Today’s job market is the most competitive its been in a generation, and finding employees has become increasingly challenging for companies. If you’re struggling to attract top candidates, you’re not alone. The war for talent is raging! While you may feel like you’re doing everything you can, it’s important to take a step back and analyze your hiring process—you may find some areas where you can improve after all. To start, consider the following common hiring mistakes employers are making today:

Your employer branding isn’t helping

Keep in mind that an applicant’s first impression of your company takes place long before an interview. Before candidates even apply for a job, they have likely checked out your website, review sites like Glassdoor, and your social media pages. This begs the question: what does the organization’s online presence say about what it’s like to work there?

If you don’t have a clear answer to this question, you may be losing candidates before they even apply. When a job seeker is researching your company, they should be able to answer three simple questions:

  • Who are you?
  • What do you do?
  • Why are you a great place to work?

As a result, take a good look at your employer branding, and consider updating your strategy to better accommodate job seekers.

You’re looking for the wrong candidates

As an employer, you want to hire the best talent out there, but in this tight job market, that top candidate may not be available. However, that doesn’t mean that exceptional candidates don’t exist; it simply means you have to look a little harder for them. While you may be used to finding employees who check off every technical skill on your list, this strategy is not likely to work today.

So, how are top employers succeeding? They’re hiring for potential as opposed to technical skills. This ultimately means shifting your search to look for less experienced candidates who show great promise—and training them to be a rock star at your company. When you “hire for potential,” look for candidates who exhibit strong soft skills like:

  • Communication
  • Critical thinking
  • Problem solving
  • The ability to learn quickly
  • Accountability

Professionals who have these skills can easily be trained to learn any technical program or new skill needed for the role. Plus, when you take the time to invest in training a less experienced employee, you are likely to earn loyalty in return.  As a result, shifting your hiring strategy to look for promising young candidates can not only help you find hidden talent, but it can also increase retention.

You’re taking your time when you need to make a move

If you have interviewed a handful of top applicants, gone through multiple interview rounds, evaluated samples of work, and assessed cultural fit, it is time to make a decision. If you do not make an offer quickly, your top candidates will disappear and accept an offer from someone who didn’t wait around. Ensure that you’re doing everything you can to hasten your hiring process, including:

  • Scheduling multiple interviews in one day
  • Consistently communicating with top candidates
  • Making faster, better offers for the right candidate