We have already looked at how to stay out of hot water when you are interviewing.
How Not to Get Burned While Hunting the Perfect Hire
Let’s be honest—finding a candidate who fits like a glove is kinda like pulling a rabbit out of a hat, except the hat is a stack of CVs and the rabbit has a LinkedIn profile. It takes a lot of effort to craft the perfect ad, sift through hundreds of resumes, shoot out invites, and then promise a life‑changing job. After 20+ years of hiring, I’ve learned a few tricks that help dodge the sneaky traps that pop up when we’re too busy riding the hiring roller coaster.
1⃣ Start with a Game‑Plan
- Prep like a pro. Draft a set of role‑specific questions upfront. When you’re referring back to a CV during the interview, you’ll have a “big picture” ready to roll.
- Uniformity matters. Treat every candidate the same—except for exceptional qualities that make one the star of the show.
2⃣ Team Up but Stay Synced
If you’ve got a colleague tagging along for the interview, make sure they’re on the same page. Drop them a link to this guide (or whisper it in a carrier pigeon). Don’t assume they’ve already avoided all the “discriminatory pitfalls” you’ve mastered.
3⃣ Shut Down Stereotypes
- Foreign‑sounding name? No problem! Judge by skills, not by vowels.
- “A girl on a slip of a girl” . You can nail down the IT, the sales, the crunch‑time Elias file‑wrapping, and you’ll still come out strong, regardless of the candidate’s gender.
4⃣ Keep the Halo Straight
The old “halo and horns” trick can turn an excellent candidate into a bad hire. If one point shines, don’t let it overtake every other critique. Cool head, cool decision.
5⃣ Take Notes – But Keep Them Clean
Jot down the essentials. If a situation forces you to write a critique (like “indexing the candidate’s humor” or “if the cat got in the cron job”), skip the eerie memes. Why? Because anyone can read those notes. One time a reviewer sneezed right in front of a note that read “Looked like Thing from the Addams Family.” The scene was less American Horror Story and more Office HR.
- Why keep notes? For a Subject Access Request (SAR), you’ll want to remember the exact reason for a hire or no‑hire.
- How to hit the sweet spot: stick to objective criteria—what you’ll see in the job spec and the candidate’s credentials.
6⃣ Question Relevance Is Your Safety Net
Every question you throw out should answer the central question: Does this candidate qualify for the role? If a query is a lottery ticket, you’re missing the point.
Ready to Cruise Through Hiring?
With these cheeky hacks, you’ll avoid the common pitfalls that most recruiters fall into. You’ll ship out a polished candidate experience that keeps both you and your future hires happy.
A huge shout‑out to Kate Bagnall and Louise Hopkins of Bagnall Hopkins Recruitment for sparking these insights. For more lifesaving HR advice, tap into Three Door Solutions or buzz us on @3domSolutions. Happy hiring!