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"Elementary mistakes" causing preventable bad hires

In the rush to land candidates, some "elementary" hiring errors are having significant consequences for employers, a lawyer says.

"[In] the desperation many organisations have at the moment to attract staff, I am seeing some really elementary mistakes in the recruitment process," says Colin Biggers & Paisley partner Paul O'Halloran.

"I'm seeing some unsuitable candidates gaining employment. We know that robust screening by employers can prevent unsuitable personnel from gaining employment."

O'Halloran tells Shortlist this is the result of inadequate, and in some cases, a complete lack of reference checks.

He encourages recruiters and employers to be "really wary" of relying on someone's social media profile, such as their LinkedIn page, or colleague referees.

"I've had to dismiss one person from two employers because they keep lying on their CV. They're relying on colleague references from organisations where there's a history of not dobbing in your mates...