There are plenty of misconceptions about what really makes up the cost of recruitment. But what about the hidden problems that create the real costs of finding and'retaining talented candidates? These are aspects that, unlike perceived causes of costly hiring, are less obvious and on the surface, but which actually lead to'long-term issues with recruitment'- and with the overall performance of an organisation.
Lack of skills'- wrong specification: this is a massive'hidden cost to recruiting companies. Hidden away right at the top of the recruitment funnel, it is the stage that can result in a decision to recruit the wrong person and bring the wrong set of skills into an organisation. Added to this is the issue of creating a job spec that fails to address the actual needs of an organisation. These problems create a long-term drain on both the financial and other resources for a business.
Management of the process - Time: The time taken to advertise, recruit and select a candidate is a significant hidden cost. Yet, hidden away within a company's recruitment process, this process successfully takes up time across all levels of HR, at a high cost to an organisation. But more importantly, the time of of the business manager ends up being drained on interviewing second rate rate candidates. Management of the process covers more than just the obvious'recruitment activities. It also involves the issues around responding to unforeseen problems and also fire fighting dealing with staff attrition and inappropriately recruited employees.
Not gaining the reach required to maximise success: Success in this context is the recruitment of a candidate who combines skills, competency and an approach that matches the ethos of an organisation. Yet a limited reach in publicising a job role can lead to the selection of a candidate who does not provide this essential mix. This hidden problem comes right at the initial stage of the recruitment funnel. The opportunity to reach potential candidates in both the active and the hidden passive jobs market is huge - and the cost of overlooking this is also huge. Settling for second best will end up having a detrimental long term cost on your business.
Maximising a recruitment strategy whilst reducing cost per hire offers a range of important benefits to your'business, aside from the obvious reduction in costs.
Getting the equation right benefits both cost and quality. It can also boost the quality of an organisation in the short- and long-term.'Reducing cost per hire'in a strategic way can provide positives at every level of a business. So what are the specific advantages to turning the cost per hire obstacle into an opportunity?
Getting a pipeline of talent to support the business: Addressing the paradox right can help create a sustainable pipeline of talent to support the business. This means building and nurturing a long-term strategy that attracts and draws in the best available talent. This pipeline can support the progress of the business much more effectively than less strategic approaches to recruitment. With succession planning a key issue in many recruiters' minds, developing a long-term pipeline addresses many important issues affecting businesses right now.
Accelerating growth and performance: Reducing cost per hire the right way has a whole range of advantages, alongside the obvious financial ones. Done correctly, this approach can actually boost a company's growth and performance. It's about the strategic versus the reactive. A'recruitment approach'that aims to reduce the cost of recruiting can also impact on the long-term development of a team and a business.
Getting the marketing mix that grows the pipeline and your brand: Addressing the hidden costs of recruitment can reap major rewards. It's an approach that not only grows your talent pipeline, but also your sales and marketing pipeline. Taking control of recruitment cost per hire can also mean boosting market profile.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines micromanagement as �excessive control or attention to details� and it is by far the most common mistake new (and a fair few experienced) managers make.
Well-intentioned, yet inexperienced managers easily fall into this kind of behavior because they�re so anxious about doing a good job and making a good impression that they end up trying to do everything themselves.
But leadership isn�t about having total control over every little, minute detail; it�s about inspiring, guiding and supervising the team, in order to get the job done, well.
And having a manager watch and criticise your every move is incredibly off-putting and makes employees feel undervalued, frustrated and like you don�t trust them.
That will lead to disengagement.
And to be honest, it�s often completely unwarranted.
If you�re a good manager and you�ve hired good people, then they will be more than capable of getting things done, without you lurking over them.
Micromanagement is a form of mismanagement.
You need to:
Check out this blog � How To Stop Micromanaging Your Employees � to find out more!
If you genuinely have an incompetent workforce, then micromanagement isn�t going to solve that issue; but further training or even hiring new people, might.
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Some new managers can get a little bit overexcited with their new-found responsibility and authority.
And this �overexcitement� can lead to a variety of untoward and unproductive behaviours, including:
Essentially, they tend to think they�re better than other people � and that they�re untouchable (which just isn�t true)!
