Good, reliable talent is very difficult to find when growing and scaling a business.
After running my agency for nearly 2 years, here is a value-packed email on the 11 mistakes I’ve seen people make time and time again when it comes to hiring:
1. Not Respecting Candidates
Everybody is complaining that good talent is hard to find these days, right?
So do you think good candidates want to waste their time doing personality tests or an “unpaid trial task” for you before they’ve ever had an interview?
NO.
Good candidates get swooped up FAST.
Respect their time, if you don’t they’ll just ignore you.
2. Not understanding how many hours they actually need.
You must audit your time.
> Figure out what tasks you HATE doing
> How long they take per week
> Determine how much your time is worth per hour
> Hire out anything that costs less than your time is worth
3. Trying to fill it internally at all costs
Finding good talent is a tough game. There is no shame if you are struggling to do it yourself. But, start to realize that when you’ve been trying for 3 months to no avail — it’s not working.
If you pay a fee, and you save the time, it’s worth it.
4. Hiring for too many roles
Your job description and responsibilities for your new employee should be crystal-clear. They should not be doing a million things. If that’s the case, you need to hire for more than 1 position.
5. Hiring Locally
Let’s face it, hiring locally comes with a whole set of headaches that may not be worth it. Look overseas to the Eastern European region. The talent levels are amazing, you’ll pay 80% or so less, and you’ll get someone eager and hungry.
6. Being A Headache
You don’t need to have time recordings or screen access to your employee. Give them the tasks and who cares when or how they do it as long as it gets done.
No surer way to scare a good employee away by being a micro-managing headache.
7. Not Going On Gut
Your gut should be the biggest indicator whether someone is a fit or not. It’s similar to going on a blind date. You know within a few minutes if you could see yourself going out with this person again.
Hiring is not any different, the gut is rarely wrong.
8. Not giving someone a chance
I’ve seen way too many people interview people they really click with, and are 80-90% of the way there, only to throw them aside because they’re missing X skill or Y attribute.
Nobody is perfect, if someone passes your gut check, give them a chance to develop those other skills/attributes
9. Being stingy
You are hiring someone FOR your business. Your business is your baby in life. Is this really something you want to nickel and dime over?
Especially when it comes to hiring overseas and we’re talking only a few hundred dollars a month.
Do you think that little of your business that you’ll cut corners over $200?
10. Calendar bookings
Just make a Calendly. When someone is ready to interview, ask them to book on it.
Do not go back and forth about times, do not create special links for each interview.
Just make a damn Calendly, set up availability, and send them the link.
DO NOT OVERCOMPLICATE THIS.
11. “The grass is always greener”
I can’t count the times I’ve had someone say, “let’s do a few more interviews” and then their #1 choice (who was perfect for them) gets away because, like I said, good candidates go FAST.
You can’t control where someone else is looking.
SPEED is the name of the game.
If you’re sure on someone, stop hoping there is a slightly more special unicorn right around the corner
Those are the 11 critical mistakes people trying to grow their business tend to make when hiring. Avoid them, and you’ll have a much easier time.
If you’re looking to place premium talent in your business, book a call with us here at HireUA:
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