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As a business owner or manager, when you have an open position available at your company, you want to make sure you have everything squared away before you start searching for candidates. Inadequate preparation for the process can result in you hiring the wrong person.

Before you even start looking for someone, you need to prepare for it. There are many things to consider during this time of preparation. There are also several mistakes you need to avoid! We’ve made a list of things to watch out for while you get ready to start looking for top talent.

 

Preparation for hiring

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Not Adequately Identifying the ‘Ideal Candidate’

Every business owner and manager should have a general description of the ‘ideal candidate’ available. You’re going to hire the wrong person if you ‘wing it’ and hire the best-sounding person who next walks through the door. This crucial step in the preparation process shouldn’t be ignored.

Is there someone in your company who you trust and admire as an employee? Is their behavior and work ethic something to emulate? Was a previous employee a good example? Establish first what the ideal candidate is before you go searching for them. It will save you the headache of making mistakes.

 

Being Too Picky

Knowing who your ideal candidate is one thing, but being too picky with your ideal candidate is another mistake you don’t want to make.

You might be the kind of person who has had plenty of bad experiences in the past. Employees didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to, and you felt like you made a mistake with your hiring. This can lead to you being so particular about who you want to hire that you reject perfectly acceptable candidates.

Your hiring preparation shouldn’t focus too much on the small details of who a person is, but rather, how they fit into the company and what value they can provide to you.

 

Not Tapping Into Existing Talent Pool

For job seekers, it’s who you know, not what you know. For hiring, the same is also true.

Your preparation should include the phase in which you look to your existing employee roster for candidates.

Sometimes it may sound better to hire a brand-new person to the job, or exclusively hire people who have no connections within your company at all. While this may be a good idea initially, you might find yourself searching for the right person for a long time. This isn’t ideal. We recommend sourcing your employees and asking them if they know anyone who would make a good fit. Circulate emails or fliers to them concerning the new position. You might be surprised with what you find.

You might also have a stack of resumes somewhere in your office or on your computer from past job postings. Looking through those may give you some leads as well.

 

Not Utilizing Job Search Services

Whether it is using online job boards, physical media, or staffing agencies, you don’t want to go into the hiring process without tools and allies.

Tools such as social media and job boards, like Indeed, can give your position the exposure it needs to find the right person. Even though hiring is done mostly through word of mouth, job seekers are increasingly using the internet to search for jobs. Ignoring this part of your hiring preparation means you are skipping out on the potential for more applications.