What are the biggest mistakes made by hiring managers?

Canadian companies’ ongoing struggles to fill open positions are being compounded by hiring mistakes, according to a new report from Robert Half.

Overall, 88 per cent of hiring managers say they still find it difficult to source the talent they need. Additionally, 24 per cent admit to having made a hiring mistake in the past two years.

The most common causes of these hiring missteps include:

• Failure to consider soft skills and cultural fit (50 per cent)
• Inadequate assessment of technical skills and qualifications (49 per cent)
• Unclear job descriptions and role expectations (33 per cent)

These errors are proving costly. Managers report it took an average of four weeks to realise the mistake, and that performance issues associated with the mis-hire led to more than 15 hours of lost productivity per week across teams.

Furthermore, 56 per cent of hiring managers say the bad hire resulted in increased turnover on their teams.

There has been an increase in the financial cost of bad hires, according to a previous Robert Half report. For one company, it even cost “well over $100 million” over a decade and a half ago.

Hiring is taking more time

Nearly all hiring managers (94 per cent) say the recruitment process has become more time-consuming, according to Robert Half’s survey of more than 1,500 Canadian hiring leaders.

The most time-intensive parts of the process include:

• Reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates (53 per cent)
• Conducting thorough reference checks (48 per cent)
• Scheduling and holding interviews (40 per cent)

“In the current hiring landscape, companies need to take a streamlined and strategic approach to hiring to find the right talent for business-critical needs,” says Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director, Robert Half Canada. “The hiring process can be overwhelming, but businesses that prioritise thoroughness and clarity—without compromising efficiency—will be best positioned to hire top talent and avoid the long-term consequences of making the wrong hire.”

To streamline hiring, many employers are now leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) bots for job interviews, and some are even waiving some job requirements to fill roles, according to previous reports.

How to avoid hiring wrong people

“Bad employees can drive down productivity, hurt morale and even drive away both clients and good employees once hired,” notes Randstad.

“But a lot of wasted time and resources go into creating that bad hire in the first place—time and resources that can be realigned to ensure only good hires come through.”

To help employers “reach, discover and select the right employees every time,” Randstad advises:

• Optimise job descriptions and ads – Consider the broader needs of the team and organisation.
• Accurately reflect your company and its culture – Ensure job descriptions convey your organisation’s values and expectations, and reinforce these during interviews to prevent misaligned hires.
• Formalise interviews – Standardise interview questions to ensure consistent evaluation of candidates’ behavioural, situational and technical strengths.
• Identify universal success traits – In addition to role-specific skills, prioritise qualities such as adaptability, empathy, decision-making confidence and a willingness to learn. Equally, define and watch for traits that indicate poor fit.

Canadian employers’ struggle to fill open job positions continued in the first quarter of 2025, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).