ones that require thought and creativity to answer so you can get some detail about what a person has previously done, what they’re good at, areas for development etc.

Don’t do all the talking or use questions that leave candidates with little room to discuss themselves or their skills. You need more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. A good rule of thumb is to have the candidate speak for 80% of the interview.

Remember, some people are better than others in an interview situation and this isn’t always an exact predictor of their ability to do a job.

6. Letting bias influence hiring decisions

By the time you get to the selection process, you have usually developed a sense of which candidate(s) you prefer. But paying too much heed to ‘gut feelings’ can lead to hiring mistakes.

We like to think we’re rational and balanced thinkers but our hunches are usually informed by a lot of things, including unconscious biases and social preferences. So instead of looking objectively at candidates, you can end up narrowing it down to those who share your background, ethnicity, age, gender etc. (also known as the “like me” bias).

Your intuition can be useful, but to balance it include a range of assessments that give you some concrete results, like psychometric tests and work samples.

If you’re still in doubt, step back and get someone you trust in the business to give you a second opinion. Having them review the information or even conduct further short interviews could really clarify things.

7. Overlooking internal candidates

There’s no reason to assume the best candidates aren’t already working with you, but plenty of people overlook existing employees to cast their net in the wider market.

Quite apart from the time- and cost-savings, filling roles internally means the person is already part of the team, understands your company’s culture, processes, and mission, and is likely to get up to speed in the new role faster than a brand new hire.

Promoting and training up your own team members is good for wider morale and team spirit, as it clearly demonstrates career progression and trust. It also helps you retain any intellectual capital that you’d lose if the person left.

8. Waiting for the "perfect" candidate

We all know the story about the prince or princess who waited for their perfect match and ended up forever single. It happens in recruiting, too.

While there is little point in filling a role with someone you don’t expect to succeed, keeping the vacancy open indefinitely can put strain on you, your team, and the company.

If you’re having trouble finding someone after advertising a couple of times, it is probably time to check if your expectations about the role, the market, and pay rates are realistic.

If you’re not getting the calibre of person you want, either you’re not positioning the role right, you’re not offering sufficient incentives (not just remuneration), or there’s something else going on that makes your organisation unattractive..

9. Thinking short-term

Of course, recruiting is about filling an immediate gap in the team. But don't make the mistake of discounting the wider, longer-term picture.

Even if you don’t find the right person for a role, or aren’t in the position to hire new staff right now, you should always keep an eye out for talent and build connections.

Another part of the long-term picture is providing opportunities for the people you hire to develop and grow. Again, this speaks to the defining work you need to do up-front, so the role is informed by your company’s strategy and vision.

A new hire that leaves after a short time will ultimately cost your business time and money in lost productivity and low motivation, and you’ll also be back recruiting again.

10. Neglecting employee onboarding

Nothing sets a new recruit up for failure quite like cutting them adrift as soon as they’re hired.

Once you have offered someone a job, communicating poorly (or not at all) only serves to create doubt and uncertainty about their decision. Instead, see it as part of the recruitment process that starts with the job design and ends when the new employee’s onboarding is complete.

Don’t wait until after they start to provide them with their employment agreement. Give them any important company policies or documents to review before their first day. There may also be tools or programs that they can get familiar with.

When the person arrives for work the first time, ensure you are totally ready. Be there to meet them and spend time with them. It may sound cheesy, but a buddy can help the new person with all the unofficial, cultural practices in the organisation and provide a safe person to ask questions.

It typically takes a new hire around 3 months to become fully integrated into the team and hit their straps in a role. If you’re experiencing any employee churn in those first 90 days, then you probably need to brush up your recruitment practices.

Our article explores the importance of effective employee onboarding.

Bonus: Job ad mistakes to avoid

• Long-winded or vague ads - postings need to be concise and engaging (and be free of errors) so the right candidates are motivated to apply.

• Missing vital information - the ad should have the specific job title and location, the key skills you’re after, any experience or qualifications needed, and a basic explanation of the role’s responsibilities.

• Language and tone that doesn’t reflect the company or your products/services - include information about your business and industry along with keywords to boost searchability and attract people with a better fit. But don’t overdo the jargon.

• Not doing research into targeting before placing the ad - don’t just default to old networks or job boards/sites if you want the best results.

• Not making use of your existing employee networks and social media - the best candidates may be nearer than you think (and they will probably be reading the job ad on their phone).

Get answers to common recruitment questions.