Hiring is not only important for the short term (filling an open position) but is also vital for the long-term image of your company. Sometimes bad hiring practices creep into your company. This can happen because everyone is already busy getting their job done and hiring is just an extra task thrown on someone. You may not even realize you have these bad hiring practices. Being conscious and methodical in hiring can bring benefits both in now and in the long-term. These are 3 bad hiring practices that you may have:

When an employee leaves, it’s key to re-evaluate the position and make any changes necessary. Evaluate what tasks are relevant to the position and what can be delegated to someone else. Consider making changes to the position that will help take your company to the next level. Making this a habit can help develop your hiring and your company in the long run.

We all have a story of going into an interview and then never hearing back from the company. It can be demoralizing and confusing for a candidate. No matter how the candidate did in the interview, send them an email or give them a call after so they know where they stand. If you are still deciding on who to select, keep the candidates in the loop; don’t keep them guessing. If they don’t hear back, they might go apply to other jobs and you could potentially miss out on a great candidate. If you communicate well with candidates, this will have long term effects that will give your company a good brand image and people will want to apply for your open positions.

One of the worst hiring practices is checking the references after a job offer has been made. Reference checking is a vital part of the hiring process and can help you really get to know a candidate and the culture fit. Make it an important part of your process and talk to references before making a job offer. You might think the candidate is great and then hear from an ex-boss something that will change you’re mind. Take your time and be methodical and you will get the best candidate for the position.