As you can imagine, they are not well-liked � which is issue number 1.
No one�s going to feel motivated and inspired by someone they don�t like or trust.
Issue number 2 is that they�re often not willing to bend or take into consideration other people�s opinions.
But that�s just silly.
Your employees are in the thick of it, day-in, day-out.
They�re likely to have some great ideas, suggestions and real value to add to any discussion.
Issue number 3 is obviously the moral and legal obligations that managers have to employees.
Abuse should never be tolerated in any kind of working environment and you will (eventually) get caught out.
Good managers do not (and do not need to) threaten their staff.
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On the other hand, there is such a thing as being too friendly with your team.
While your intention of creating a friendly atmosphere is admirable, it is important to understand that some employees might take advantage of the situation if you don�t also show some kind of authority.
A manager should always establish their authority, even in the friendliest working environment.
You can do that by:
Being (or at least acting) confident � Don�t second-guess yourself and don�t constantly ask your employees whether you�re on the right track.
Managing your emotions � Getting emotional shows a lack of control, confidence and authority; some employees will jump on those insecurities.
Saying what needs to be said � Don�t shy away from confrontation, but do remain professional and offer constructive criticism and feedback.
And above all else, stop worrying about being liked.
If you have a tough decision to make, make it.
All in all, a great manager should be approachable and open to dialogue, yet maintain their professionalism and authority.
Check out this blog post for more advice on this: Ten Ways To Navigate The Line Between Being A Boss And A Friend.
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Many new managers, especially those who are fresh out of education still idolise their �business heroes� and attempt to copy their management styles.
You can imagine how many people try to live up to Richard Branson�s leadership style!
But just because a certain style worked for one person, doesn�t mean it will definitely work for you.
You need to get to know a business, a role and a company before committing to one management technique that will genuinely work for them.
Don�t copy-cat others and assume it�ll work out.
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As we said earlier, a lot of managers are keen to make a great impression � which is great.
But unfortunately, this can lead to a tendency to:
1. Conduct pointless activity.
Some new managers attempt to implement a million and one new strategies and ideas in the first few months, so that they look busy and effective; some of which are pointless.
2. Set unrealistic goals for employees.
If you start trying to do too much at once, your employees will find it difficult to get anything done.
It is really important to evaluate every project, think clearly about whether it�s valuable and doable and then include these into a reasonable long-term strategy.
Really think about it; is that task necessary right now?
Can it wait?
Are there bigger fish to fry?
For some advice on how to set smarter goals, check out this blog: SMART Goals: 5 Tips For Motivating Employees.
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It is really important to gain feedback and advice from your employees, before making any major decisions � as we said earlier; they�ll have a lot of value to offer you in terms of the bigger picture.
However, it is really important not to lean on them too much, delegating decisions that you should be making and showing any signs of insecurity in your own abilities.
Understandably, many new managers are afraid to put themselves out there, but either way, those decisions will come back to YOU, so it�s important to be able to make them yourself.
Your team won�t trust you if you don�t trust yourself.
Delegating can be difficult for a new manager � this blog should help though!
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You may well have some fantastic and innovative new ideas but before jumping in feet first, it�s important to understand your new role and the way things work at that company.
(If you�ve been working there for a while, you�ll have a head-start).
It is also important to give employees the chance to gradually adapt to the new work frame and to the new management style.
People often struggle with change, especially when things have been the same way for a long time.
If you change everything at once, things will just get confusing and you�ll annoy your employees.
Would you like it if someone walked in and thought they knew everything?!
So, there you have it; 7 of the most common mistakes new managers make time and time again.
I�m sure you�ve seen some of these behaviours before (no doubt in experienced managers, as well as new ones�) but hopefully you haven�t been guilty of any of them!
Recruiter Pro Tip
The most important thing to remember is that you are not infallible and that when you start any new job, you have to get to know the situation before making any major changes.
If you try to change things too fast, then you�re likely to�
1. Annoy your new team. Would you want someone barging in, thinking they know everything about everything, but not actually attempting to find out?!
2. Get things wrong. Can you really know what�s best for the business, without knowing what works (and doesn�t) work now?
Good luck.
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Enjoy!
