5 Hiring Mistakes Small Businesses Frequently Make

One thing that defines a business is its employees. Having employees who are incapable of carrying out their duties properly will create inefficiencies, particularly if they occupy a significant role in the business. Unfortunately, lots of small to medium scale employers make a lot of common mistakes when hiring. In order to run a successful business, it is advisable to avoid these common hiring mistakes:

#1. Inadequate job description

Small business owners frequently make the mistake of not properly outlining what they need new employees to do. Before you even advertise that you’re hiring, clearly assess what duties the job will involve, who the person will report to, what experience and skills are needed, and what type of personality will work well both in the job and for your business.

Explaining all this will not only help attract qualified candidates, but will also help you assess each one’s suitability based on the definitions you created.

#2. Getting carried away

During interviews, a lot of small business employers make the mistake of not listening carefully, usually because they have been blown away by their first impression.

Some employers don’t even interview at all. This major mistake often leads to hiring people who look or sound great but aren’t really qualified for the job.

#3. Not checking references

Lots of job seekers tend to put up bogus information on their resumes. Business owners who operate on a large scale usually always check out references outlined in resumes, but small business owners are less likely to do so probably because they usually don’t have a dedicated HR department to handle all those details.

You should take out the time to contact schools and colleges to make sure that impressive candidate actually earned the degrees and certifications they claim they did. Contact former employers to verify dates of employment and get as much of a sense as you can of the candidate’s performance.

#4. Trusting your gut too much or too little

Person A: He fits the job description to a T, has all the perfect references but he just rubs you off the wrong way. You go with your feelings and you don’t hire him. Instead, you hire person B.

Person B: He is a sweet talker, and just knows all the right stories. Five minutes into the interview, he’s got you in stitches but he has no idea about what the job entails.

At the end of the day, you would probably end up with a new “bestie” who won’t be able to solve the problems you hired them to solve. This will usually be counter-productive. If you find that you are not a good judge of character, ask a trusted friend to have a minute or so with the job seeker.

 #5. Hiring family and friends

As an employer, you have to be occasionally brutal when your employees mess up, and this cannot be achieved if you have an inordinate amount of emotional attachment to them.

You’re not likely to be very impartial and objective with people you know intimately, as it might put a strain on your personal relationship. You’re probably better off not hiring anyone who is very close to you unless there are some compelling reasons why you really have to.