11 of March, 2025

Let’s put the common mistakes when recruiting staff in black and white.

Taking care of recruitment and staff selection processes is essential in every company or business. Human capital is the best investment, because without good employees there is no production, nor plans for innovation and growth.

Hiring inadequate staff carries high costs for your company. And it can even lead to the cessation of activity or closure.

7 mistakes when recruiting staff

Regardless of the size or turnover of your company, it must project itself to find the ideal person for each role and job position.

Otherwise, various factors will combine that reduce competitiveness and productivity in your company.

Among them, an improper recruitment process can cause your employees to feel uncomfortable and unsatisfied and generate less performance.

Incorrectly, these processes are considered as one, even though the purpose is the same. That is, to incorporate or hire a new worker. In reality, they are opposing actions that are integrated into the same process.

There are frequent mistakes when recruiting staff by the human resources department.

Although at first glance they do not seem like mistakes, they are harmful in the long run for your organization.

1. Not considering internal promotion

Be careful not to pay attention to the human capital that already exists within your company. This is who already knows the company culture. Which will mean wasting time and resources on launching offers and selection processes.

It is advisable to publish existing vacancies internally so that some employees can be promoted to a better position. This is what we also call internal recruitment in the company.

2. Not identifying candidate compatibility

Not identifying the compatibility of the candidate with the needs of the position. When a shallow analysis of the company’s situation is carried out, a mistake is made from the beginning of the process.

Sometimes it is thought that, given the immediate need to fill a vacancy, the smartest thing to do is to hire staff without more.

It is essential to identify the tasks of the position to create the profile of the ideal candidate.

3. Not following selection processes

Not correctly following the recruitment and selection processes. This implies disorder, wasting time and money in finding the candidate.

This mistake can also result in a new vacancy for the same position. The new employee may leave because they are not comfortable or because they are dismissed.

These processes are more effective if prepared correctly. Proper planning will help develop effective filters. And have greater visibility and monitoring of each candidate.

If you have a software for talent management, it is harder to fall into these mistakes when recruiting staff.

4. Not having a specialized team

The responsibility for the selection processes usually falls on the human resources department.

If your company does not have this specialized area, the ideal is to contact companies or independent professionals. To avoid falling into the most common mistakes when hiring employees.

It is essential that your organization provides HR staff with the most appropriate software techniques to help automate selection tasks.

5. Not presenting the position well

Launching a non-transparent or misleading job offer will be wasting time that could be invested in other activities. In addition to transferring a bad image for your company.

Being transparent in the information will help you find very talented people interested in being part of the company.

6. Not being realistic

Setting the characteristics of the previous occupant of the position. It is not realistic to expect the applicant to meet the characteristics of the person who previously held the position.

Even when he has done the same job, or similar, it is a big mistake. Such an attitude does not help to have talented people with innovative and creative ideas within the company.

This is one of the most common staff recruiting mistakes. And they usually happen when people who are not professionals in the area are in charge of this task.

7. Not explaining the flow of the interview

A common mistake in the selection process is not communicating to the applicant how the interview will be conducted. Detailed:

If it will be individual or group.
Approximate time.
If there will be practical or technical tests.
The location or platform to use, depending on whether it is face-to-face or an online interview.
The time of acceptance or rejection of the potential employee.

If these points are not specified, the interest of the applicant may change. Since showing a changing and confusing environment does not generate confidence.

Improper planning in recruitment and selection processes will lead to higher staff turnover, waste of time and resources. Especially if there are clear and precise objectives lacking in the job description.

How to design a process without mistakes when recruiting staff

The biggest challenge for HR departments is to find and retain talented professionals. Since good employees are an essential part. And it can even be considered that it is the most valuable asset that your company can have.

There is no infallible formula to find, hire and retain the most qualified employees. But you can carry out recruitment tailored to the vacant position.

Avoid mistakes when recruiting staff

Yes, the search should be oriented so that the candidate:

Has the best skills and predispositions.
Is competent to perform his tasks.
Can adapt to the company’s employment policy.
If possible, has professional experience.

Creating a successful and error-free recruitment and selection process involves identifying and defining the needs of the unfilled job position.

Steps to follow

It is necessary to evaluate multiple situations. For example, if it is a permanent need. Or if it will be a temporary contract by substitution. Or perhaps a project needs more professionals than the company has.

In the second stage of the process it is essential to have an action plan for the reception of resumes. Who will review them? Who will contact and interview the most suitable candidates?

Also, before launching the offer, it is necessary to define the job profile, the type of contract and the conditions that the company offers.

Once the search begins, the candidates must be called by email or by phone for the interview. This can be done individually if there are one or two applicants, or in a group interview.

The ideal interview

It is key to create the proper interview for the job to avoid falling into these 7 talent recruitment errors.

Achieving this will take planning and preparation time, although the process should not be too extended.

If it is a group interview, this process will serve as a filter in the selection, discarding some to interview others in person.

Are you interested in delving into how to manage selection processes and conclude them successfully? Follow our blog, and you will find practical advice based on the experience of our human resources software.

Professional with over 20 years of extensive experience in various areas of Human Resources (Recruitment, Training, Occupational Risk Prevention, and Personnel Management). Experience in the Management Department: Broad understanding of the company and HR.

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cristinamartin

HR Content Specialist

7 mistakes when recruiting new employees in the company