Common Mistakes to avoid when Recruiting

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when recruiting.

“We have a great culture”

Your company probably has a good culture. Your collaborators most likely get along well and are all working towards common goals. But, are you Google? Have you been voted “Best Company to Work For” in your city or country? If not, selling the culture as a brand may not work. Everyone comes into a new job expecting to work with other smart people who get along well. You need to focus on something more.

People want to be part of something. They want their work to make a difference. Compensation should always be present, but people will accept less money if they feel like they are part of something bigger. “We all get along” is not what candidates are looking for.

Instead of talking about company culture, focus on the things you offer. Maybe you bring lunch on Fridays, take yoga breaks, have unlimited time off, or let people bring their dogs to work. Make a list of the things you do that make the culture good. Give people details about the benefits of working at your company.

“We are a start-up”

Being a start-up can be fun. It can also be a burnout. This statement is sometimes code language for “expect to work a ton of hours and constantly change direction.” If you expect people to dedicate their lives to your cause, you might be in for a while.

If you expect people to work evenings and weekends for you, they need more rewards, not just the recognition of being a top performer. The startup needs to trade something for that extra sweat. There are several ways to incentivize employees to work harder without using up all the capital. Promise to work with cutting-edge technology or exposure to venture capital backers are good potential incentives, as example.

“We are looking for people who are passionate about technology”

This is another coded phrase for “we expect you to work evenings and weekends”. Potential employees first want to know about the company’s passion for technology. Imagine that a company wants to add machine learning to its software. This same company asks its potential employees, who already have experience with machine learning, to tell them about their passion for the technology. This sends the message to the candidate that it’s all up to him. Why would they want to work more for you?

Show that your business is passionate about technology first. Invest in training your current staff. Hire people who want to learn something new and give them the environment and the projects to do so. People will follow your passion. Change the sentence to: “We have a passion for technology”, while giving more details.

“Why do you want to work with us? »

If you’re Google, Amazon, or another large, established tech company, you can ask this question. Otherwise, don’t ask. In the 80s, when many people had the goal of working for a prestigious company, this question mattered. When a candidate has up to 10 recruiters offering them jobs per week, they are not researching your company.

Instead, sell the candidate why they should want to work for you. It could be the opportunity to work with new technology, to receive cutting-edge training or maybe you have just obtained funding and started new projects? There is something positive about your business. Share it with potential recruiters.

Common Mistakes to avoid when Recruiting

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