September 2, 2021

By Celeste Gable, Marketing Coordinator

As a relationship-focused search firm, our employees are our greatest assets. Internally and externally, they represent the company’s core values. At DRI, we want our people to be passionate, positive, goal oriented, and a team player. Our goal when hiring our own employees is to get the right people in the right seats. Occasionally, as all humans do, we make mistakes. People don’t fit, skills don’t match, and we make bad hires. Below we will outline the most common reasons on why companies hire the wrong person and how you can prevent it.

Maximizing potential is reliant on your employees. Each employee represents a percentage of probable annual revenue and if every employee is not performing to their potential, it’s unlikely you will reach your goal. Finding a candidate that checks all your boxes is rare but there are steps you can take to ensure that you get the right person for both your needs and theirs.

1. Reevaluate your Hiring Process

Most often, we hire the wrong person because we are rushing to fill the spot. The turnover that the economy is currently facing certainly is not helping. But settling on the first person who meets the minimum criteria may end up in a vacancy later down the line. The best way to combat this is to clearly define your “must-have” qualifications. Outline the key criteria that a candidate should have to not only fit the job description but you company culture too. Hiring Managers should create a cost analysis of onboarding anew employee. By putting a price on how much it costs to get a new employee fully trained, you can invest early in the right candidate.

2. Experience isn’t Everything

Experience is not expertise. A candidate’s attitude and disposition are equally as important as their skills and experience listed on a resume. It’s easy to be starstruck by a resume. A well written resume is important but not the end all be all. Behind the resume is a person who is going to be successful in only a certain environment. Remember that a resume shows chronology but what’s most important is solutions that the candidate presents today.

3. Be Cost Efficient

How much does it cost to onboard and train the wrong employee? According to the 2020 Training Industry Report, the average company in the U.S. spent $1,111 per employee on training costs.  Not only are you wasting time and energy but you’re wasting resources too. Managers and teams will be required to spend time training the new hire. This can result in a loss of productivity and efficiency. Besides training resources, you are compensating an employee who may not be meeting expectations. When that employee leaves (and they will), you have to start the process over. Not only is this draining financially but your team’s morale suffers too.

People are your organization’s most prized asset and hiring the wrong one can be costly and draining. Collaborate with your team to build an accurate evaluation of candidates to spot red flags early on. Go beyond the resume and ask critical thinking questions to help you asses a candidate’s behavior and attitude. You can never 100% know whether a candidate will work out or not, but prevention is key.