It’s a well-known fact that not all employees are a perfect fit for the company.

The wrong hire can be detrimental to your business, and it's not worth taking any risks when interviewing someone who could potentially become an employee.

But how do you know if they're right for the job? How can you tell if they'll make a good fit with your team? Unless you learn from the mistakes that hiring managers have made in the past and improve your hiring process, there is really no way of knowing.

This article will help you avoid these common mistakes and hire better employees for your company.

Normalise giving feedback after interviews.

"We will get back to you" is not a quote, it's a promise. I don't think you fully understand the mental stress you put on candidates when you go silent on them after an interview.

There is a particular organisation I interviewed with 2years ago, after the interview, I was given some assignments to carry out in furtherance of the process which I did, after that, I didn't hear back from them. A year later, I saw the same job offer and applied again, because I really loved the organization. Again, I was interviewed by a different person and even after telling them of my past experience with them, I was ghosted, again.

You see, preparing for an interview is a stressful experience for a candidate, but the stress is worse after. The constant checking of call logs, refreshing of emails over and again, checking junk folder, pondering on what they could have done wrong. The way the heart races when an email notification comes in only to be disappointed after opening it.

I know you're busy, but try putting yourself in the candidate's shoes. Don't give them false hope, even the bible says: "Hope deterred makes the heart weak".

Hiring managers should always have an open mind

When interviewing a candidate, hiring managers should not make any assumptions about their interviewees or jump to conclusions.

Hiring managers often make these assumptions without even realizing it - for example, a hiring manager may think that an interviewee is not right for the job because they are ‘too young’ or ‘too old’ for it.

Sometimes they also make assumptions about the candidate’s education level and work experience based on preconceived notions - it’s an interviewer’s job to look beyond what is on paper.

Unconscious bias training can help highlight such issues, but the most important thing is that Hiring Managers always remain open-minded throughout the process and avoid making any judgments until all of the interviews have been completed.

Hiring managers need to know what they are looking for in an employee

Before interviewing, the hiring manager must have a clear idea of what they are looking for in an employee. They should have a detailed description of the position on their company website, comprehensive job descriptions, and criteria before beginning to interview.

Most companies ask candidates about their formal education and qualifications, but real-world experience and soft skills are just as vital, if not more so.

Ask open-ended questions and be attentive, listening to answers and asking relevant follow-up questions when appropriate. Get to know your candidate - it’s best to allow for more time than you think you’ll need in case things run on for longer than expected.

When it comes to interviews, there is no such thing as "too many" interviews.

It is important to gather data about the candidate so that they can choose the best one, and interviews are a key part of that process. However, employers sometimes make the mistake of interviewing too few candidates or choosing a candidate before their interviews are even complete.

This can cause problems down the line and result in a mismatch of expectations for them as time passes.

The most common errors made by hiring managers include:

• Working with unchecked assumptions about job applicants instead of facts

• Not following up on references to make sure they check out

• Not taking the time to interview the right number of people

• Not spending enough time on each interview

A great way to avoid making these mistakes is to simply keep interviewing until you find the perfect fit.

May I also add that please, when you do choose to give feedback, please make it constructive and reassuring. Let the candidate's know that it's not that they are not good, they just weren't what your organisation was looking for, because rejection is hard.

Ultimately, a candidate is able to have closure and move on when they get an answer from you.

Don't keep us waiting unnecessarily.

Thank you for your anticipated understanding.