7 Common Hiring Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Hello Growth Magnets, this month I had the pleasure of jamming with Meredith Chandler , Sales VP and experienced coach, on our masterclass edition of the podcast, Making Revenue Tick.

We tackled the seven major hiring mistakes (ones we've made ourselves and seen many of our clients make too!). AND, shared exactly how you can avoid them.

This topic is worth a fortune because a hiring mistake can cost your company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost time, money and opportunity.

To tee us off, here's why I believe a great salesperson is worth MORE than an investor to a business...

Right, you ready?

Here's the highlights from that chat, with practical tips to help you get hiring right the first time.

THE SEVEN MISTAKES

1. Not Defining Job Duties and Required Skills Clearly

One of the biggest hiring mistakes is not being crystal clear on job duties and the required skills. Different duties require different skills, and a vague job description can lead to hiring the wrong candidate.

Example and Tip:

“If you need someone to close $1 million across 20 logos, state it explicitly. This helps in screening candidates who can handle multiple smaller deals versus a few large ones.”

“For example, if you’re hiring an AE and the responsibility is closing new business, you need to dig deeper. Are they going to need strong pipeline generation skills? Are we feeding them leads? These specifics matter.”

Action Step:

Update your job descriptions to include detailed expectations, such as the number of logos, the mix of inbound and outbound responsibilities, and any specific skills required.

2. Asking Closed-Ended Questions

Avoid asking close-ended questions during interviews, as they can lead to incomplete or misleading answers. Instead, ask open-ended questions to get a fuller picture of the candidate's skills and experience.

Example and Tip:

“Switch from ‘Have you sold to enterprise clients?’ to ‘Describe your experience selling to enterprise clients, including the challenges and successes you encountered.’”

“It’s not enough to say, ‘Do you have outbounding experience?’ You want to ask something like, ‘Tell me about the last logo you closed from prospecting, including the methods you used to find and close it.’”

Action Step:

Revise your interview questions to be open-ended, prompting candidates to share detailed stories about their experiences and successes.

3. Not Digging Deep Enough into Numbers

Sales candidates often claim to be top performers. Dig deeper by asking specifics about their achievements to verify their claims and ensure you're hiring genuinely top talent.

Example and Tip:

“Ask, ‘You mentioned you were the top rep. How did you achieve that status, and what was your quota versus your attainment?’”

“Ask things like, ‘You were the number one rep? How many people were on your team? How far were you behind number one?’ This context is crucial.”

Action Step:

Prepare a set of probing questions that dig into the specifics of the candidate's performance metrics and their context within their previous teams.

4. Inconsistent Interview Questions

Ask the same set of questions to every candidate to identify patterns and ensure a fair evaluation process. This consistency helps you compare candidates effectively and avoid biases.

Example and Tip:

“Develop a standard interview guide with key questions that all interviewers use, ensuring consistency in the evaluation process.”

“Hiring should be fairly boring for you as the hiring manager because you want to look for patterns, and you can’t find patterns if you’re asking different questions each time.”

Action Step:

Create a standardized interview guide and ensure all interviewers follow it to maintain consistency and fairness in the evaluation process.

5. Lacking an Evaluation Method

Establish what good looks like before interviewing candidates. Create a scoring system to objectively evaluate each response, ensuring you have a uniform method to compare and decide on candidates.

Example and Tip:

“Create a rubric with categories like communication skills, experience relevance, and cultural fit, rating each on a scale from 1 to 5.”

“If at the end of each stage, you can look at the score and make a decision right then and there, this person moves on, this person does not. It’s objective and removes second guessing.”

Action Step:

Develop a detailed evaluation rubric that all interviewers use to score candidates, making the hiring process more objective and transparent.

6. Not Selling the Role and the Company

The best candidates often aren’t actively looking for a job. Make sure you sell your company and the role to them, highlighting the exciting aspects and vision of the company.

Example and Tip:

“Spend the last 10 minutes of the interview discussing the company’s vision, recent successes, and future opportunities. Share personal stories of growth within the company.”

“You have to convince them why they should leave the comfort of their current role or select your company over the other companies they’re evaluating.”

Action Step:

Dedicate time in each interview to sell the role and your company, sharing success stories and the exciting future prospects to attract top talent.

7. Lengthy Hiring Process

Avoid dragging out the hiring process or wanting to evaluate too many candidates before making a decision. This leads to losing great candidates to faster-moving companies.

Example and Tip:

“Set a timeline for the hiring process, aiming to complete it within four weeks. Communicate this timeline to candidates at the beginning.”

“If you find someone 90% of the way there, extend your offer, get them in the door, and get it done.”

Action Step:

Streamline your hiring process and set a clear timeline. Be ready to make decisions quickly and communicate effectively with candidates throughout the process.

Over to You = Getting it Right First Time

Hiring right the first time is challenging but achievable with clear definitions, consistent evaluations, and a proactive approach to selling the role. Implement these strategies to improve your hiring success rate and build a stronger team.

If you need personalised guidance, connect with Meredith Chandler on LinkedIn or visit her website, merediththesalescoach.com .

Listen to the Masterclass Podcast!

on Spotify , Apple , or watch on YouTube

Thanks for reading & Stay magnetic

I'm Richard Washington, Founder of Tick Talent and it's my pleasure to share some of my best insights with you.