5 Red Flags In Engineering Teams – And What To Do About Them

Great team dynamics are like a relay race. 

Each runner is responsible for a small part of the overall result. One runner starts strong, hands off the baton, and the next carries it forward — jumping hurdles, pacing themselves, staying focused.

It’s the same with engineering teams.

No one works in isolation. A designer proposes a solution, a backend engineer builds the functionality, and a frontend developer integrates it. Then QA steps in, and the process continues downstream. If one person misses a deadline or underdelivers, it creates a bottleneck for everyone else. 

When you work in a team, you have to understand that someone else will be running with the task afterward. Even small issues – a miscommunication, a half-finished task – can ripple through the team.

So, how do you make sure your team wins the race? 

By spotting the warning signs as early as possible and fixing them before they slow everyone down.

What counts as a red flag?

A flag only turns red when a pattern starts to form. 

Let’s say you have a good engineer who does their work well. But one time, they finished a task late because they had family problems. Could missing deadlines be considered a red flag? Not on its own. But missing one deadline is far from a warning sign. 

Your engineers are people who go through:

• Family troubles
• Conflicts
• Burnout
• Inner pressure
• Perfectionism
• Not knowing how to do certain things 
• And not having the right tools or support

All this is normal. 

But if they start missing deadlines over and over – without explanation or improvement – it’s something to take seriously.

When that happens, it starts to wear on the rest of the team. I’ll admit, noticing the warning signs isn’t always easy. Most of the time, red flags in engineering teams are subtle at first. 

So, let’s look at the more common ones – the ones that are easy to overlook but matter the most.

Red flag #1: Always blaming the process

Have you ever worked with a person who comes to meetings or sits in the break room, and right away begins to complain? 

You ask them why they haven’t finished testing the new feature that was supposed to be done last week. They start listing everything that’s wrong – the testing steps are too complicated or too repetitive, they’re still waiting on someone else, or they don’t like the suggestions from the rest of the team. 

The moment some inconvenience or mistake happens, the process gets the blame. They have plenty of ideas for how the company can improve – but rarely reflect on their own part in the problem.

And I’m not saying that processes don’t need improvement – they always do! That’s a never-ending task. But a process is a workflow created out of small parts: tasks, projects, deadlines, and, most importantly, people. We all have to take responsibility for how we show up inside that system.

Here’s how to spot this red flag: 

• They’re always complaining
• They tend to externalize problems without reflecting on their own contribution
• And they aren’t taking any action to do better

The reality is that there's no company with a perfect process. But we all have to work on improving it. If you see this pattern, it’s a cue to dig deeper in your one-on-ones – are they stuck, disillusioned, or avoiding responsibility?

Red flag #2: Hidden underperformers

Over the years, I’ve worked with all kinds of people – proactive, reactive, erratic, reliable, and everything in between.

When you hire a proactive engineer, they may take a week or two to dip their toes in the water, but soon after, they begin working independently and offering solutions. They don’t need pushing – they just want to make things better.

Other people might take months to learn before they feel steady on their feet. But, another category to look out for is the hidden underperformer. They take their time to orient themselves, but even after a reasonable ramp-up time, they continue to rely heavily on others for direction. And if things aren’t spelled out step by step, they blame you for the confusion.

Imagine you hire a designer and ask them to design a banner for a landing page. You give them a brief and three days to complete the task. When the task is still not done after the deadline, you ask them what they’ve accomplished, but they have nothing to show. And it stays that way until someone else steps in to help.

Here’s how to spot this red flag: 

• They need constant guidance and micromanaging
• They ask their colleagues to explain their work to them or fix their mistakes
• They often miss deadlines without a reason
• They avoid new tasks or responsibilities
• And they always seem busy but with little to show for it

This can be problematic for the team because everyone has to wait for them to do their part. If someone still needs hand-holding well past onboarding, it may be time to revisit expectations or support structures.

Red flag #3: Communication issues 

As a manager, one of the hardest parts of communication is realizing it’s not one-size-fits-all. Some engineers might be less assertive and need reminders they’re doing good work, while others don’t need reassurance at all. 

Communication issues are tricky and one of the hardest to deal with because there is a gray area between miscommunication and willful disregard. A red flag shows up when you know you’re being clear — and they still aren’t hearing you.

Let’s say you tell your team that next month, they’ll need to provide effort estimates for their tasks. In the beginning, it’s normal for some engineers to forget to calculate and send the estimates. It takes time to form a habit. But if, after months and several reminders, one engineer continues to ignore it and doesn’t provide their data, there’s a communication issue.

At that point, you have to ask yourself: is this a communication gap or are they just ignoring you?

And the latter is the red flag.

Here’s how to spot this red flag: 

• They ignore clear instructions
• They do the opposite of what’s asked
• And they need constant reminders just to do the basics

If you’re always chasing them down, it gets exhausting fast – and it can shake your confidence as a manager. When communication breaks down repeatedly, clarify expectations in writing and observe how they respond – the pattern matters.

Red flag #4: Lack of technical competence

Like a lot of companies, we use test tasks during hiring to see how people think and work. It’s nothing new. But what’s been happening recently is some candidates use AI to complete those tasks, and the results can be misleading.

On paper, they might deliver exceptional work. But once they start working they struggle to perform the basics of their role.

