A bad hire can cost a law firm or legal department thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of lost productivity.
Knowing this, many hiring managers try their best to hire the right person for the correct position every time. Hiring, however, is a skill – and it’s a skill many managers are left to learn via trial and error.
Here are the four biggest mistakes hiring managers make during interviews and how to correct them.
1. Not knowing who you’re interviewing or why.
The number-one mistake hiring managers make is failing to review the core elements of the job or the information in the candidate’s application before walking into the interview. Candidates who come prepared will quickly sour on the job once they realize the hiring manager did not extend them the same courtesy.
Prepare ahead of time by reviewing the core elements of the job and rereading the candidate’s CV. Doing so will also help you ask more insightful questions that focus on this particular candidate’s background and performance.
2. Waiting for a unicorn.
Some hiring managers are so fearful of hiring the wrong candidate that they’ll pass up any number of suitable candidates in the hope that the perfect candidate will appear.
In reality, no candidate is “perfect.” The best candidates will have a range of skills and strengths among them, and anyone could do the job well. Rather than seeking an ideal, focus on finding a candidate with the skills and desire to do well in the job.
3. Failing to sell the job well.
It’s easy to think of the interview as your chance to shop for a new employee. You can’t hire a new employee, however, unless that person also says “yes” to the job offer.
Spend some time during the interview talking about the job and the workplace. Mention what you love most about working with the firm or department. Describe, in general terms, some of the biggest cases or issues the organization is currently working on. Doing so will encourage top candidates to see themselves on the team, and it will also help you find a candidate whose career goals match what your organization needs.
4. Trying to go it alone.
Hiring doesn’t have to be a solo endeavor. Working with an experienced staffing firm can help you improve your interview process and find more qualified candidates in less time.
At Kent Legal, our recruiters help law firms and legal departments build stronger, more resilient hiring processes. We connect with some of the best legal organizations and candidates in the greater Toronto area. For help identifying challenges and fixing them, contact us today.