Mishiring 101: How to Avoid Hiring the Wrong Person
Almost 3 in every 4 employers say they’ve hired the wrong person for a position.
Mishires can cost a company up to 150% of that person’s salary in wasted money and resources. Today we’re diving into the common reasons for mishires so that you know how to prevent them.
We sat down with Ari Aronson, founder of Ari Agency, to hear his insights on the matter. During the A-Way hiring process, Ari and his team dive into the reasons behind previous mishires and what parts of the hiring process led to them. Here are the consolidated findings from over a hundred businesses.
Common Hiring Mistakes
Lack of Candidate Assessment: 70% of workers have said they have lied on their resumes before. That’s why relying solely on the resumes and the charismatic words of a candidate can easily turn into a hiring mistake.
It takes skeptical follow-up questioning and multiple interview methods to uncover the truth behind a candidate. For example, at Ari Agency, Ari and his team use a variety of assessment methods to verify a candidate’s hard and soft skills. Depending on the role, this can include skill tests, presentations, or mock scenarios.
Rushed Hiring Process: In the face of pressing deadlines and talent shortages, companies often succumb to the temptation of rushed hiring. This can lead to overlooking red flags and making impulsive decisions that come back to haunt them. Managers under the pressure might interview only 1-3 people for a role before making a decision.
At Ari Agency, it’s recommended to interview 5 - 7 candidates who genuinely meet the qualifications of the role before making a decision.
“Many companies nowadays prioritize speed over quality when hiring. They hire fast and fire slow. Really, they should be doing the opposite. They need to hire slow and fire fast.
Don’t hire a candidate you’re not confident is right for your business - and don’t hang on to one that is wrong for it.”
Misleading Job Descriptions: Inaccurate or unrealistic job descriptions can attract a swarm of unqualified candidates, making the needle-in-a-haystack search even more challenging.
Inaccurate job descriptions are often developed when someone other than the hiring manager (for example, HR or a coordinator) writes the description, or digs up an old description that is not adapted to the new needs of the company.
Unrealistic Expectations: Setting the bar too high can lead to a never-ending quest for the mythical unicorn candidate, ultimately resulting in frustration and missed opportunities.
Companies unfamiliar with the market place, or who are hiring for a role they’ve never had before, can end up piling on a wide variety of ‘must-have’ skills. The result is a Frankenstein description that does not resonate with the real world’s talent pools. Nailing down a realistic shortlist of candidate criteria that aligns with the KPIs of the organization is key to successful hiring.
Unconscious Biases: The need-for-speed can amplify the impact of unconscious bias, with many managers being tempted to ‘follow their gut’ or forgo processes built to reduce bias.
For example, in a time crunch, some managers host only 1-2 interviews before sending an offer. To make scheduling easier, they might only have one person conduct interviews, limiting perspectives and stakeholder inputs. Reference checks may be rushed or skipped altogether. By limiting information intake and multiple perspectives, unconscious biases have the upper hand.
Culture Mismatch: One of the most commonly cited reasons for mishires is that the candidate did not fit with the company culture.
An employee who doesn't fit with the company's values, work culture, or communication style can quickly lead to a toxic work environment, decreased productivity, and high turnover. Despite this, culture fit is often overlooked and un-assessed. Part of this issue is that companies struggle to describe their culture and ask the right questions to evaluate culture fit.
“Culture fit is not just about finding someone who everyone gets along with.
It’s about finding an A-Player who thrives in your work environment and amplifies the values that make your business successful.”
How To Prevent Mishires
Realistic Job Descriptions: Too many ‘nice to haves’ will cloud the path to hiring someone with your ‘must haves’. Aim for clear job descriptions that outline the must-have skills and experience alongside the role’s KPIs for success. Be realistic about your expectations and the job market out there. (If you’re unsure of the trends shaping the job market, consider working with an expert like Ari Agency)
Make sure the hiring manager is involved, but also seek out inputs from closely related stakeholders - ex: Managers of departments the hire will be dealing with frequently or other team members.
Scorecards: Scorecards are a hiring best practice for many reasons. They make comparing candidates easier, keep hiring stakeholders focused on key criteria, limit unconscious bias, and help organize interview questioning.
Diversify Assessment Methods: Your discovery interview with a candidate can only assess so much. Other assessment methods, such as knowledge tests, presentations, case studies or behavioral assessments can be more effective at verifying a candidate’s competencies across different areas.
Knowledge is power - especially with hiring. The more information you can get to compare candidates, the better your hiring decision will be.
Prioritize Reference Checking: Unfortunately, some candidates lie -and almost everyone exaggerates certain truths. Reference checking is your opportunity to fact check what you gathered in interviews.
Your approach to reference checking should be as intentional as an interview. Know what you want to ask before going into it. Tailor questions to what you heard from that specific candidate. Tackle any doubts you might still have. It’s best to have reference checks with people who managed the candidate previously, and not just team members.
Culture Fit Assessment: We know, we know - evaluating culture fit can seem difficult. The starting point involves defining your company culture, or desired culture. Once you have your culture criteria, then you can structure questions that seek to discover how those qualities have been demonstrated by the candidate in the past and how they would be demonstrated in the future.
At Ari Agency, our culture-focused interviews are foundational to our process. We know that poor culture fit is one of the top reasons for incompatibility, and that one poor culture fit can have a large ripple effective, negatively impacting those around them. Learn more about our approach to finding your A-Player via The A-Way™.
Conclusion
Knowing the common reasons for mishiring makes it easier to spot them before they happen. Putting preventative strategies into practice will reduce the risk of mishires and help you make more effective hiring decisions overall. Remember, a well-matched hire is an investment in your company's future.
Partner with Ari Agency and Make Successful Hiring Easy
Ari Agency's A-Way™ methodology is designed to avoid hiring pitfalls and find the A-Players that raise the bar of excellence. Our process includes:
Thorough Candidate Assessment: Our team leverages a variety of assessment methods get an accurate picture of the candidates’ hard and soft skills, ensuring you hire the right person with confidence.
Culture Fit Evaluations: We conduct specialized culture fit interviews and reference checks to ensure a candidate will positively align with your company’s culture and work environment. This is one of the ways we ensure a 95% hiring success rate.
Expert Guidance: Our experienced team provides end-to-end guidance - from crafting effective job descriptions and navigating the job market to cross-comparing candidates, negotiating agreements, and making the final hiring decision.
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