7 Hiring Mistakes Leaders Must Avoid to Build A Winning Team

Hiring Mistakes Number 5: Unclear expectations of candidates

As much as possible, through any hiring process, you want to be able to see different sides of candidates and build a full picture of their skills. 

For example: 

• are they “Board Ready” in their presentation skills 

• How strategic are they? 

• Are they able to get into the weeds (execution/delivery) and zoom out (strategic) 

• How do they approach problems 

• Ability to learn 

The list goes on and on and setting candidates “homework” can be a great way of assessing their ability to deliver in different ways. 

This is a great tool to use in a recruitment journey. 

However, too often, we see this process rushed by hiring managers, they don’t set time aside to set very intentional and well-thought-through tasks. Being time-poor and having other priorities is a poor excuse to let this happen. 

If you started a new project in your day job and spent 5 minutes scoping out the task, you’d be in serious trouble with leadership. 

The same goes here. Set time aside, be intentional with the task, have clear ideas behind what you are trying to accomplish and communicate clearly to the candidates giving resources needed and investing time in answering their questions. 

Otherwise, candidates can deliver on what is written, but what is written doesn’t correspond to what you have in your mind. 

The bottom line: 

Tasks, case studies and “homework” are great tools to use in the hiring journey, but be sure to be intentional, thoughtful and clear with expectations to candidates.