This could be a problem of communicating expectations and a poor feedback loop from you. Do they know that you aren't happy with their performance? How early i

This could be a problem of communicating expectations and a poor feedback loop from you. Do they know that you aren't happy with their performance? How early in the process do you catch it and correct the action? It doesn't sound like it's very early at all if it's a week later and they are coming back at with the same questions. I'm not saying to micro manage or even tell them that they are poor employees -- I believe both approaches lead to hostile work environments. The best managers I ever had largely followed the principles laid out in How to Win Friends and Influence People, and now that I'm transitioning to leading small teams I find that approach leads to far better results than the alternative.