Whether you are a solopreneur or you own a business with multiple employees, having to bring more people on board is one of the best signs that your business is growing. Congratulations!

All you need to do now is find the perfect person for the job and make sure you avoid the most common hiring mistakes in the process. Let’s have a look at what these mistakes are and how you can steer clear of them.

Knowing the Resume but Not the Person

You have a stack of resumes on your desk and a folder full of applications in your inbox. It’s easy to skim through them looking for certain “keywords” that you think are representative of an ideal candidate. Don’t just look at job titles but dig deeper and read the job descriptions as well – you might find that someone who was an assistant actually did the work of a manager and is perfect for your company.

During the interview, set the resume aside. You have already read it – that’s why the candidate is now in front of you. There’s no need to ask the candidate to walk you through their previous jobs. Instead, ask them meaningful questions to better understand what type of employee they are.

Choosing Another You

If you’ve been through the hiring process before, you can surely agree that you’ve found yourself “drawn” to certain candidates over others. When this happens, stop for a second and think about which of these candidates’ qualities appeal to you. Are they the same qualities you have, by any chance?

This might be your subconscious working – we are naturally attracted to people that are similar to us. Or you might think it’s a good idea to hire someone like you because you will work well together.

However, in doing so, you miss out on the opportunity to work with someone with a fresh perspective and that can do wonders for your business.

Making It a One-Way Sell

Of course you want the candidates to bring their A-game and impress you with their experience, knowledge, and charming personality. You are offering them an amazing job, after all… But they are also offering you something: all that experience, knowledge, and charming personality.

During the interview, remember that the hiring process is a two-way street – you need them as much as they need you. If they convinced you to hire them, you now have to convince them to take the job. Tell them about yourself and the company, about the future they can have here, and maybe even introduce them to the existing team.

Thinking You Know It All

Being a great CEO is not just about running a company. The market is constantly changing, and it can be hard to stay on top of the trends. What helps, however, is being part of a community of like-minded entrepreneurs you can share tips and tricks with and get valuable advice from. Find your community with EO Birmingham.