How can I avoid common legal pitfalls when hiring?

Having clear instructions, conditions and objectives for the hiring and making it sure the same with the prospective employee and have an agreement to that effect and also a clause for breach of contract from both the sides.

Get the affidavit/affirmation from the prospective employee for the details provided is true and correct to the best of his knowledge.

Have a clause in the agreement itself for providing any false information and against the contents of the affidavit given by the prospective employee.

Prompt and sincerity from both the sides mostly avoid common legal pitfalls for sure.

Do not deviate from the respective country's service or labour laws.

My2 cents. Thanks.

I can avoid common legal pitfalls when hiring a good examination of the terms of the contract

You need to take account of the contractual agreements, company's laws and employment laws before employing or taking an actions on employees. Failure to do so may prompt legal actions.

Through the prior study and knowledge of the regulations

see learned lesson from past contracts and projects

see company policy