Pre Hiring Mistakes Being Made in 2025

Internal Hiring Alignment Builds External Hiring Success

In today’s competitive talent market, the reputation of a firms hiring process is just as important as a brand or compensation package.

One recurring challenge we see as recruiters is when key internal departments — Sales, Ops, Finance, and Supply Chain — are not fully aligned with HR before a hiring brief is released to external partners and candidates.

The Problem:

A role gets briefed to recruiters, candidates are engaged, interviews happen or are in the pipeline to happen. 

And then: "Sorry, the hire’s been frozen by Finance" or "Sales no longer needs this role" or “we have some internal options to consider first before going external” 

This misalignment:

• Wastes time for internal teams

• Damages a firm’s employer brand with candidates

• Creates confusion for external recruiters

• Reflects poorly on your company’s communication and decision-making

RJM has seen an increase in this problem in 2025 with new hiring companies.  Combine the above with either false or premature job advertising where candidates are ghosted or at best hit with an automated message, it really does damage a companies employment brand and make candidates question how the company is run internally. It also makes qualified candidates doubt the effectiveness of applying online and as a result less candidates are applying online these days due to negative experiences received. 

In addition, hiring companies “dipping their toe in the pool” (just window shopping) and taking candidates through ,multiple rounds of interview , asking for candidates to complete an in-depth business plan and then , after several months of interviewing, look for a way out , giving very minor reasons as to why they cant make the candidate an offer. These actions are employment brand suicide. Blaming it on the volatility of the market isn’t a justifiable reason after asking for candidates to invest their most important commodity - time. I am not talking about one interview or a coffee meeting, but multiple rounds of interview and holding discussions about the type of role a candidate could occupy for the company and raising their hopes.  Candidates talk about companies they have interviewed with (the good and the bad) and misled candidates certainly talk about how they feel and how badly organised the interview experience they received ! Another ramification is, once the market picks up and is in full flight again, a hiring company engaged with the above will have doubts from candidates in a candidate driven market where qualified talent is scarce. The hiring company will occupy a lower level in the candidates mind and be unfavourably compared with competitors. This isn’t a place the hiring company wants to be but the irony of it all is this could be so easily avoided and is a result of a series of unforced errors. 

RJM has experienced many situations in 2025 unlike ever before where Senior Managers including MDs and APAC Directors are reaching out to us for meetings to discuss urgent hiring plans. Several meetings and phone calls later these hiring plans are no longer valid and Senior Managers and being pulled back by their HR Departments 

The Solution: Cross-Functional Hiring Alignment

Before you brief an external recruiter or post a job, make sure: 

• HR has full sign-off from all departments involved

• The business case is agreed upon

• Everyone is aligned on budget, urgency, and timing

• The decision-making team is ready to support the hiring process

• If changes are experienced just a few weeks after a role has been released it means communication internally didn’t take place or at least not with enough quality 

Why It Matters:

When your Sales, Ops, Finance, Supply Chain, and HR teams are on the same page:

• A firm attracts better candidates

• Moves faster

• Builds a stronger reputation in the market

• Reduces costly backtracking

How a company hires and conducts itself during an interview process is similar to a supply chain. Internal departments need to work as one and not as fragmented units. There needs to be SOPs and communication. 

Let’s work together to represent your company with consistency, clarity, and confidence.

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If your team is hiring and ready to align, we’re here to support you with qualified talent and a streamlined process.

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