There's no single guide that can guarantee 100% successful recruitment. However, you can find the best candidates by avoiding these common mistakes in your recruitment and screening process.

1. USING A SKIMMED JOB DESCRIPTION
Just type into the Google search bar, and you'll find countless job description templates for almost any position you can think of. Some recruiters simply copy these templates to create a job posting. This is easy, but not effective.

Your job posting is like a sales pitch. How can you attract the best people with just a generic and vague offer?

If you want to go the distance, be thorough from the start. A good job description isn't just a long list of prerequisites. It should include a brief introduction to your company and culture, followed by overall responsibilities, expected outcomes, and opportunities for growth. Additionally, avoid exaggerating or overstating the potential of the position you're hiring for.

2. CHOOSING THE WRONG JOB POSTING CHANNEL
Two situations you might encounter: you keep posting on the same channels you usually use, or you post everywhere in desperation. In the first case, you're attracting the same target audience over and over again. In the other, you might be wasting time on unsuitable platforms.

So, how can you increase recruitment most effectively?

Here are some things you can do:

Review the employees you've hired previously and identify the most effective recruitment channels to focus on them later.
If you haven't already, establish an internal employee referral policy.
Leverage your online presence to find candidates who are already interested in your business.
Think about where your potential customers are likely to find jobs. Do this. For example, if you're looking for positions that don't require experience, connect with universities and prominent student organizations to reach outstanding recent graduates.
Reach for passive candidates – those who are qualified but not actively seeking a new role. It's difficult to source and recruit this group because they are already satisfied with their jobs.
3. RECRUITMENT BASED ON EMOTION
Find a candidate who shares your personality traits and you think they'll be a good fit for your workplace?

We all understand the need to avoid discrimination in the recruitment and screening process, but it's not easy to avoid unconscious bias. You might inadvertently follow your instincts – more emotionally than rationally – when you find someone with the same status, age, gender, or religion.

The truth is, one-third of these new employees quit within the first six months. This is often due to poor work performance or inappropriate attitudes. Therefore, there's no guarantee that hiring decisions based on emotion will be successful. More importantly, emotional hiring also has a significant impact on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Meanwhile, every business needs diverse perspectives to innovate and reach new heights.

Want to avoid this situation? Build specific guidance and evaluation forms to collect more reliable data on each candidate. Stick closely to the job description to see if they meet the qualifications. Structure the interview with behavioral questions to assess their cultural fit.

4. WAITING FOR A PERFECT CANDIDATE
Are you looking for a candidate who meets all the qualification requirements, is a perfect fit for the work culture, and can handle the job immediately without further training?

You We're looking for "purple squirrels"—the purple squirrels! This term refers to perfect candidates, and like purple squirrels, they are extremely rare—if they even exist in real life!

Searching for these "flawless" candidates is a never-ending story. While pursuing this, you're leaving your team facing a prolonged shortage of personnel. Gradually, the heavy workload and stressful overtime hours will negatively impact their productivity and morale.

Instead, you should look for people who possess a wide range of soft skills and expertise, and who fit your workplace culture. With extensive experience, they can quickly acquire the specific skills needed for each job and integrate into the team.

Source: adecco