7 deadly hiring sins

From time to time we all sin, and when it comes to recruitment this can prove deadly for an organisation.

In fact, there are seven deadly sins when it comes to hiring workers. Can you plead guilty to any of these?

• Panic: the temptation to go for a quick fix

As a recruitment manager, here’s a typical call I receive: “Help! Dolly is leaving us next week. She’s been here for 10 years and we don’t know what we’re going to do without her. Can you get us another Dolly?”

Although I’m sure Dolly was amazing, it is time to keep a cool head and work out what exactly what her position entails. Think about how the role fits within the business today. Is that role still needed? Would it be better to divide some of the responsibilities among existing staff members and hire a part-timer?

Perhaps Dolly was superhuman and you really need two people to replace her. While it may be easier to simply clone Dolly, would that be the best decision for your organisation?

As much as none of us like losing a key person from the organisation, take a step back and see this as a chance to consider options that may be even better.

2. Disillusion: it’s time to get real

How realistic are your expectations? We often receive near-impossible wish lists from our clients – “We need a data guru with 10 years’ experience using Salesforce, a Masters in IT, and 20 years with a comparable-sized charity supporting peer-to-peer fundraisers”.

You may need to open up your mind. The NFP sector in Australia is small, and there’s a tendency for everyone to be fishing in that little pool for talented staff.

Instead, think outside of the box. What do you need to achieve? Are there certain skills you can train? Is there a rising star internally you could invest in? What sort of commercial skills would transfer well? How about sponsorship? There is great talent available overseas, and Australian summers are a huge drawcard.

3. Penny pinching: you get what you pay for

Failing to remunerate staff members properly is one of the biggest hiring sins we see. It is no excuse to proclaim, “People don’t work for us for the money, but because they are committed to the cause”. Who would you prefer running your next fundraising campaign – a really passionate junior with no fundraising experience, or a proven, successful fundraiser?

Do your research and find out the genuine going rate. By all means, set ambitious goals for new hires, but be prepared to pay them what the market says they are worth. Budgets are often tight and you don’t necessarily want to hire someone who is purely motivated by money, but be realistic. Allow for transparency around salary and don’t be afraid to “talk money” up front. As much as a candidate may want to work for a particular charity, he or she also has a mortgage to pay.

Be flexible. Consider hiring that exceptional candidate for four days a week on a pro rata salary that fits your budget. As you are starting afresh, it is a chance to try something new.

4. Poor interview skills: Hello, goodbye

You can have the best reputation, the best job, a competitive salary in place and an ace induction program, but if your interview process is not effective, it is all wasted. The interview process needs to be agreed before you even go out to market. Remember, the top talent is not just interviewing with you. They have other options. If your interview process isn’t slick, thorough, timely and transparent, they will lose interest or be snapped up by another charity before you’ve even had time to debrief.

Train your hiring managers how to run an effective interview.

5. Rushing decisions: my gut says “yes”

“Oh, they’re just like me … I’ll hire” or “Oh, they’re not like me at all … definitely not” or even “You look great … want the job?”. Sometimes these mistakes are subconscious, but they can prove costly.

Hiring in your own image, basing a decision on your preferences or deciding on one interview alone can be a deadly mistake. Plenty of people can talk the walk but not actually perform. And sometimes, the best people are not the best at interview.

A robust and structured decision-making process is key. Never make a hiring decision without at least one or two others in the team being involved. Without a thorough referencing process and skills check, everything else is pointless. You would not buy a car without the necessary checks, so why would you hire someone based on what they have to say about themselves?

6. Career stagnation: nowhere to go?

We have seen many great job offers turned down because talented people do not want dead-end jobs – they want something to strive for, they want development and succession planning. Provide a clear career path for your employees, and not only will you retain great staff you will attract great people, too.

It is such a waste to go through all the recruitment process only to lose someone because they feel they can progress in their career only by joining some other organisation.

7. Dump ’em in the deep end: off you go

Stop setting up recruits up to fail. Before hiring someone, be honest about what resources you have available for induction. Even the most talented people need to feel supported and shown your way of doing things. You need to give them the tools to succeed.

If you don’t have anything in place, it is worth spending time on developing proper induction and training plans. Invest in your most important asset, and you will see quick returns and more-engaged employees.

Now, be honest – how many of these sins have you committed?

In order to make great hiring decisions, you need to take a moment to do some self-reflection. “Of course people want to work for us – we’re the Save the World Foundation” is a common misconception. It may have an element of truth, but to attract the best of the best you still need to be selling your opportunity at every stage. What is it really like to work for your organisation? Yes, your brand is important, but it is only as strong as people’s experience with your organisation.

Kate Larkin, NFP Recruitment Manager, Beaumont Consulting.

This article originally appeared in Third Sector’s print magazine- click here for more info.

Kate Larkin

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