7 Common Hiring Manager Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Do hiring managers make mistakes? When searching for the ideal job, there are plenty of things that can go wrong for the average candidate. They might mess up their cv by covering it with accidental spelling mistakes, or you struggle to make the right impression when meeting a potential boss.

Equally hiring managers make mistakes. In this article, we are going to cover the 7 common mistakes hiring managers make, and how you can avoid them.

1. Being Too Rigid With Selection Criteria

Some recruiting managers are too rigid with their selection criteria. I believe a more flexible hiring process produces better results. Rather than always hiring people from the same background, try to branch out to bring a variety of backgrounds, capabilities, and skills to your staff. This can help build a much stronger team.

2. Treating Every Candidate the Same Way

People are diverse; each of your candidates took a different path that led them to apply for the job, and you should be aware of that. Sort your applicants into categories so you can bucket questions for similar resumes. An example: Don’t ask someone with 20 years of experience a brainteaser; don’t ask a new college graduate to detail the supply chain ecosystem of the entire industry.

3. Not Providing a Clear Job Description

Some hiring managers aren’t able to provide clear job descriptions to their potential hires. When a candidate applies for a job, they want to know what their day at work will be like and how their success will be measured. It’s vital that hiring managers are capable of offering a clear picture of the responsibilities. Otherwise, they might lose a talented candidate.

4. Not Listening to Candidates

Hiring managers tend to be legalistic in asking their questions, to the point that interviews often become about hearing what the hiring manager wants to hear instead of really listening to what a candidate is saying. It is when we listen well that we learn whether a person is actually a perfect fit for the company.

5. Using the Same Questions for Every Interview

In the digital age, it is common for people to publicly share the questions they were asked during an interview. Take the time to create unique questions for each role and each candidate. I like to spend time reviewing each applicant’s resume to identify specific questions or topics I should bring up in their interview.

6. Focusing Solely on Work Experience

When hiring managers focus solely on work experience and overlook the traits of the person they are hiring, they are making a mistake. I’ve seen this happen to companies in our industry. While work experience matters, a new hire’s personality can also have an impact on your business. I suggest asking casual questions during the interview to get a feel for an applicant’s personality.

7. Ghosting Candidates You Don’t Hire

I have heard of hiring managers who simply don’t follow up with candidates after they decide not to hire them. I think this is incredibly disrespectful to the candidate. We expect our hiring managers to respond to all applicants and give them updates throughout the process in a very timely manner.

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