4 Big Ways You Are Screwing Up Your Hiring (And How To Fix It)

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter

Originally Published on Forbes.com

The hiring process is often a complicated one. There are many factors to consider that involve firms, hiring managers, and human resources professionals. But as a career and leadership coach, I’ve seen that sometimes hiring practices can actually undercut an organization’s goals.

Below are four common mistakes that can cause your process to take much longer than it needs to:

Targeting Only ‘Passive’ Applicants

When I started my first search firm in the early ’70s, my business partner and I were inexperienced. Potential clients often asked, “Why should we hire you when there are so many recruiters who all find people the same way: running ads in the Sunday New York Times?” (Remember, these were the pre-internet days.)

After struggling with the question a few times, I came up with an answer. “We don’t find the best person who reads the Sunday New York Times.” (After all, we didn’t have the budget for that.) “We find the best person available. That person is not actively looking for work. They are happy where they are.” The recruiter was impressed and gave me 14 jobs to work on.