As we gear up for 2025, it's the perfect time to take a good, hard look at our hiring practices and assess what’s truly working. Hiring is one of the most critical functions for building strong teams, yet it’s also an area where missteps can have long-lasting consequences. We've all made mistakes along the way, but let’s commit to making 2025 the year we learn from those errors and leave them behind. By reflecting on past challenges and adapting smarter strategies, we can elevate our hiring process and make better decisions that drive success. To help you get started, here are six hiring mistakes you should leave in 2024:
1. Rushing the hiring process
We get it - you're under pressure to fill that position ASAP. But remember, haste makes waste! Rushing through the hiring process can lead to overlooking crucial qualifications or making snap judgments based on instinct rather than data. The result? A mismatch between the candidate and the role which can hurt productivity and team morale. Not to mention put you at risk for early turnover.
How to fix it: Slow down and make sure you have a sound plan in place first before you start searching for candidates. Use a tool like the McQuaig Job Survey to gain consensus and compile a benchmark of what your ideal candidate should look like. Once everyone is on the same page, it's easier to find suitable candidates to interview and decreases chances of a misalignment later.
2. Ignoring soft skills, even for technical roles
Sure, your developer needs to code, but they also need to work with others, communicate effectively, and adapt to change. We're seeing more companies struggle with brilliant but difficult-to-work-with hires from sales to dev to accounting and beyond. Technical skills can be taught, but emotional intelligence and teamwork capabilities are harder to develop. Make soft skills assessment a priority in your hiring process to make sure you're hiring for good team fit for every role, no matter how technical.
How to fix it: Use an assessment like the McQuaig Word Survey that reveals what your candidate is truly like and what their future potential is. The resume should always be part of the consideration process, of course, but you don't want to ignore data how a hire will work with others and whether they will add or detract from a team.
Read More: How will AI change the hiring process?
3. Neglecting cultural fit
Speaking about the importance of hiring people who can work well on a team, overlooking cultural fit is a recipe for disaster. If you've done the work to build a strong team or company culture then you need to consider that for every hire. Will they add to the environment you've struggled to build or is their expertise not worth the disruption they might bring with them? A stellar candidate who won't fit into the team is a hire you need to very carefully consider before you make.
How to fix it: During interviews, assess not just skills, but also how well the candidate aligns with your company's values and work environment. Remember, skills can be taught, but attitude and cultural fit are harder to change.
4. Relying too heavily on AI and automation
In 2025, AI and automation will be more advanced than ever. But relying too heavily on these tools can lead to overlooking great candidates who don't fit the exact keyword criteria. Yes, AI can help HR teams streamline processes and shift through a mountain of applications quicker. But you should always remember AI is one tool in a strong hiring toolkit, not the end decision maker. Use technology to help you gather as much data as possible to base your hiring decision on. But at the end of the day, your human judgment needs to be the driving force behind technology usage.
How to fix it: Use AI as a tool, not a replacement for human judgment. Combine automated screening with human review to ensure you're not missing out on potentially great hires. Use a structured interview process to ensure a fair playing field to compare candidates and don't get bogged down in fancy technology.
Read More: Breathe new life into your candidate experience with these tips
5. Ignoring the candidate experience
In the age of Glassdoor and social media, a poor candidate experience can seriously damage your employer brand. Don't be that company everyone warns their friends about. Instead, take candidate experience seriously to keep your employer brand, and your hiring process, healthy. Treat candidates with respect and don't waste their time. And whatever you do, avoid the candidate communication black hole that's unfortunately far too common.
How to fix it: Communicate regularly with candidates, provide constructive feedback, and be responsive throughout the hiring process. A positive candidate experience can build a good reputation for your company, even among those you don't end up hiring. It can also leave the door open for talent to return for a future posting. Also, it's just basic good business. Treat others well and that will be reflected in your employer brand.
6. Thinking the job is over when an offer is made
It can be exciting to find the right fit you want to hire. And once an offer is made, it's time to celebrate right? Well don't be too quick to pop that champagne. How you welcome a new hire into the role can lay the ground work for how long they'll stay with a company, how fast they find their feet, and how easily they slide into place on a team. The onboarding period is crucial for starting new hires on the right foot so make sure you don't rush the process or worse, forget about it completely.
How to fix it: Use the information you've gathered through the recruitment process to guide your onboarding plan. Assessments such as the McQuaig Word Survey can inform your hiring choice but it can also support a strong onboarding process. By creating an onboarding plan that takes your new hire's personality, learning style, management style, and worldview into account, you can build a plan that is targeted and tailored to your new hire. And doesn't that send a powerful message about how you prioritize your people right from the start?
New year, new approach
2025 is a great time to take a hard look at your hiring approach and make changes that will have a long lasting impact. By avoiding these common pitfalls above, you'll be well on your way to building a stellar team in the new year. Remember, hiring is as much an art as it is a science. Keep learning, keep improving, and most importantly, keep focusing on finding the right people who will help your organization thrive.