1. A failure to define the performance factors (competencies) required for the job. How can you identify the right person for the job if you haven't a clear outline of the performance factors required for the job? Call it a shopping list.
   

2. Failure to cast the net wide enough. High performers are not scanning the situations vacant advertisements. Recruiting for applicants is akin to fishing. Casting your handline off the beach will catch you a few minnows. To catch the biggies you need to go wide and deep. Look internally first, use your networks, and remember recruiting is a continuous process.
   

3. Interview questions are not based on the performance factors (competencies) required for the job. Your number one goal is to assess the applicants’ knowledge, skills and abilities as they relate to the performance factors required to be successful in the position.
   
   
4. Interview questions are not behaviourally based. Remember, passed behaviour reflects future behaviour. A good general guiding is to structure all questions around the "Tell me about…." You want concrete examples, no personal opinions.
   
   
5. The interview is usually a one-on-one "chit chat." Interviews should be multi-rated - conducted by no less than two people. You want to eliminate bias, like stereotyping, first impression, similar to me hires etc.
   

6. Interviews questions are not rated (scored on say a 1 to 5 scale). Make notes during the interview, and meet immediately after to consensus score each question. After completing all interviews you can refer to your scoring sheet without relying on memory, which is, often bias. 

7. Applicants receive different treatment. To enable us to make a sound, fair judgement, the total selection process needs to be structured. We want to be able to measure "apples with apples."  All applicants receive the same questions, same profiling test, same background check etc.
   

8. Interviewers are not trained in conducting structured, behaviourally based interviewing. Interviewing is an art; you are trying to assess passed behaviour as it relates to specific work competencies.
   
   
9. Referencing is used at the completion of the process (if at all) to confirm the appointment. In this case, you have probably already made the decision to hire. Now you are in danger of only listening for positive information to validate that decision, thus discarding, or brushing off negative information as “we can train our way around this”, or “we can manage these problems ok”.
   
   
10. No personality or mental abilities assessments are conducted. Many employers think this process is expensive and only for top executives. Untrue – the only way to check the “roots of the tree“ for things like bad attitude, poor learning ability, honesty, dependability, reliability, optimism, service motivation, workplace aggression etc is through a validated psychological profiling. These cost between $45 and $350 depending on role – a small cost considering the cost of hiring the wrong person?
    

Rob Mckay MA(Hons) is an Industrial/Organisational Psychologist and Joint Managing Director of AssessSystems Aust/NZ Ltd. He can be contacted on 09 414 6030 and at www.assess.co.nz