There’s an error nearly three in four employers are making that costs companies an average of $14,900: hiring the wrong person. According to a recent survey, 74 percent of employers say a bad hire has not only cost their company money, it lowered productivity and compromised the quality of their work.

While you cannot guarantee you will never make a bad hiring decision again, there are steps you can take to mitigate your chances of making this mistake.

Write Detailed Job Postings

Hiring the right person starts with a thoroughly written job posting. First, determine who your ideal candidate is and write the job posting with them in mind. Be specific about the responsibilities and requirements for the position. If this position will work with others in your organization, invite them to review your job description and offer their suggestions.

Ask the Right Questions

During the interview, you not only need to ascertain whether someone has the necessary skills, you need to determine if they will fit in with your team. In addition to asking questions that delve into the candidate’s abilities, you should ask behavioral questions to see if they would be a culture fit for your organization. You could ask questions like “describe a stressful situation at work and how you handled it,” and “tell me about a time when you made sure a customer was pleased with your service.” You may even want to put more stock in these types of questions because missing skills can be taught, but culture fit cannot.

Recruit Passive Candidates

A lot of employers post a job ad and simply wait for the perfect person to apply. Most of the time, this doesn’t end well. To truly find your ideal candidate, you must seek them out. We call these people passive candidates. Face it, your dream candidate is likely already employed, they aren’t actively looking and applying for jobs. That’s why it’s on you to find them. Utilize LinkedIn to search for people who match your dream candidate, or solicit referrals from your employees.

Many employers also choose to get outside help with attracting passive candidates. Burchard & Associates is a great resource for any employer looking to find passive candidates. Our recruiters specialize in finding these sought-after professionals. If you need help finding the ideal candidate for your position, contact us today.