Typical mistakes in personnel selection

Even in times of Corona, companies are always looking for new employees. Are you now also in the fortunate position and your company is growing? How do you choose the right employee now? In order to ensure a productive future for your division or your company, the most important thing is to avoid the typical mistakes.

Incorrect personnel selection can manifest itself in different ways in the company. On the one hand, it results in employees who leave the company again after a short time. On the other hand, a wrong decision in personnel selection costs a company a lot of time and money, because then all expenses and all time spent on personnel search and selection were misinvestments. What can HR departments change in order to remain relevant in the future and to support their own company, and how can such "mishaps" in personnel selection be avoided from the outset?

Professional qualifications are valued too highly

Before the application process gets underway, it is important to agree on exactly what skills a candidate should bring to the table. An exact requirements analysis of the position to be filled should be prepared in the first step. You should make sure that there is a consensus within the company or within the department about the requirements for the applicant. Ideally, you should define these together with the specialist department in order to create a clear requirements profile before you place the job advertisement.

However, when it comes to selecting new employees, attention should not be paid exclusively to professional qualifications. These can be assessed quite easily with the help of the candidate's (work) references and previous work experience. Other important factors, however, are not so easy to assess: Does the candidate connect well with the company's employees, customers, or suppliers? Does he or she have a feel for the needs within the organization? Determining these factors can take time and energy, but it's worth it when you think about the cost of a bad hire. This is how you attract employees who not only have the basic knowledge, but also bring the right attitude.

Applicants are examined superficially

Many application processes are very routine. This means that applicants can prepare very well for interviews because you know what questions will always be asked and also what answers the employer wants to hear. Therefore, it makes sense to delve deeper into the applicant's experience and get to know him or her through case studies. To do this, you can use the STAR technique. This is especially helpful to find out how flexible your candidate is. You can simply ask the candidate in which situation he or she has already proven his or her willingness to change within his or her job.

S = Situation: What was the situation?

T = Task: What exactly was your task?

A = Action: What exactly did you do?

R = Result: What was the result?

Looking for a mirror image?

It would be best if the new employee ticks like you, wouldn't it? That would make your life a lot easier, because someone who ticks differently costs more time and effort. In many companies you often find that mainly applicants with similar backgrounds and mentalities are hired. However, you should rather think about what kind of thinking and behavior you need. Here it helps to create a clear overview of criteria. With a diversity of employees, you can act more creatively and successfully as a company. So always ask yourself the question: "Do I prefer this candidate because he ticks like me ?".

Relying too much on others for the final decision

When making the final selection of an employee, it is important to remember this: He will work in your team in the future, not in the HR department's team. So you make the final decision. You alone determine the criteria of what your new employee must be able to do. However, if you are unsure, you can always consult with your team. Since your colleagues will be working with the selected candidate on a daily basis, their involvement can be beneficial. With the help of your colleagues, you can also determine how well the candidate will fit into the team. Watch out, though: typical mistakes can happen to your colleagues as well, especially the mistake of picking someone similar to yourself.

Failing to fill a vacant position therefore has different reasons. Filling a position means entering into a business commitment, on the part of the entrepreneur, as well as on the part of the employees. The employees are the success factor of a company and therefore they should be selected very carefully. Not only the requirements of the position count, but also the relation to the company culture. Employers need accurate job descriptions and experienced recruiters to remain competitive in the long run. To avoid the typical and costly mistakes of a wrong personnel decision, it is therefore advisable to invest time and energy in a precise job requirement and in a thorough examination of the candidates.

Working with an external partner can also reduce the risks of a bad hire. The consultant also gets to know your company and the applicants and brings a neutral point of view. As a sparring partner, he supports you in the decision-making process and can provide valuable input on personnel selection through his experience. In addition, personnel service providers also carry out assessments and reference checks, thus minimizing the risk of making a wrong choice.

All these services are also offered by us at Batterman Consulting. Since 1982 we have been supporting our clients in the recruitment of executives and specialists. Contact us and let us advise you without obligation. We look forward to hearing from you.