Recruiting the people that will really make a difference in your business can be a tricky process with companies and individuals still frequently making the same basic mistakes.

I've listed below the top five common mistakes below made in the recruitment process and how these could be avoided in order to make the whole process an easier, more pleasurable and ultimately successful experience:

Recruitment process mistake: 1. Providing an incomplete job description

Without spending enough time getting this part of the process absolutely spot on, it can be difficult attracting the right calibre of candidate for your position. An effective job description will help you attract the very best people to fill that position by providing details of the primary functions of the job, how the tasks will be carried out and the necessary skills and qualifications needed to be considered for that role. Make sure you cover these core items in the job description: job title, salary range, objectives, a description of reporting structure, experience and skills, description of the ideal candidate, work location, schedule and any other duties assigned ' assuring you can add new tasks to the position when needed. It is also'important to ensure that the job description is keyword optimised, so that it climbs to the top of job boards when people are doing their job searching.' Ask us here how we can help you optimise your adverts to maxmise the chances of attracting the very best candidates.

Recruitment process mistake:'2. Poor screening of candidate's CVs

It's imperative that you have a clear vision of what your ideal candidate should look like. Sifting through CVs can be time consuming enough and unless you have a clear strategy, you'll be amazed at just how much time you could potentially waste. As well as having a clear picture of what the successful candidate should look like, be ruthless with your CV analysis ' write down some essential skills or qualifications that your candidate can't be without. It could be that there is a necessity for years of experience in a similar role or perhaps the person you are recruiting for must have a clean driving licence? Try to only analysis a CV once and make sure you set yourself a time limit for reviewing each CV. When you have compiled your shortlist, maybe give them a score out of 10 and then interview the top 3 or 4 scorers. For a short video showing you how to sift and select CVs, join Mark and Charles from Response here as they talk you through the process.

Recruitment process mistake:'3. Being unprofessional in the interview

A lack of professionalism in an interview will always give a candidate a very negative perception of the company. Although it's vital that a candidate should feel relaxed in an interview, you shouldn't make it so relaxed that it ends up feeling like an informal chat. Make sure you have a professional location to hold the interview which will help get the most out of the candidate, avoiding places like the canteen or the local Starbucks. Ensure that the candidate feels that they have your undivided attention and that they don't feel they are competing for your time. Avoid all other distractions during the interview; make sure your diary is blocked out and above all, switch off your Blackberry! You may quickly realise that the person you are interviewing is about as useful as a chocolate kettle and that they would never get the job even if every other person in the running was struck down with Lyphangioleiomyomatosis. However, good or bad, a candidate should always walk away from the interview with a positive impression of the process and the business. You never know when you may encounter that individual again in life or with whom they may share their interview experience with. For some further interview advice, I've put together a guide to interviews, which you can read here.

Recruitment process mistake:'4. Lack of involvement from your team in the process

You would be amazed at how many people start recruiting new people into their team without informing their existing team members or including them in the process. Start getting the team involved in recruitment, you will be amazed at what a galvanising effect it has. They may even be able to unearth a special candidate to fill the post! For some further advice on motivating your team, you can read a blog I've put together which shares some management tips.' You can read it here.

Recruitment process mistake: 5. Lack of a time frame

If potential candidates see the same job ad appearing on job boards for months, this will give them the impression that either these companies are not serious about their recruitment, or that nobody wants to join them! It's important that you set up a time frame to recruit candidates with key dates set aside for posting the job advert, narrowing down CVs, interviewing the chosen few and then offering them the position.