5 Ways to Know If a New Employee Won't Cut-it in Your Company

Wednesday, 18th Mar, 2020

The first 90 days of employment will determine whether a new hire will make it in your company in the long term, or not.

 

According to MIT's Sloan School of Management, studies show that the cost of hiring and training people is always somewhere around 1.25 to 1.4 times their annual salaries. As a result, hiring well is very important to the financial stability of your business.

 

As excellent Performance Managers ourselves, it has become reflex for us to always to look at any new employee for warning signs of a subpar performer and then to do our best to correct the person fast.

 

Why? Because nothing drains time, money, and resources from a company more than hiring the wrong person.

 

Why do most people fail in a new job? It's not for lack of experience.

People often assume that when a new hire doesn't work out that the person couldn't do the job. That is, they didn't have the right skill set. But, in our experience, it usually has to do with the person's personality and approach to the job.

 

These five attitudes are the warning signs a new hire won't last.

The following behaviors displayed by a new hire are red flags.

 

 

1) "I can do it all." 

When new hires jump in and claim to be the Jack-(or Jill)-of-all-trades, they send the message that they think they are better than the rest of the team. Yes, confidence is important, but a person who claims to be able to do it all comes across like a snake oil salesman.

 

2) "You need to work around my needs." 

New hires that vocalize constraints around what they can do and when they can do it are immediately labeled "high maintenance" by peers. When new hires give a list of requirements before they'll do the job, they create more work for others. New hires should be focused on learning ways their work can make teammates' jobs easier. The more value someone provides to the team, the sooner he or she is viewed as a vital contributor.

 

3) "I only talk to people who matter." 

New hires that only seem to get excited when talking to people they think have "influence" in the company aren't team players. They're opportunists. When new hires don't show any interest in getting to know the receptionist or someone in a different department, they don't see the value in respecting the contributions of every team member.

 

4) "I'm always looking for the next big thing." 

New hires who are already talking about getting promoted and taking a bigger role showcase narcissistic tendencies. The all-about-me approach to their career implies they will do anything to achieve their goal and walk over anyone who gets in their way.

 

5) "I can do the job, but don't expect me to overextend myself." 

New hires who only put in the minimum effort show a lack of commitment to building a mutually beneficial partnership with the employer. All new relationships require some extra effort to help form a good partnership. When new hires don't seem to care about whether the employer is feeling satisfied with their early performance, you can only expect their commitment to the job to decrease. They also can't be relied on in times when extra help is suddenly needed to get the job done.

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

 

When you recruit employees, be sure to monitor new hires carefully for the warning signs above, and cut your losses sooner rather than later.