The cost of a bad hire can be astronomical for any company. It hurts employee morale, dings production, and hurts the business’ bottom line. In fact, it can cost as much as an entire year of the position’s salary. Thankfully, there are some things you can look out for to avoid making a bad hire. Here are several signs managers should look for in light industrial employees to ensure they’re a good fit for the company.
1. Poor Communication
No matter what industry you are hiring for, poor communication is always a bad sign. Maybe your new hire is slow to answer emails or doesn’t respond at all. Make note of each communication effort and response so you can keep track. Then have a conversation with the individual to discuss the communication breakdown. Detail what you deem to be appropriate communication in the meeting and establish expectations moving forward. However, continue to keep an eye on it.
2. Lack of Enthusiasm
You should also be wary of anyone who doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about the position. For the most part, people are excited about their new positions. They are eager to learn and want to impress their colleagues. If they already seem uninterested early on, they are at a higher risk for burnout.
3. Bad Fit for the Culture
You’ve probably worked hard to establish a strong company culture, so you want workers that will fit into it well. This is one of the hardest things for employers to gauge during an interview. Once the person is on the job, though, it is usually easier to tell if they’ll be a good fit or not. If you feel the person won’t be a good fit for it, move on to the next one. Having someone who doesn’t fit into your company culture will hinder your internal processes and the morale of your staff.
4. Disorganized
Disorganization is another thing to look out for. If your new employee is disorganized already, chances are they don’t care much about their new position. It also makes it extremely hard for them to work with other team members. Not to mention, having someone who is disorganized on your team can hurt workflow and bring down the morale of the individuals who try to work with them.
5. Low Technology Knowledge
If your business has tech components, your employees’ knowledge of those systems is important to maintain productivity. Sometimes, candidates exaggerate their knowledge of certain industry technology. This is something to look out for in a new hire and indicates that they may have less experience than they marketed themselves as having.
6. Time Management is Lacking
Any worker with poor time management skills or someone who procrastinates regularly can hinder your organization’s progress. To deal with this, schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee to discuss their time management skills. Identify areas where they can improve and give them some ideas on how they can fix the issue.
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