5 Common Mistakes That an Employer Makes When looking To Hire

Did you know that most people make their opinion of someone in just 90 seconds? This applies not only to employers, but applicants too!

Would you be impressed by a potential employer who kept you waiting in the reception area for more than 10 minutes, wasn’t professionally dressed or had a limp handshake? Yes, the applicant has to make a good impression but don’t forget that the applicant also needs to be impressed. How can this be achieved, and what are the common mistakes employers make in this regard? Here I’ve identified 5 of them.

1. Lack of enthusiasm

The biggest fault an employer can make when hiring people is to not take the interview process seriously. Interviewing applicants may not feel like the best use of your time. However, don’t make the mistake of sending a more junior member of staff into the interview as this can put the organisation at risk of losing a strong applicant. I would always recommend that the first interview especially is conducted by someone senior within the organisation.

2. Forgetting to sell

Not giving enough attention to the job specification is the 2nd biggest fault that an employer can make. Many job specifications are out of date, recycled and put together within minutes. If you are looking to attract the best candidates, including individuals who may not necessarily be actively looking for a new role, then you have to entice them by selling the role through exceptional job specifications.

Many employers fail to understand that they need to sell the role, the organisation and its employees to entice the strongest candidates in the market. It’s important to emphasise how candidates will benefit from joining your organisation.

3. Being unrealistic

Wouldn’t it be great to find the perfect candidate who ticks all the boxes for a role? However, did you know that people are unlikely to go for a like-for-like role unless they are currently being underpaid or have personal issues within the team or company that they work for?

In order to find the right candidate for your role you need to be realistic as to what motivates people to move. Selling the benefits of the role (see above) are important along with financial compensation. Why would a candidate move out of their comfort zone and into essentially the same role if there is no financial incentive for them?

But beware, if you’re recruiting someone who is moving purely for a monetary reason then there is a risk that this employee may move along swiftly once someone else offers them better money.

4. Passing unfair judgement

Don’t assume that someone who is not currently working is unsuitable to take on a new role. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being made redundant.

When interviewing an applicant who is not currently working it’s important to identify what they have been doing to keep active. Ask them to explain their current day as, after all, it’s now their job to find a job.

Has the applicant enrolled onto courses to improve their skills, knowledge or self-development? Perhaps they have attended seminars or workshops to improve their job seeking or personal skills?

Perhaps they have pursued an interest or hobby which otherwise would have been put to one side if working. There is no right or wrong answer but showing initiative and having something of interest to say during an interview adds to the person’s character and can also help you to identify their approach to work.

5. Keeping silent

Feedback is an important part of the process when hiring people, however it’s generally extremely poor and in some cases even forgotten.

For various reasons people don’t like to pass on bad news, but constructive feedback is very important to an applicant. It can help to improve interview technique and will also leave the applicant with a positive impression of the company should a more suitable role become available in the future.

It may seem obvious, but passing on good news is also vital during the interview process. If you’re keen to proceed then informing the applicant as soon as possible is essential, as any time delay could mean that you lose a potential employee.

Please note that I would never encourage an employer to make an offer after a first interview, this can sometimes overwhelm an applicant, it can also give the impression of being desperate and on many occasions any offers made in such a short time will be declined.


Nikki Hutchison

Chilli Pepper Global provides a career mentoring service that specialises in giving executives an edge over their competitors. It’s important to note that Chilli Pepper Global is not a recruitment agency and work only with talented people to support their success www.chillipepperglobal.com