HOW CAN WE AVOID MAKING FUTURE BAD HIRES?
The two most common hiring traps are hiring in a hurry and hiring the resume rather than the person. Companies that don’t have succession plans in place or that fail to practice cross-training often rush to relieve the pain of the empty chair. Businesses that ignore the hiring process in the interest of expediting it are far more susceptible to missing important clues that could otherwise prevent a poor hiring decision. For example, studies on the behaviors of job applicants report that more than 65% of all candidates do not prepare their own resumes. Even more unsettling for prospective employers are the findings that more than 45% misrepresent the credentials on their resumes with one or more “tall tales.” From reporting academic degrees never achieved and embellishing roles, to listing completely fictitious positions, many of today’s job seekers will do whatever they can to appear qualified.
A third and very common hiring trap is to hire based on a job description. These typically list a subjective interpretation of required job skills and experience. By highlighting only hard skills, they leave out the most critical
elements such as key performance objectives, behaviors, values, character traits, and soft competencies –the defining criteria that lead to effective performance.
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