Guest Post: 5 Recruitment Disasters and How to Avoid Them

Anyone who claims recruitment is easy – either hasn’t worked in the industry long enough, or has been extremely lucky. Recruitment is tricky – and it’s not just the constant communication and the endless chasing you’re doing, a lot of the things that can potentially go wrong within recruitment are sometimes hidden away.

Those hidden hiccups that can halt even the most promising candidate from taking and accepting an offer – can interrupt your work and delay your success by weeks, sometimes even months, and yet they seemed to come out of nowhere completely unannounced.

So what should you look out for as a recruiter, and how can you avoid falling victim to these unexpected delays and disasters? Well, we’ve put together a list of the top 5 most common recruiting disasters, and how you (as the forward thinking person you are) can avoid them at all costs. Because the job is hard enough – without additional problems getting in the way!

1.  Your candidate accepts the role, then changes their mind

This is the worst thing that can happen, if a job offer has been made and the candidate has committed to it – but then they change their mind. It’s a tricky scenario – especially as a recruiter. On the one hand, you need to get to the bottom of whatever reason they gave – and is it something you could’ve prevented earlier? If so, then address this and work with your client, or department to fix any issues that may make this happen again. In terms of ensuring this never happens – it’s a hard thing to predict, and thus it’s a hard thing to prevent. Sometimes candidates will simply have a change of heart. The most you can do to stop this happening on a regular basis, is to fully research and get to know your candidate. Do they have a good employment record? Talk to other recruiters and see if any of them have come across your candidate before… all of these things will help you gather a more comprehensive mental picture of them, and if they’re committed to taking the job role.

2. Your candidate isn’t old enough to take the job role

This is a rare one, but it does happen. It’s especially common with over-eager students who are desperate to get into the working world as soon as possible. If you’ve found a great candidate (who seems perfect for the role, and the company, etc) but you discover they haven’t actually finished college or university yet – it’s not actually the end of the world. Can you offer them a graduate scheme or internship instead? This can then keep them in your sights, for any full-time roles that may crop up when they reach the right hiring age.

3. You’ve found the perfect candidate but they’re located in another city

Potentially a disaster if the candidate isn’t willing to relocate or commute – but you’ll never know the answer to these questions unless you ask. It seems foolish to miss out on a perfect candidate for something that can so easily be worked around in 2014. Ask your candidate if they’re willing to travel for work, or if they’d be open to relocating for their new job. If their answer is ‘yes’ then your problems are solved! You can always discuss with your client what kind of packages can be offered too for those willing to relocate, maybe there is a larger pay bracket, maybe you offer loans to those who are moving and need financial help to do so. All these things help. If they aren’t willing to move however – look into other possibilities before giving up. Does the position lend itself to home working? Would they be willing to commute Mon-Fri if you put them up in a hotel during the week? Does you client have any offices in the town where the candidate is based? All these can help sort out a potentially disastrous situation.

4. You liked the candidate but your client didn’t

We all know how it goes, you find a great candidate, put them forward for the role – but your client just doesn’t agree and can’t see the same potential you saw. This is hugely frustrating – but it’s something you need to accept. At the end of the day – the final say comes down to your client. The most you can do here is perhaps set up a second interview so that both parties can meet again – in a more relaxed setting. Going forward though, to prevent it happening again – it’s worth getting a more detailed list of what your client wants. And perhaps more importantly, what they don’t want. Find those red flags, and make sure you aren’t putting anyone forward who may send them flying up.

5. Your candidate lied on their CV

This is a horrible situation to be in, and the only way to avoid it (and looking a fool because of it) is to simply do your research. Make sure you talk to the candidate thoroughly and make sure you have checked their references and their employment history. This is simply a case of being super vigilant. Don’t put forward anyone to your clients until you’re absolutely sure they are who they claim to be.

Author information:

Sean Revell specializes in helping employers find the right candidates and applicants find the right jobs within the hotel industry on behalf of Leisure Jobs, the UK’s largest leisure specific job board.

Maren Hogan

Maren Hogan is CEO of Red Branch and general Bad@$$

Maren Hogan is a seasoned marketer and community builder in the HR and Recruiting industry. Maren started Red Branch Media and, before she hired all the smiling faces you see below, she ran it on her own. In marketing for over 15 years, she has deep experience in strategic campaigns and a long-term, results-based operational approach.