Before beginning a hiring campaign, make sure all stakeholders are committed and prepared, and then check again.
There was a time I regularly conducted interviews for a dysfunctional organization, and I was ashamed to be party to the unprofessional debacle that unfolded. First, the company had used a bait-and-switch trick to interview people for one job, and then issue an offer for something else. Second, I recall a stretch during which we interviewed six or so candidates on site for a few positions we had listed. After months of back and forth with non-committal leadership, while continuing to interview, we were given the final word: no new hires. This was a highly unethical waste of the candidates’ time, as well as a total fumble on the use of company resources.
These are common stumbling blocks hit by hiring managers that end up wasting company and candidate time. Avoid the trap by keeping a finger on the pulse of the organization through close coordination with management.
The role and job description have suddenly changed
Flip-flopping between a desire for an employee versus a contractor.
Long term planning went awry and shifts in markets or contracts have changed priorities and funding.
Hope for future funding that never materializes.
Negligent misidentification of a candidate’s abilities among the entire interview team.
Mistakes of paperwork and bureaucracy, or other management miscommunication.
No attention paid to the candidate’s stated search parameters and goals.
No real intent to hire, just wanting to test the market and “see who’s out there”.
Decision was made to transfer/promote internally at the last minute, because an internal search was not correctly prioritized.
Before you post a job or begin any kind of interview process, make sure your group is committed to bringing in more people. Team communication is critical when it comes to a hiring campaign. If you think you have the green light to get started, ensure the company is actually hiring… then check again.
Don’t post “phantom jobs.” Because these phantom jobs make the labor market look tighter than it really is, they are a problem for economic policy makers as well as for frustrated job seekers. Companies should take ads down when jobs are filled. - Peter Cappelli in Harvard Business Review
Verify that the positions that are set to be advertised are in fact the positions that need to be filled. Confirm the plan with all stakeholders. Horror stories abound regarding new hires showing up to work and finding a surprised IT department. No workstations are available, with a lead time of more than a week. The budget, office space, and onboarding plan should be signed, approved, published, known, reviewed by all departments and otherwise completely ready before you begin interviewing.
This is not to suggest you can predict the future and that expected funding won’t surprise you by disappearing sometimes. But if, for example, you anticipate a 20-30% chance that you’ll suddenly receive a new but as yet unidentified source of revenue and that you should go ahead and begin the interview process with several potential candidates just in case you’ll be able to hire them… shame on you.
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