The Seven Most Common Pitfalls in Hiring

When performing a search, hiring executives often commit the same mistakes again and again. Search-firm professionals often fall into the same traps. Often, these pitfalls are layered on top of one another, resulting in a new employee who lacks the skills, characteristics and cultural fit your business really needs. Here are a few common traps. Do any sound familiar?

The Halos and Horns Effect - When interviewing, most people make a "yes/no" assessment on a candidate within the first few minutes of an interview. Research shows that the "halos" or "horns" you attach to a candidate then tend to color your entire interview, as well as your recollection of the interview. The "halos and horns" effect thus clouds your ability to assess a candidate's fit beyond a cursory first impression.

The Search for a Replica - When a company needs to fill a position that has been vacated, often they go looking for someone similar to the person who just left. "What was the old CFO like," you may ask yourself. "Where did he or she come from?" Thus, you base the search on the past needs of your organization rather than its needs today or in the future.

The Copycat Approach - When they're not sure where else to turn, companies often look to their friends and competitors for examples of job specifications. You may ask, "Does anyone have a Vice President of Marketing position description I can borrow?" By copying someone else's search, you'll end up with candidates suited to someone else's company rather than yours.

The Search for a "Great Athlete" - Lack of clarity in what a company is looking for can doom any search. We've seen more than one CEO instruct, “Just give me a great athlete and I'll fit them into the position.” But other company officials involved in vetting candidates may have no idea how the CEO defines a “great athlete.” Searches often break down on the basis of what's left unsaid in candidate criteria.

The Monster.com Approach - Companies sometimes zero in on the elements of a candidate's resume to the detriment of other elements of the search. They may be so impressed by the Ivy League MBA or the stint at a big-name consulting firm that they forget to closely assess the candidate's soft skills and cultural fit against what's needed.

Looking for a New Friend - This is an inverse of the Monster.com Approach. People sometimes put too much emphasis on a candidate's ability to "fit in" to the company's social atmosphere. Lacking a structured approach to interviewing, you may find yourself turning the interview into an informal chat and end up without a clear sense of the candidate's skills and competencies versus what's needed in the position.

The Mini-Me Approach - People like to spend time with others who are like themselves. In hiring for your team, you may find yourself unconsciously looking for someone who mirrors your own style and skills, indeed, a more junior version of yourself. Over time, with this approach, you may find that your team lacks the range of talent that you need to effectively reach your goals.