Let's face it, none of us are perfect, nor will they ever be. Human beings have many virtues and many abilities, but there are also things that we do wrong. If we make mistakes as individuals, all the more reason we do it when, in one way or another, we are in community. Hence, neither the Human Resources department, nor any other within the company, can work perfectly and totally efficiently, because mistakes are always made.
Having this clear is a good starting point for leaders understand that they cannot aspire to the perfection of their work teams. And, at the same time, knowing that mistakes are made is a good starting point to try to avoid them and get the job done as well as possible.
Therefore, we are going to see what are the main mistakes that are still being made in Human Resources departments, because in this way we will obtain valuable information that will be very useful when looking for a improvement in the efficiency of personnel selection processes and in staff management.
Table of Contents
Bad communication as one of the errors in human resources
One of the keys to success in companies that have achieved their goals and exceeded all expectations, no matter what economic sector they operate in, is good communication at all levels.
It is essential that information flows within the organization, so that everyone knows exactly what they should know. The better the communication, the lower the risk of errors occurring and, in addition, it generates a confidence It is a source of motivation and productivity.
On the other hand, if communication occurs naturally, we avoid the appearance of rumours, which have been shown to have very pernicious effects on the template.
Good communication is always important, but it is even more so when it occurs between the Human Resources department and other areas of the company. Because, how are we going to find the ideal candidate for a position, if the person in charge of the selection is not entirely clear about what the supervisor of the new worker is looking for?
Not making clear job offers
The design of a good job offer is much more complex than it seems. The advertisement must contain essential data to attract the most qualified candidates for the position, and also make the company appear attractive.
However, for some time now, serious mistakes have been made in this regard, causing the selection processes take longer than necessary, and even end up with the vacancy unfilled.
Many Human Resources departments have spread the idea that the job offer is more of an advertisement for the company, in which it must be reflected as the best in its sector. The candidate is barely given importance, who is left without receiving the necessary information.
Companies compete with each other to attract talent, and they don't want the competition to reveal all their cards, and that has led us to job offers so brief that they either fail to capture the interest of talented candidates, or they make the first sieve is long and tedious, because they receive hundreds of resumes from people who are not suitable for the position.
This lack of transparency affects both the Human Resources department and the candidates. If after the curricular screening a person appears who fits the profile, it is possible that after the job interview he decides that he does not want to work in the company, because he is not interested in the conditions offered. Again, we are wasting time and money.
The way to solve this problem is to give the job offer the importance it deserves, and start writing the announcements in a much more detailed and transparent way.
Not protecting the information as another of the errors in human resources
The Human Resources department is one of the busiest by people from inside and outside the company. Employees from different areas come to him, but also applicants who go to interviews and selective tests, and this means a data protection risk.
Although in most companies essential measures are already adopted to protect sensitive information, in this department security must be strengthened a little more, using measures that, in many cases, are not applied. For example:
- Making sure that the computer screen of the technician doing the interview is off during the conversation with the candidate, and preventing it from being turned on if a password is not entered.
- Checking that before a meeting with someone outside the company there are no documents on the table that contain information about the business or about other candidates.
Also, mistakes are made regarding information on data protection. The applicant for a position is asked for a lot of personal information and data that he provides to the company, but in few cases is he duly informed about what is going to be done with it.
The company must protect its internal information, but it must also ensure that it protects the data of the candidates, and that they are informed of what will be done with the data provided in case they are not chosen.
Not investing in training
The leader of the Human Resources department is responsible for ensuring that their staff has the necessary skills and abilities to be able to do their job well. Since we can all develop new skills, it is the job of the head of the department request the company to improve the training of its team.
The lack of adequate training is behind many of the errors that are made in the recruitment and selection process, due to the incidence of factors such as unconscious biases. Something that could be avoided if those responsible for the selection had received training on this subject, were aware of their biases, and knew tools and formulas to prevent them from acting when they had to choose between candidates.
On the other hand, when training employees, you don't have to incur the mistake of overloading them with tasks. Training should be something they approach with positivity and with an awareness of the beneficial effects it has on them. If training becomes a problem, for example if it takes up a lot of time in the workday, they won't want to do it.
Having decentralized the information of the workers as another of the errors in human resources
This department is in charge of everything related to the management of the company's personnel and, therefore, has data such as the type of employment contract of each employee, sanctions that may have been imposed, supporting documents presented in case of absence, etc.
Documentation that may be important for future processes or decisions, and that ends up being difficult to consult because it is not as well organized as it should be.
In the midst of a digital age, the Human Resources department should embrace the zero paper policy (or try as much as possible). Replacing the old document filing system in folders and filing cabinets, which often leads to losses, with a digital filing system together record all the information relating to each employee.
Not doing a good onboarding for new employees
The work of the Human Resources department in the selection of personnel does not end when the new worker signs his contract. Once you have become an employee, from this department you must be given a special support.
It is responsible for creating an onboarding process, or welcome process, that allows the new worker adapt to your new position as best and as soon as possible. Because this reduces the possibility that you will not feel completely comfortable and decide to leave.
Given that at the time of joining the company the candidate has only had contact with the Human Resources staff, it should be the latter, with whom he already has some confidence, who Accompany you to meet your new boss and colleagues.
Also in this department you should be provided with the necessary information so that you are aware of the culture and values of the company.
On the other hand, it is convenient for this department to send an email introducing the new employee to the rest of the staff. All of this will help you feel more integrated.
This is an important question because, in companies that do not manage onboarding well, or do not do it at all, the churn rate in the first few weeks is higher.
These problems that we have seen are quite common in many companies, but not because they are something habitual they stop being something relevant. In fact, as you have seen, the organizations that have been solving them are achieving better results. Therefore, the time has come to review your Human Resources department and take measures to eliminate these inefficiencies.
