Five Biggest Hiring Mistakes for 2011

by Alex A. Kecskes



As we come out of the current recession, administrative managers across the country will be facing a shortage of talent. Competition will be fierce to grab the brightest minds with the most promise. To ensure you nab the best people, there are some things you need to consider:



1. Falling for "Happy Talk." There will be a large pool of candidates who will be using the old "smoke and mirrors" to convince you that they should never have been laid off. They've got lots of "blue sky" happy talk about motivation and energy, but it doesn't jibe with their resume. They will have had a number of interviews but no job offers. References will be thin or include companies that have gone out of business. They will mask job titles, fudge employment dates, and they'll call their termination a layoff. They were the only one laid off at their company or department.



2. Improper Reference Checks. You've got to go beyond the two- or three-person reference check. You must compare his or her past companies and departments to your own. What could be outstanding performance in one firm, could be barely acceptable in yours. Environments and performance yardsticks should be mentioned when you talk to previous employers. Otherwise it's "apples to oranges."



3. Knowledge and Skill Sets. Make sure your candidate meets the basic requirements of skills, knowledge and attributes the job requires. You must be hard nosed about this, even if the candidate has a charming, outgoing personality that dovetails with yours.



4. Aiming Too High. There's no such thing as the perfect candidate. Everyone has weaknesses. Don't make the mistake of looking for perfection. If you've been looking for months and still haven't found the right person, you may want to consider hiring a solid, stable individual with drive and intelligence, then simply train them to your exact needs.



5. Junior HR, Senior Candidate. If you're looking for a VP or senior manager and you're letting a junior HR person take first crack at them, you might be losing out on the right candidate. Senior and upper level people should be interviewed and screened by senior HR staff, not someone just out of college or with one or two years experience. Also, make sure the hiring manager at your company has some experience in the field associated with your department or division.



For an additional perspective, check out this video:





Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients. Please see more of his blogs and view additional job postings on Nexxt.