In the field of talent management, there are several myths that can keep your talent management from resulting in the best possible hires. It’s important to steer clear of these myths as they’ll undoubtedly torpedo your talent management efforts. Here are 6 myths to avoid.

1. Small companies do not need to recruit.

Any company that wants to find the best possible employees needs to recruit for at least some—and possibly all—positions. Recruiting makes companies competitive, and it helps companies grow and become more profitable.

2. Interviews are more important than other parts of the hiring process.

There’s no doubt that interviews are important; they give the hiring team an important first impression of a candidate. They establish the candidate’s communication skills as well as their ability to perform under pressure. However, interviews can only go so far, and they may only establish that the candidate is a smooth talker. In actuality, the interview is just one tool in the hiring arsenal, and it should not be seen as more important than other tools like applicant tracking software, assessments, and references.

3. You should hold out for the perfect candidate.

The reality is that the perfect candidate doesn’t exist. Dragging out the hiring process to wait for the perfect candidate is more likely to cost your company time, money, and a really good (but imperfect) candidate to fill the position. An imperfect but motivated and teachable candidate can be a great asset to any company. However, creating an ideal candidate persona can definitely speed up your time to hire as it gives you a stronger basis for comparing candidates.

4. Employment history best shows a candidate’s quality.

Hiring teams tend to avoid candidates who have frequently changed jobs in the past or have been recently unemployed, but the volatile economy of the past several years has wreaked havoc on more than a few qualified candidates. Ask for a reasonable explanation of a spotty employment history, and if you get one, you may want to give such candidates the chance to prove themselves before writing them off as a poor fit.

5. You do not need to check references.

Checking references can reveal important qualities of candidates and provide valuable insights into their own skills and abilities. Asking specific questions about references can reveal potential red flags that may make hiring teams think twice, saving them a lot of future headaches. Such questions may also reveal pleasant surprises about a potential candidate, factors that may work in the candidate’s favor and garner you a great employee.

6. Hiring software is all you need.

It would be great if hiring software could take on all or part of the hiring process, but even talent management software is not foolproof and can reject quality resumes because of glitches or minor formatting mistakes. The human touch is still essential and will result in better quality hires than computer algorithms alone, at least until AI becomes more advanced.

While hiring software cannot handle every aspect of the process, it’s a useful tool that can help make the process faster and easier. Thrive TRM is a tool that helps companies throughout the hiring process from recruiting to ongoing career pathing. Schedule a demo today to see how Thrive TRM can help!

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