--- title: 3 Main Reasons Why Hiring Decisions Go Wrong description: Hiring decisions are hard, and are costly when they are wrong. Here are 3 main reasons why they go wrong and how RPO can help. image: https://blog.rpoassociation.org/hs-fs/file-280868310-jpg/images/7k0a0868-resized-600.jpg --- [![rpoa-logo-color](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/hs-fs/hubfs/rpoa-logo-color.png?width=494&height=46&name=rpoa-logo-color.png "rpoa-logo-color")](http://www.rpoassociation.org) [![RPO ACADEMY](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/157743/712c5082-6a2a-4f5f-9203-f0c22a63ceaa.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/157743/712c5082-6a2a-4f5f-9203-f0c22a63ceaa) [![FIRM DIRECTORY](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/157743/2a3957f4-056b-45b4-a64c-52523425d820.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/157743/2a3957f4-056b-45b4-a64c-52523425d820) The RPO Voice RPO trends and best practices for talent leaders by talent leaders. # 3 Main Reasons Why Hiring Decisions Go Wrong by [Allison Reilly](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/author/allison-reilly) Tue, Aug 27, 2013 ** Share [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong&text=) [**](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong&title=&summary=&source=) ![hiring decisions going wrong](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/hs-fs/file-280868310-jpg/images/7k0a0868-resized-600.jpg?width=252&height=168&name=7k0a0868-resized-600.jpg)When hiring, it's not about getting the candidate to accept the offer every time, it's about making the right decision with the candidate you choose to offer the position. Often times, the right decision isn't made because the time and energy is focused on simply finding a person instead of making a good choice. Or, a decision is based on assumptions and there wasn't enough strategy involved in how to make the right decision. Here are the three main reasons why hiring decisions go wrong. ## Abdication vs. Delegation Abdication means to relinquish power, or to give up control or any opportunity to contribute to the conversation of the hire. This is not something you want to do, even if you don't know anything about the recruiting process. What's better for making the right decision is delegation. "Delegation is really a partnership. It's allowing you to still be engaged in a process at the level that you need to be engaged with to get the results that you want," said Rachel Clark, a business coach with [Synergy Business Coaching](http://www.synergybusinesscoaching.com/). "The problem with abdication... is that the receiving party does not have the support, does not have the guidance, does not have the information, and does not have the leadership... to be able to execute on what you need to be executed upon." Clark makes the point that recruiters, RPO providers, hiring managers etc. need enough information to be able to understand enough to deliver the result you want. Without the information and leadership, they will make assumptions and this is often where hiring decisions go wrong. ## Relying on Intuition vs. Setting Up a System Another reason why hiring decisions go wrong isn't because executives and business owners don't know what they want or don't know how to find the right people. The hiring decisions go wrong because they don't know how to do this every time to ensure a consistent result with each hiring decision. Clark said that executives and business owners tend to set themselves up in a way that says they should be able to do this and that this is something that anyone should be able to do. "It's all about consistency and maintaining consistency in hiring and recruiting; having a set system," she said. "Hiring and recruiting can be very intuitive, but that's what gets you into trouble. Intuition can be very spot on, and it can be glaringly spot off." ## Not Recognizing the Resources Needed Hiring and recruiting is just another work function, just like anything else in your business, and Clark said that it too needs the right resources for the results you want. Generally, those who are making the wrong decisions do not have the right resources devoted toward those decisions. "Hiring and recruiting needs the money, it needs resources. It needs the right systems, the right strategies," Clark said. "Just because you can lead a company doesn't mean that you can make great hiring decisions for that company. They are two distinct work functions... with two distinct skill sets." The right resources and the right allocation of resources can mean a myriad of things, from the poor decision making that went into bringing on that hiring manager to even tying yourself to the hiring process. As an executive or business owner, your biggest value to the company isn't necessarily in the recruiting process. Time allocation is also important, as an unreasonable expectation (whether high or low) for how quickly a hiring decision needs to be made can also set it up for failure. "You need to know what you are looking for," Clark said. "You need to know enough to know what it is you need to get to the result you want." *To begin building out a recruiting process, department and system, it takes time that leaders don’t always have. In this hour-long webinar, get tangible strategies that can help alleviate the hiring problems you may be uncovering. Learn exactly how to capitalize on investments already made in your hiring and recruiting systems and what needs to be added for success. [Download the slides and video here.](https://resources.rpoassociation.org/why-bad-hiring-decisions-are-made-and-what-can-be-done/)* **Related Links:** [5 Reasons to Go RPO](https://resources.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/310826/5-Reasons-to-Go-RPO) [The ROI of RPO](https://resources.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/305811/The-ROI-of-RPO) [Disruptions in the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Marketplace](https://resources.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/288624/Disruptions-in-the-Recruitment-Process-Outsourcing-Marketplace) [recruitment process outsourcing](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/topic/recruitment-process-outsourcing) [recruiting issues](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/topic/recruiting-issues) [recruitment marketing](https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/topic/recruitment-marketing) ** Share [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong) [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong&text=) [**](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://blog.rpoassociation.org/blog/bid/311935/3-Main-Reasons-Why-Hiring-Decisions-Go-Wrong&title=&summary=&source=) ## 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