I work at a startup in a lab as a manager/lead, with 10 years of experience in my field. About 4-5 months ago, we started searching to fill a new role, and my boss contacted an old colleague of his from a previous company to apply for the position. My boss spoke highly of him, praising his intelligence, capabilities, work ethic, etc. However, during the interview, I noticed that his colleague lacks the necessary skills and experience we require for the role. His expertise lies in a different area (with more than 20 years in the workforce), and he has basic knowledge of our field. I advised my boss against hiring him since training him would be a big burden to our team, especially when there were other more suitable candidates and we are drowned with priority projects and never-ending to-do lists.
Fast forward to today, the individual has been working here for almost three months. The first project was simple, so there weren't many issues. However, with the second project, which requires more practice, intuition, and knowledge, he is unsurprisingly struggling. Though I am not directly involved in this project, I offered suggestions. I initially recommended that he build a new setup to perform the measurements accurately, but he used an old setup that I had already informed him wouldn't work. He spent about a week attempting unsuccessful measurements with the old setup, whereas he could have spent 2-3 days building a functioning one after doing some reading, research, and consulting with me. When my boss realized his measurements were not going well, he asked me to help him because, in his words, 'he doesn't have enough experience' (insert eye-roll). So, I built the setup and made sure it worked while he was on PTO.
This is just one example, I have tried to be patient but I haven't seen an improvement. He struggles to follow instructions, even when they are simple or I provide visual aids. When we explain things to him, he claims he understands, but it becomes apparent that he doesn't truly grasp the concepts. When I ask him about his approach to tasks, he provides conflicting information, deviating from what he initially explained, or because he is unfamiliar with the technical terms the discussions become long and confusing. He lacks knowledge in automating instruments and relies heavily on my other labmate or performs tasks manually, which consumes much more time and tends to be more inaccurate. He also asks basic conceptual questions that can easily be answered through a simple Google search or Wikipedia.
I might be too harsh since he's been here less than three months, but this is the first time I have had these issues with a team member. Even our summer intern, who is still an undergraduate student, can work more independently and seek solutions on their own. On the other hand, my boss chose to hire someone without real experience in our field, despite the field literally being part of the role title.
I'm unsure about what to do here. He is motivated and seems to be trying, but at the end of the day, they are increasing my workload and causing me more stress. I'm not sure how to approach this issue with my boss, considering that he brought this person in and I am a bit worried that my boss wont take my concerns in a good way, since they seem to have a long friendly relationship. Also, my boss hasn't asked me yet what is my impression about this new coworker which he has done in the past with other junior members of the team…
Or, should I consider asking for a raise since I am taking on additional responsibilities, and/or ask for a promotion as well? (Since, in the official organization chart, he and I are at the same level.) I know that part of my job involves training new members and I have done that in the past without major problems, but this individual requires significantly more attention, time and patience compared to others.
TL;DR: I work as a manager/lead at a startup lab. Despite my concerns, my boss hired an ex-colleague of his who doesn't have the experience or appropriate skills for the role. After struggling with a project and failing to follow instructions, he relies on me for help. He lacks knowledge in our field, automation and asks very basic questions. I'm stressed about the increasing workload by his lack of competence to get the job done. Unsure how to approach my boss about him, so I'm considering requesting a raise or promotion since I'm taking on additional responsibilities.
Sorry for the long post. I am hoping to hear others' similar experiences or suggestions.