The right candidate is out there. There are just a few things you’ve got to do in order to find them and a few things to avoid if you want them to be interested in the position.

Hiring someone is more of a matchmaking process than anything else. The right candidate is ultimately looking for the right job. So you’ve got to offer the right job to candidates.

Here are some of the most common mistakes made by recruiting companies and HR staff:

  • Figure Out What’s Great About the Position

It may feel like the job market is still working in your favor, but that doesn’t mean the best candidates will be easy picking. You’ve got to be able to describe what is great about working for the company and what benefits the position offers to a candidate.

  • Losing Focus with a Team of Recruiters

Recruiters are representing your company when they contact potential candidates. The last thing you want is too many people out there doing a mediocre job of selling the position you’re offering. You’re better off building a relationship with recruiters who you know you can trust to do the proper research and represent your company well.

  • Low Offers

It’s tempting to make an offer that is lower than you’re willing to pay, in case the candidate comes back with a counter offer. But all too often candidates feel insulted by a low offer and then they become concerned that they won’t be appreciated. They want to work somewhere where their skills are recognized and that means being properly compensated from the start.

  • Hiring Timeline Sweet Spot

  • You don’t want to rush into anything. If a candidate seems great, make sure you schedule another interview with someone higher up so they feel appreciated and they know they’re closer to being hired. Sending an offer immediately after one interview will make your company look desperate. But you also don’t want to do what Google used to do, typically 12-14 meetings were required before an offer was made. You can imagine that lots of candidates get tired of what feels like endless interviews and end up finding something else in the meantime.

  • Keeping Someone in the Wings

No matter how perfect a candidate may seem, you should always have a second and even third option available. If your top choice doesn’t take the job, you’ll be starting over completely if you don’t have a second or even third choice who knows they’re still in the running.

  • Perfection Doesn’t Exist

The truly perfect candidate for the job is the candidate who has good training and experience but is also willing and ready to learn. Adaptability is more important than previous successes in many positions.

Ensuring that your hiring process is free of these simple mistakes will help you to find the right candidate each time.