Trait of mediocre talent
Some of the symptoms of bad employees, which you should watch out for.
I have hired many employees in the last 12 years, including for all my previous employers and for Hexafold as well. After making enough mistakes in this department, I'd say it comes down to my gut instinct. Here are a few symptoms that mediocre talents are likely to display,
Not knowing the details:
If you are responsible for something, you must know every single detail. Maybe I’m not going to ask you, but if I do and if you don’t know then probably not doing a great job.
Should be able to bring people together:
Mediocre talent may produce work that is acceptable but cannot make a significant impact or leave a lasting impression. Their contributions might not stand out in a meaningful way. They might be comfortable with achieving average or standard results. They may not strive for excellence or consistently seek ways to go above and beyond.
Especially if you at senior position, you must be able to bring people together with your ideas and not have conflicts. The better you are at your work, people will have respect for you. If not then they won’t have respect and it would give you a hard time convincing people all the time. I think, great people really enjoy working with great people.
Lacks in Ownership:
This is your company, it’s our company, and we are just trying to build together. When you use hurdles as an excuse for not completing your job, that’s where ownership comes into the picture. As opposed to just letting hurdles become an excuse for not doing something, coming up with an answer is crucial. Mediocre talent might display a tendency to give up or lose interest when faced with challenges or setbacks. They may lack the persistence and determination required to overcome obstacles.
Failing to see the big picture:
They are not aligned with the long-term goal of the company and would like to complain or whine about small things. This shows a clear lack of focus.
In general, they are not happy about the environment and always have something to complain about.
I would say, constructive communication is key. Feedback should be delivered in a respectful and considerate manner, highlighting both areas for improvement and existing strengths.
Terrible at taking feedback:
They are bad at taking feedback.
Taking things personally.
They are insanely easy to offend.
Dealing with feedback gracefully is a skill that not everyone possesses. Mediocre talent might be less inclined to invest time and effort in continuous learning and skill improvement. They may be less receptive to feedback and less likely to seek out growth opportunities. For some reason, I feel resist giving feedback to mediocre people because I feel it is pointless and they will not take it in the right spirit.
Terrible at taking help:
They just don’t know how to get help? They think it’s beneath them, they are ashamed of it etc. I’ve noticed when you tell them to get help, they feel offended.
Lack in Gut feelings:
Judgement quality. Being right often is a sign of great talent. They look for external validation, other people appreciating them that they did a good job versus them knowing for sure that they did a good job.
Lack of curiosity:
Another thing I’ve seen about mediocre talent, a complete lack of curiosity. Not asking enough why questions. There are times when I give half knowledge rather than spoon-feeding everything to a person and expecting them to come back with enough questions to understand, but I understand if they do not.
The message here is that you have to do the opposite to be a great talent.