Having technical knowledge gaps is normal. As long as someone’s eager to learn and improve – after all, no one knows everything. But it’s a red flag when there’s a big gap between their claimed expertise and what they actually deliver.

Here’s how to spot this red flag:

• Their work relies heavily on AI-generated code
• They stretch tasks out far longer than expected
• They regularly ask teammates to help or take over
• And they struggle with basic tasks when asked to work live or on the spot

This red flag usually surfaces soon after you hire them. However, it might take longer to spot in large companies where many people work on one task. If you’re unsure, give them a small hands-on task or pair them with someone for a quick shadowing session. It’ll help you assess reality quickly.

Red flag #5: Cultural mismatch

Let’s be clear – a cultural or personality mismatch doesn’t mean someone’s wrong for the job. It just means they might be in the wrong environment. For example, someone who can only work with a strict workflow and instructions might do great in companies where rules are strict but struggle in a laid-back environment. And vice versa.

Personality mismatch also isn’t a red flag. An extrovert can thrive on a mostly introverted team. What matters more is whether someone can adapt to how your team works. 

In the past, we had some new hires from the finance sector. Finance companies are usually heavy with procedures, policies, and rules. On our team, we’re more flexible. And that mismatch made it hard for them to be productive.. This resulted in many leaving the company. 

Is wanting strict workflows a red flag? Not at all. But it was a sign that our company wasn’t the right fit.

Here’s how to spot this red flag: 

• They resist or ignore team norms
• They struggle to adapt to how your team works
• And they push for ways of working that clash with your values

However, the same person who has these attitudes might work wonders in another company. Cultural fit isn’t about personality – it’s about working norms. If they can’t flex to meet your team’s way of working, it’s probably not a long-term match.

How to catch red flags early

Spotting these red flags early is the hard part – especially when they show up subtly or only over time. But there are a few things you can build into your hiring and onboarding process to catch patterns early – before they start to cause trouble.

Before they join: spotting red flags in interviews

Interviews aren’t perfect. If they were, we’d never make a bad hire. But you can structure the hiring process in a way that helps you spot the warning signs.

For example:

• You can ask candidates to walk you through their work process. Tools like Loom allow you to record your screen and voice. The candidate can record a short video commenting on the test task they completed and explaining how they did it.
• You can also include an additional interview step where you ask behavior-related questions about them and their work ethic, emphasizing the culture you have on your team.
• You can invite more people during the interviews to gather more opinions on the candidates.
• And, you can ask candidates to share their previous code or provide a link to their GitHub before the interview.

It won’t catch everything, but it gives you a better chance of spotting red flags – like AI-generated work or answers that sound polished but don’t hold up.

Early signals: use the trial period wisely

I always follow the rule that if someone is only meeting the bare minimum during the trial period, it’s worth asking whether they’ll thrive long-term. People are most productive during the trial period because they’re keen to impress, prove themselves, and secure the job. If their best effort during that time is just “okay,” it’s a strong signal that things won’t improve. 

That’s not to say that everyone should hit the ground running on the first day. Trial periods are for learning and adjusting. But you do want to look out for signs of effort and genuine curiosity, not avoidance. 

Look for patterns such as:

• Are they proactively asking smart questions?
• Are they following through on feedback?
• Do they show signs of ownership over their work?
• And are they building trust with teammates?

If, instead, you find yourself prompting, reminding, or cleaning up after them week after week, don’t ignore that feeling. Trust your gut. It’s better to have a difficult conversation before it affects the whole team. 

Treat the trial period as a mutual test. They’re evaluating whether this is the right company for them and you’re doing the same.

Ongoing patterns: how to keep track of red flags on your team 

Spotting red flags isn’t just about individual performance – it’s about paying close attention to your team. If the rest of the team sees a pattern before you do, that’s a sign you might not be close enough to the day-to-day.

Here's how I try to handle it:

• Use check-ins: I have regular team and one-on-one meetings to notice patterns. For example, if every meeting, more and more people mention that one engineer keeps making the same mistake. That’s a warning sign.
• Survey: When something feels off, ask around. Talk to a few people individually and look for a shared pattern. 
• Be transparent: If everyone shares a similar opinion, it’s time to talk to the person they’re complaining about. Be honest but fair.
• Offer support: The goal isn’t to catch someone out, it’s to help them improve. Offer feedback, coaching, or tools if that’s what they need.

And if things still don’t improve, you have to think about the rest of the team and prioritize their well-being.

The short version: notice the flags before they turn red

Not every missed deadline or awkward handoff is a red flag. People go through tough moments – family issues, burnout, self-doubt, or just having an off week. That’s normal. After all, people can’t be 100% all the time. 

But when the same issue shows up again and again – and starts affecting the rest of the team – it’s time to look more closely.

Some red flags to look out for are:

• People who always blame the process
• Hidden underperformance
• Repeated communication breakdowns
• Gaps between claimed and actual technical ability
• And cultural mismatches that just won’t resolve

You can spot the warning signs by:

• Designing your hiring process to surface real working patterns
• Using the trial period to watch how people really operate
• And paying close attention to how your team is doing, and acting early when something feels off

There’s no foolproof way to avoid hiring people who might not be the best fit for your team and company. And your job isn’t to avoid red flags entirely – that’s impossible. You just need to stay close enough to spot the patterns, and protect the people doing the work well.

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Originally published on Medium.com