Hiring brief guide
A better brief.
A more focused search.
Prepare a practical hiring brief covering outcomes, requirements, compensation, assessment, and the decisions needed to start recruiting.
Write the outcome before the requirements
Describe why the role exists and what should be different after the person joins. Use concrete responsibilities rather than a long list of traits.
- What work is not getting done today?
- What should the new hire accomplish in the first 90 days?
- Which decisions, systems, or relationships will they own?
Make constraints explicit
Separate essential requirements from preferences. Hidden constraints often surface late, after both the employer and candidate have invested time.
- Document compensation parameters and who can approve changes.
- State location, working hours, travel, and employment arrangement.
- List required credentials and the evidence needed to confirm experience.
Design the decision process
A brief is also an agreement among the people making the hire. Name the decision-maker and decide what each interview is intended to establish.
- Assign interview stages and avoid repeating the same assessment.
- Set feedback expectations and a route for resolving disagreements.
- Confirm the role is approved before asking candidates to invest in the process.
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