If you open Glassdoor, you will see a big variety of responses and reviews about organizations in general and their selection processes. Recruitment can be a complex, resource demanding process and it is easy to fall into pitfalls while conducting the selection. In this post we collected the 5 most common mistakes teams can make while hiring.

5 Difficult application process

When recruitment processes are created or new software is purchased the focus is often on price, user-friendliness and modifiability. Sadly the very first step, how candidates are applying is often overlooked. Candidates need to be able to apply for your job posting easily, without running different hoops. If the application process is very complicated or even bugged, your potential new hire most likely will abandon it and will apply somewhere else. You also need to be considerate to the fact, that many candidates are applying nowadays via mobile devices and tablets – so your solution, system needs to cater that, too!

4 Lengthy process

I’m sure everyone can tell a few examples from the past, how long and how many steps their worst recruitment experience took. Many interview rounds, tests, references used in a troublesome very complicated way will bring down your candidate experience; if not leading for candidates to withdraw from it. When you design or review a recruitment process, try to focus on the essentials and if possible to tailor it the field. Don’t forget, IT professionals may need a different process then your key account managers; never mind the level of the future employee.

3 Communication (or the lack of it)

One of the biggest issues and complaints you can read online by candidates, that the correspondence between them and the hiring organizations either were slow or not existent at all. You need to make sure your candidate is continuously informed, aware about their status in the selection process and they have all the information they need. If you wait too long to make decisions (e.g. 2-3 weeks) without an email or a call, the candidate will consider it as a rejection and will move on. It is also important to keep in mind, the communication needs to be professional and appropriate.

2 No feedback

Can you think about the last time you have got a feedback after a rejection from a position you have been interviewed for? Probably you can think about one or two, but most likely you can not think about it in a way, like if it would happen often. Please put yourself into the shoes of your applicants. After putting all the efforts of the process – submitting an application, attending on interviews or even completing tests and tasks – all these efforts made for the end to receive a generic, automated e-mail saying “we are sorry, we decided to continue with others”. Candidates you interacted with during interviews need to receive a feedback when you reject them, so they can take that and develop themselves, so next time they could be more successful. Every feedback can be formulated in a respectful, meaningful way and providing feedback does not automatically cause law suits – unless you did something unlawful.

1 First impressions

As mentioned in the communications point, professionalism is very important. The candidate’s first experience with your organization is through the hiring process, even more importantly, probably your recruiter will provide that first experience. The behavior and communication by your hiring team will create that first impression and you need to make sure it is in a flattering, positive manner. Coach and educate your hiring managers on how to conduct interviews, what to ask, what not to ask and make sure your teams are following up with the candidates and provide them the best experience they can get. Remember, a candidate who you ended up not hiring today, while had a positive impression and experience about you might come back to be your next hire an another time.

+1 Not committing to interviews
There is more common mistake, which for sure won’t leave a positive impression and experience in candidates, is the situation, when you already invited them for an interview and then before it would take place you cancel it and notify the applicant, that you selected someone else. When you do this, the candidate may feel, that their time was wasted and you made a decision without giving them the chance to convince you, they would be the best. This also questions the legitimacy of your decision, meaning how do you know you picked someone “stronger”, if you haven’t even talked to them? As a golden rule, if you invited the candidate for an interview, you have to conduct that interview, it is that simple.

This list is hardly complete and could be continued with additional details and potential pitfalls. Creating and perfecting a recruitment process, which is effective and leaves positive impression on your candidates can be difficult. At SORUL we provide consultations to organizations in various HR topics, so they can achieve more and become better. Probably we could help yours, too! Contact us now.