As the new year kicks off, many companies in the specialty chemicals field will be looking to hire new talent. In this economy, companies need the best talent on their teams to stand out. If you want to come out on top in the competition for talent, don’t make these common hiring mistakes.

Ignoring Diversity

Often managers hire people who are most like them, but ignoring diversity is a missed opportunity. Companies who have more diverse leadership and employ more women and minority groups earn more revenue. Teams that are more diverse are generally more creative and more productive. You need employees who have a range of experiences and thought processes. If everyone on your team thinks the same way, it becomes harder to innovate and solve problems. You need people coming at problems from many different angles. To attract more diverse candidates, you should write job descriptions that use gender neutral language and limit the number of requirements. It also helps to simplify the application process.

Overlooking the Signs of a Great Candidate

Many businesses don’t know how to recognize the signs of a great candidate. They focus too much on their skill set and background. When assessing candidates, look for signs they are ambitious and fast learners. The best candidates tend to be the one who advance in their career the fastest. Did they earn a promotion at their last job faster than their contemporaries? Did their former employers assign them challenging projects? Top candidates also excel at communication, collaboration, and persuasion. Did the candidate lead any teams in their past work experience or collaborate on any high-profile projects? Did they influence any major business decisions at past organizations?

Hiring Based on Your First Impression

Another common mistake companies make is hiring based on first impressions. When you hire based on first impression alone, you tend to make uninformed decisions. It is best to ignore first impressions entirely. When we like a candidate right away, we tend to ask them easier questions or assess them more leniently than candidates who make a bad first impression. Some ways to reduce the impact of first impression bias are to conduct phone interviews before you meet candidates face-to-face, ask each candidate identical question, and to focus on evaluating team skills before evaluating individual strengths and weaknesses.

In a competitive employment market, it is crucial for companies to make smart hiring decisions. Most organizations within the specialty chemicals cannot afford to waste money and time having to hire replacement because of hiring mistakes. To improve your hiring process, work on hiring more diverse employees, identifying candidates with a proven track record for performance-based growth, and ignore first impressions.

Are you looking for top talent in the Specialty Chemical, Plastics, or Animal Health industry?

Contact us to discuss how we can bring top leadership talent to your team. Boaz Partners is a premier executive search firm focused on the direct recruitment of executives and professionals for the specialty chemicals and plastics space. We are your partner, and our focus is on custom recruiting solutions.

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