Hiring can be tough at the best of times. However, there’s nothing more satisfying than completing the recruitment process and sitting across from your new starter on their first day. But what happens if you’ve made a bad hire? 

It can be tricky to spot one straight away, unless they’re completely inept straight from the get-go. It’s far more likely that as your new employee’s career progresses, it’ll become apparent that you’ve picked the wrong candidate.  

However, these signs can be subtle. So, you’ll need to keep an eye out on the following five signs to see whether or not you’ve made a bad hiring decision! 

1. They're Not Settling in Well

A common mistake that hiring managers and staffing agents make is getting starstruck by a candidate’s experience and skillset. But what about their personality?  

Research from Resume-Library and TopResume reveals that 70% of employers believe personality is a major deciding factor when it comes to assessing a candidate. And it shouldn’t be underestimated. 

After all, an applicant’s personality will determine whether they’ll get on with their team. This is pretty important for retention rates and for maximizing the potential of your workforce. Your staff are more likely to work efficiently if they mesh well with all their colleagues. As such, throwing a disruptive new employee into the mix will only damage team morale and chemistry.  

So, if your new starter isn’t getting involved in team discussions and you’re getting feedback that they’re standoffish, then this isn’t good news. Of course, some workers need a little encouragement. But, if they’re not actively contributing or are causing friction in their team, then this is a sign you’ve made a bad hire.  

2. The Mistakes Won’t Stop

It’s completely natural for a new hire to make mistakes; and expecting them to be perfect right away is unrealistic. You’ll have a specific way of doing certain tasks, and you can’t expect someone to become a master at this on day one. Mistakes can happen, but if they become constant then that’s when you need to worry.  

Ideally, a new hire will learn from their mistakes and begin to adjust to the processes and the culture. But you need to be patient.  

However, if the mistakes are consistently happening over and over again, with no change or effort to make an improvement, then it’s clear that you’ve made a bad hire. After all, it suggests that they can’t or won’t act on feedback and are unwilling to change their ways.  

3. They’re Lacking Commitment to the Job

Maybe your new starter dazzled you with examples of their commitment and passion for the industry, but now this is nowhere to be seen?  

If they’re lazy and don’t seem to have the same drive and desire that they showcased in their interview, it can be very frustrating. Remember, they will have been portraying their best self; but it may not necessarily be their true self. 

So, if your new employee is slacking off, not showing an eagerness to take on new tasks and is content on handling a very minimal workload, then it’s likely that you’ve made a hiring mistake. 

4. They’re Not as Good as They Made Out 

As mentioned above, a candidate will go to great lengths to promote themselves. As a result, they may slightly overexaggerate their skills and experience during an interview. While you might expect this to some extent, the new hire should still be able to carry out the role to a high standard. 

For example, if your new starter claimed they had extensive experience in copywriting but struggle to draft coherent sentences, then there’s clearly something wrong. So, if you find your new hire fails to back up their claims with results, then it’s clear they’ve been dishonest during the interview. This behaviour should be seen as a real red flag. 

If, after the appropriate training and support, they’re still miles behind where you need them to be, then this is a tell-tale sign that you’ve made a bad hire. 

5. They Expect a Lot of Special Treatment

Of course, your new hire should receive some special attention during the onboarding process, in order to make them feel welcome. This could be a company lunch so they can meet the team, or a hamper full of goodies on their first day.  

However, if special treatment becomes an expectation past their first week, then it could be a sign you’ve made a bad hire. You simply can’t continue to treat a new employee differently once they’ve settled in.   

Plus, if you do, it’s highly likely that the rest of your team will get disheartened. You don’t want to risk damaging morale at the expense of a needy new starter.  

Have You Made a Bad Hire? 

If you want to reduce the risk of making a bad hire, you need to go all the way back to the start; and rework your hiring process. After all, this is where you’ve made the hiring mistake and picked the wrong candidate.  

Wherever you messed up along the way, you can limit the chances of making a poor hiring decision by maximizing your interviews, setting tasks to assess suitability, and considering a candidate’s personality when recruiting for the role.  

If you follow a strict structure throughout your hiring process, you’ll ensure you get a proper chance of assessing every applicant. This way, you’ll avoid picking the wrong candidate and making a hiring mistake!