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Poor Hiring Practices That Keep You From Attracting The Best Talent

If you’ve got holes at your company you can’t seem to fill, it’s probably a case of “it’s not them, it’s us.” Fixing HR and Hiring isn’t all that difficult once you know what errors to look for.
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If you’re experiencing rampant turnover or having trouble filling vacant job positions, there’s a good chance the problem stems from HR and Hiring. Roberta Matuson at Forbes has an article detailing the sorts of issues you have to combat if you want to shore up the way you recruit new employees.


One of the major obstacles on the way to hiring good talent is an overly-arduous application process. Matuson explains:

“Many good candidates lose interest mid-way through their effort in trying to complete the online application and others no longer bother since most likely their resumes will go in but never come out. Try applying for a job with your own company. If you can’t do so in less than 20 minutes, then march down to your HR department and demand they immediately remove the roadblocks.”

Another problem Matuson frequently encounters is a squadron of inept or unprepared hiring managers. Executives need to construct clear guidelines for how they want HR to recruit and interview candidates. While it’s a big waste of time if an unsuitable candidate comes in for an interview, it’s a colossal waste of time if the interviewer him- or herself is completely lost.

Finally, companies that aim too high often end up empty handed. Stop thinking you need the “best” candidates, as one’s definition “best” is subjective and often out-of-touch.

I’ve worked with a number of companies who only recruit at Ivy League schools. Why? Unless you have a specific need that only one of these schools can meet, then why limit your hiring pool?”

Read Matuson’s full article at Forbes for more tips on how to get better at hiring and retaining talent.

Photo credit: Nonnakrit / Shutterstock

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