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7 Horrible Hiring Mistakes

You need to hire the best employees. Youobjective method to make predictions.
undoubtedly hired some employees whoBut, make sure you use a test customized
were losers.for specific jobs in your company!
Oops! Well, let's be more diplomatic.If you have not used tests customized
Let's just say you hired somefor specific jobs in your company, then
"underachievers" you would have beenyou really have missed out on the most
better without.objective and customized prediction
Or maybe you have the curse of hiringmethod you could use.
only "average" employees - people who6th Horrible Mistake: You [stupidly]
are average in productivity and averagetold the applicant what you were looking
in producing profits.for!!
Question: Who wants to hire "average"Then, lo-&-behold, the applicant spent
(or "below average") employees?your entire interview telling you s/he
Answer: No one!just happens to possess all the skills,
To hire the best, you need to avoid thetalents and qualities you - stupidly -
problems that plagued your previoustold the applicant you want in an
hiring decisions. So, let me revealemployee. For example, let's say you -
seven horrible hiring blunders orstupidly - told the applicant you need
mistakes you may have made.to hire an employeewho excels at
1st Horrible Mistake: = Interviewersteamwork, customer-service, and
typically do a lousy job at predictingcorrectly handling small details. I bet
job success.I can predict what that applicant told
This is a proven fact, verified by a lotyou in the interview: The applicant
of research. Statistically, mosttold you - with a serious yet pleasant
interviewers doabout as well as flippingexpression - that s/he excels at
a coin!teamwork, customer-service, and
2nd Horrible Mistake = Reference checkscorrectly handling small details. And
fail to tell you what you really need tothen, when you hired the person who gave
know.you all the answers you - stupidly -
Most employers are so freaked out abouttoldthe applicant you want, you pay the
giving reference checks that they tellprice of having an employee who may not
you nothing or barely anything usefulREALLY betalented at teamwork,
about how an applicant performedcustomer-service, or handling small
on-the-job. Another way to put that isdetails. You got fooled - and you have
most reference checks are about asonly yourself to blame.
non-useful as simultaneously (a)7th Horrible Mistake: You terribly harm
flipping a coin while (b) rubbing aany person you should not have hired.
rabbit's foot!!Let's be humanistic about it. If you
3rd Horrible Mistake: You relied onhire the wrong person, the applicant
your "gut feel" or "intuition" & youalso loses. People crave to work in a
were W-R-O-N-G.job where they will do well and enjoy
Later, as you moaned about the mistakeit. People hate a job where they will
you made by hiring the wrong person, youperform only average or below average,
asked yourself, "I knew what I wasand not enjoy the work. So, you
feeling. But, what was I thinking?"actually benefit the applicant you
4th Horrible Mistake: You usedcarefully evaluated using customized,
subjective prediction methods to makeobjective hiring methods.
hiring decisions.Summary: When you hire . . .
For example, you relied on subjective1. high-achieving "superstar"
interviews, subjective reference checks,employees, both you and your company
or subjective "impressions " of thewin.
applicant. Wow! Were you ever2. underachieving employees, (a) you
off-base. And then you andyour companylose and (b) your company loses.
needed to pay for your incorrect hiringSo, make sure you use customized and
decisions. That is expensive,objective prediction methods,like
time-consuming, and frustrating.pre-employment tests, biodata and
5th Horrible Mistake: You used NOmore,to make sure you hire employees who
objective AND customized predictionare
method.(a) productive, (b) profitable, and©
Important: Research showslow turnover.
pre-employment tests are the mostCopyright 2006 Michael Mercer, Ph.D.



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