How to Fix 5 Common Talent Management Mistakes

Talent management today is no easy task at a small business. While you may have fewer employees to keep track of, there’s still a lot to handle – from workforce planning to recruiting and hiring to onboarding to development to benefits management, and everything in between. With so much on your plate, even the most seasoned HR professionals can make mistakes. Take a look at some of the most common talent management mistakes and the steps you can take to fix them.

Mistake 1: Your Recruiting Process Is Too Long

If your application process is too long, it could be costing you quality candidates: 60 percent of job seekers have started - but not finished - filling out an online application because it was too long, according to CareerBuilder research. How long is “too long”? The majority of job seekers (62 percent) feel the application process should take 20 minutes at the most, and 29 percent even believe it should take no more than 10 minutes. Look at your own application process and see where there might be ways to streamline the process. (If you post your jobs to CareerBuilder, one quick solution is using CareerBuilder Apply, which enables candidates to apply quickly to a posting on the spot.) Once you start bringing candidates in for interviews, know what you are looking for and make sure everyone involved in the hiring process is on board so you can make a decision as quickly as possible. The entire process should last no more than three to four weeks; otherwise, you risk losing your top candidates to competitors.

Mistake 2: You Don’t Have Career Paths for Your Employees

One of the limitations of working at a small business is that opportunities to move up can be few and far between. But that doesn’t mean you can’t carve out meaningful career paths for your employees; after all, not every career path has to follow a conventional route. Work with your employees to understand their career aspirations and map out a plan to help them develop and grow. This may take some creativity. Look for areas within the company that may be opening up or growing. Give employees time to work on pet projects (which they can tie back to the business). Encourage them to come up with new business ideas or products that enable them to showcase their skills and build on their strengths.

Mistake 3: You’re Not Putting Any Effort Into Retention

Perhaps you’ve gotten the hiring process down and have made some quality hires. But are you doing anything to ensure those hires stick around? While it’s important to hire great people, it’s just as crucial to put the same - if not more - energy into retaining them. While it may not seem like you have a problem with turnover, you may be missing the warning signs. Don’t wait until employees start walking out the door to tackle turnover. Utilize employee engagement surveys or conduct stay interviews to understand what keeps your employees engaged and where there are opportunities for improvement.

Mistake 4: You Don’t Always Run Background Checks
More than half of small business employers have found a mistake on a resume, according to CareerBuilder research. Consistent background checking on candidates can minimize hiring mistakes by verifying a candidate’s resume claims. Not only do consistent background checks minimize hiring mistakes by verifying candidates’ resume claims, they also improve workplace safety and minimize negligent hiring claims.

Mistake 5: You Do Everything Manually

Do you ever find yourself wishing you had more hours in the day? Are you keeping track of everything on Excel spreadsheets? Has a huge part of your job become inputting data and filing papers? It doesn’t have to be like this. Human capital management technology has become a necessity in today’s workplace – even for small businesses. Not only can automating HR processes – from onboarding and benefits enrollment to background screening – save you time and money, it can eliminate costly human errors. The less time you spend on administrative tasks, the more time you can spend on other projects.

Take talent management to the next level. Check out the Highly Successful Habits of Small Business Managers.