Quality of hire is often measured at the point of offer acceptance, but the real test begins after that. For Radhika Puri, Chief Human Resources Officer at Pangasa Chetana Designs, the months between a candidate joining and their first performance review hold the clearest signals of whether a hiring decision was the right one. Her approach draws on years of watching new joiners settle in, stumble, adapt, and sometimes surprise everyone by turning early struggle into strong performance.
In this conversation, Puri talks about the early markers that separate a smooth transition from a rocky one, the weight hiring managers’ feedback should carry, and why patience with slow starters can pay off more than premature judgment. She also shares her thinking on mentor programs, recruiter involvement after joining, and how the first performance review of a batch should shape hiring strategy for the next one. Her perspective offers HR teams a practical lens for tracking quality of hire well before it shows up in formal metrics.
TPB Team: When does quality of hire start showing up after someone joins?
Radhika: It all depends on the experience, dedication, and sincerity of the new joiner. Some joiners start proactively performing as soon as they are onboarded, and some take at least 3-6 months to get adjusted to the profile and work culture.
TPB Team: What’s the earliest sign that tells you a new hire is going to work out?
Radhika: The earliest sign is when the new joiner himself/herself updates HR about his/her resignation status, joining status, follows up on any aspect he/she needs to bear in mind before joining and any research, preparation or upskilling he/she needs to do before joining.
TPB Team: What does a smooth onboarding tell you that a rocky one doesn’t?
Radhika: A smooth onboarding is the foundation of a good start and gives clarity to the joiner and a sense of clear direction. Open and honest communication is the key.
TPB Team: How much weight do you give a hiring manager’s early feedback?
Radhika: That is most essential, as it speeds up the hiring process, helps HR shortlist the right candidate for the right job, and reduces delays in the recruitment process.
TPB Team: How do you make sure early feedback isn’t just first impressions talking?
Radhika: A proper assessment form is designed and sent to the hiring manager, which covers all quantitative and qualitative aspects which the manager needs to fill and send to HR, which helps them design a good-quality process.
TPB Team: Do you have set check-in points between joining and the first review?
Radhika: Yes, check-in points need to be defined, such as attitude towards team members, interpersonal skills, creative acumen, proactivity, AI acceptability and usage, customer orientation, oral and written communication skills, attendance, punctuality, and quality of work.
TPB Team: How early can you tell a new hire who’s adjusting slowly from one who’s just not the right fit?
Radhika: Every new joiner should be given at least 3 months to adapt to the new culture of the company. Post this, all new joiners should be called one-on-one and given constructive feedback about their performance. Some companies extend the probation period of low-performing employees, and despite no improvement, they are then put on a performance improvement plan. In today’s day and age, many new-age companies give just a maximum of 6 months’ time and then fire the employees if there is no improvement.
TPB Team: Have you seen a new hire struggle early and then turn out great later?
Radhika: Yes, I have seen numerous candidates in my career who were slow starters but, with the right direction, communication, and mentorship, turned out to be very efficient. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race. So many times, companies need to be patient and give employees the benefit of the doubt.
TPB Team: How involved should the recruiter stay after a candidate joins?
Radhika: The recruiter must be on his/her toe after the candidate joins and take regular feedback on his/her onboarding process, clarity of job role and communication flow line with his/her immediate supervisor .
TPB Team: What role does a buddy or mentor play in those first few months?
Radhika: The first few months are the most crucial time in a new joiner’s corporate life. Many companies have a mentor-mentee program wherein every new joiner is assigned a mentor from the same department, or sometimes a different department, who guides, mentors, and addresses all teething problems new joiners are facing, and further escalates and resolves them too.
TPB Team: How does the first performance review feed back into how you hire the next batch?
Radhika: The first performance review will give you an overall insight into the batch’s performance and assess the recruiter’s capability of whether they have selected a competent batch or not. This will give them an overall direction on the alteration of their recruitment strategy for the next batch.
TPB Team: For freshers specifically, does the first review need a different lens than it would for an experienced hire?
Radhika: Freshers need a different lens, as they need to be assessed on their street smartness, ability to upskill themselves, AI know-how, and humble attitude.
TPB Team: When you’re hiring at scale through campus drives, how do you track quality of hire across such a large batch?
Radhika: In today’s scenario, companies are not looking to hire nerds but all-rounders. They assess their knowledge of current affairs, engagement in extracurricular activities, and social activities. They shortlist their first cut via the medium of group discussions, post which other mediums are used.
TPB Team: If you could get every hiring team to track one thing before the first review, what would it be?
Radhika: The candidate’s attitude and willingness to learn and be flexible and adaptable to change .
In the End, Puri’s insights point to a simple truth: quality of hire is not a single data point captured at the offer stage but a pattern that unfolds over months of onboarding, feedback, and mentorship. Her emphasis on giving new joiners room to adjust, paired with structured check-ins and honest feedback loops, reflects a hiring philosophy built on patience without losing accountability. For HR teams looking to sharpen their recruitment strategy, her experience is a reminder that the first performance review is not an endpoint but a feedback loop that should inform every future hire.
