No Bull Business Blog

New hires: The No. 1 red flag

Excerpted from the Executive report: Turn New Hires Into Great Employees - The Challenge of Those First 90 Days.

Some new hires are bad fits. Some exaggerate their experience and qualifications. Some just don't like the new position or the organization.

Mistakes happen. Spotting mistakes early saves time and money.

What's the No. 1 red flag?

When a new hire doesn't ask questions. Not asking questions when he or she should be asking questions can mean the new hire:

• doesn't understand the job
• doesn't know who to ask
• may not care if the task is done well
• fears asking a question some might perceive as "dumb"
• doesn't communicate well
• prefers to solve problems alone, or
• thinks his or her way is better than the established way.

New hires should be encouraged to ask lots of questions during those first 90 days. Some days the new hire may be buried in training and won't have the opportunity to ask questions. But by and large, a supervisor should expect, welcome and encourage regular questions.

Asking questions means a new hire:

• is thinking about the job or a specific task
  
• wants to do things right
  
• respects the supervisor's knowledge base
  
• is naturally inquisitive, or
  
• wants to increase confidence in his or her own judgment.  
  

DIGGING DEEPER
The first 90 days on the job are key for the success of a new hire. Do it wrong and you'll likely be sifting through resumes in short order. To guide you through that period, read the Executive report: Turn New Hires Into Great Employees - The Challenge of Those First 90 Days.

A quick look at Healthcare Reform

Infographic by HealthInsuranceProviders.com

DIGGING DEEPER
To find out more about the Obama Health Reform Plan, read the Executive Report: The New Healthcare Law: What Every Business Must Know - and Do Now