You’ve gone through the interview process and found a great candidate to join your team. Now the real work begins. It is during the training process that you are able to evaluate your new employee to see if they are everything you expected from the interview. There is always a grace period when starting a new employee, however, it is important to observe behavior during this time. If there are any red flags in the first few weeks, it’s worth addressing early to see if there’s a miscommunication or an indication of a more permanent issue. Below are 5 red flags to address with a new hire:

Deer in the Headlights

Some candidates may have an outstanding resume and seem to know their stuff in the interview. However, if you find that they are constantly looking “lost” or “overwhelmed” performing the duties required for their position, that is definitely a red flag to address.

It could very simply be that they are not used to the pace of your office or a little nervous about starting with a new team. If this is the case, you can give them extra help and encouragement during their first weeks and the “lost” look should go away. If you are a few weeks in and they STILL seem overwhelmed, this may be an indication that they are not as skilled as they let on originally.

Bad Attitude

Everyone is on their best behavior during an interview, and you may think this new hire will mesh well with the rest of your team. If you find that your team is complaining (or you notice yourself) that your new employee is not getting along with others or has an overall bad attitude this can be a big red flag. Maybe they are bad at taking instruction from peers? Maybe they don’t even notice how they are coming across to others. Whatever the reason, it is important to find out exactly where this attitude is coming from. There may be an issue that can be easily resolved and your new employee just didn’t feel comfortable bringing it up because they are new. However, if it is something that cannot be resolved then it is good to know this early so you can take appropriate actions.

Chronically Tardy or Absent

In the first few weeks, it is expected that your new hire would want to get to work early and not take their PTO time until they are fully established. Of course, if you notice that they are constantly showing up late, leaving early or calling in often this may be a cause for concern. There could very well be a good reason for this. Maybe there is an unexpected situation that happened in their personal life. Everyone needs some grace from time to time. But you want to make sure this isn’t an indication of a bigger issue. For example, they may be dissatisfied with the job and are looking at other options or this could be behavior that will need to be addressed time and time again. If you notice this becoming an issue, address it as soon as possible.

Making the Same Mistakes Over and Over

As your new hire starts the training process, it is expected that they will make a few mistakes. However, if they continue to make the same mistakes after being corrected or reminded numerous times, this may be a red flag. It could be that they don’t fully understand the process and do not feel comfortable asking you to explain it in a different way. If this is the case, let them know they need to be bold and communicate so you do not assume they just aren’t getting it. If the issue actually is that they just cannot seem to get it no matter how many times it is explained, you may have to take into consideration if they are still a good fit for the position.

Not Adapting or Taking Instruction

If you constantly hear “that’s not how I learned it” or “I do it this way” this may be a red flag. New hires should be willing to adapt to new ways of doing things. If your new employee is trying to get you to change your system instead of adapting to yours or if they are unwilling to take instruction because they feel as though they already know what to do, it may be a big issue in the future. In my experience, employees that show from the start that they are unwilling to take instruction or adapt to new environments are hard to manage. They tend to be more confrontational about how they do things and it can cause discourse within your office or team. This is definitely a red flag that needs to be addressed in the first few weeks.

Not all new hires will have issues, many will join right in with your team and do an excellent job. Still, as a manager it is important to observe the behavior of your new employees to make sure that there are no red flags that need to be addressed before becoming fully established within your office or team. Employees with a bad attitude, lack of understanding in their job or tardiness issues can all be indicators that they may not be the perfect fit for the job. Addressing these red flags early will allow you more time to determine if they need more time or if you need to start looking at other options.