No matter how diverse the jobs within a company might be, there’s one department that knows what people do more than any other: human resources. While marketing might not know exactly what the coders are doing, and upper management might have no idea about the inner workings of warehouse jobs, HR recruiters have to know about all of these positions so that they can find the best people for the jobs at hand.
But for most people, HR itself remains a mystery. And wherever there’s mystery, there are sure to be myths and misconceptions that pop up. Today we’re going to take a look at three very real myths that surround the hiring process when you work with HR consultants.
MYTH: THE INTERVIEW IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF HIRING
Now don’t get us wrong, the interview can be very important. We’ve touted the importance of them before, and stand by the fact that interviews are an excellent way to find the right person.
But there are other equally — and often more — important parts of the hiring process that occur before the interview. Sorting resumes, verifying work histories, tracking down referrals…all of these can help create the shortlist for a job opening.
What’s wrong with interviews? We’ve all known some smooth talkers in our day, and some people interview very well even if they are underqualified (or grossly unqualified) for the job. While they might say they have all of the necessary qualifications, they could simply be telling the interviewer what they want to hear. Interviews can be great at finding out if a qualified person will fit in with a company, but the processes that happen before the interview ensure that only the right people are called in for a face-to-face in the first place.
MYTH: TECHNOLOGY IS EVERYTHING
There are people in the HR recruiting industry who can still remember a time before computers were a big part of working in human resources. But in the last 30 years, computers and the internet have had a big impact on the way hiring is done. But it’s certainly not going to solve all HR recruiting problems.
Computers are a big part of hiring, considering the speed at which they can sort potential hires based on their qualifications. They’re certainly an excellent way of getting huge sums of resumes. But once all of that information is gathered, the computer becomes less and less important as the shortlist of candidates is created. A human touch will always be needed to get the right person in the right position.
MYTH: YOU SHOULD WAIT FOR THE PERFECT EMPLOYEE
When writing a job description before posting an opening, most employers shoot for the moon. They want a client to be an expert in every requested qualification, no matter how many requirements they put in the job description.
So when a potential hire comes along that only meets 90% of the criteria, should you wait for someone who comes along who can fulfill the job needs 100%? In most cases, no, because that person probably doesn’t exist. Sure, you can wait if you don’t need someone on staff for a year, but in most cases you need someone to get to work sooner rather than later. Having someone who’s nearly perfect now is better than waiting forever for someone who is perfect…because a perfect person may never show up.
DO YOU NEED HR RECRUITERS?
We’ve been preferred HR recruiters in Houston for a long time, and we know what does and doesn’t work. If you’re in need of HR consultants to get the job done, contact us today.