Everyone knows that having top-notch employees is an important asset to your business; however, finding them can sometimes seem next to impossible. Wasn’t this process supposed to become easier instead of more difficult in this age of technology? Here are some reasons your search for the right person could be coming up empty.

Your Methods Are Outdated

Although we have mostly swapped from paper resumes to digital and added job websites for candidates and recruiters alike, at the end of the day, our hiring processes often have not evolved enough. Many hiring managers and companies still base the majority of their hiring decisions on the traditional resume and interview combo. All this gets you is a person who is skilled at filling out a form and talking. According to Hireology, successful companies are switching toward assessments based on skills. This method allows people with the skills you need in the position you are hiring for to rise to the top. It also sets up more authentic and genuine interactions. It gives you insight into a candidate’s thought processes and more.

Wrong Expectations

Another issue that hiring managers are running into is a desire to find a “unicorn” candidate. Instead of gathering a pool of qualified candidates and using skills assessments to help choose a hire, companies reject candidate after candidate for the most minor of flaws. It’s even worse when the search is paired with unreasonable qualifications or poor compensation. Requiring an expert-level employee to work at graduate rates or expecting graduate-level employees to have years of on-the-job training tells potential candidates that the company is overly demanding while also being disorganized and unsure of what it wants. This causes many of the top employees to search elsewhere. According to Stacey Lane, you should ensure your job postings are clear and realistic, and don’t be afraid to snap up a good candidate even if you actually wanted a unicorn instead.

You’re Looking in the Wrong Places

While technology has impacted the hiring process, don’t overlook the fact that it also has impacted how employees work. According to The Employee App, around 80 percent of employees now work remotely and without a desk, and that trend continues to grow. If you are demanding that candidates adhere to a traditional office setting, you may be missing out on those who do not match that style. While common concerns with remote employees include things like communication issues, new technologies are making such concerns a problem of the past. Be open-minded about what the job needs and whether it can be effectively filled by someone who isn’t sitting in the office all day.

As technology improves, we are gaining new insight into the hiring process. By relying on old methods, setting unrealistic expectations and refusing to be flexible, you are harming your chances. Understanding the evolving hiring process and the new workforce will lead you to excellent employees and great success.