Hiring is one of those things where you’ve got to go slow to go fast. But in an effort to bring candidates in quickly, we often go to market without a fully-hatched plan. And that’s where we get into trouble. Hiring processes usually go off the rails for two reasons:
- They weren’t designed with the candidate experience in mind, and
- They haven’t been mapped out, so no one knows when or how a decision will be made.
Think about it. You wouldn’t design a marketing campaign without first talking to your target audience or defining the results you’re after. That would be a gigantic fail. Hiring is no different. You’ll waste time and make mistakes if you don’t have a game plan.
We’ve created this Recruiting Blueprint worksheet to mimic our search intake process here at Nadexa Group.
If you invest the effort to answer these questions, you will:
- Define the exact profile and skill set you want to attract
- Have a compelling story to tell about the role, company and mission
- Identify the interview decisionmakers and what role they play in qualifying candidates
- Respond to typical questions in a positive and consistent way
We want you to get this right because there’s too much at stake.
- 52% of job seekers had declined a job offer due to a poor experience during the hiring process
- Companies that focus on creating a positive candidate experience reported a 70% improvement in the quality of hires
Let’s get going.
And you don’t have to do this solo. We’re happy to help you find that unicorn when you’re ready. Reach me here.
Goals & Responsibilities
1. Why is this hire urgently needed now? What are the first 3 tasks it needs to tackle?
2. What mission-critical projects are not getting done now due to a lack of resources or expertise?
3. Would you characterize these tasks as tactical implementation or strategic direction?
4. What does success look like? What would you like this hire to accomplish in the first 90 days to be considered successful?
5. What guidance or ideas do you want them to bring to the table?
6. For this person to hit the ground running, what skills/tools/tech should they be experts at? What do you consider absolutely essential for success?
7. Where are you willing to compromise if they are strong in other areas?
8. Apart from these, have you identified other skills gaps on your team?
9. When you’re writing this person’s performance review a year from now, what will they have accomplished to achieve a 5-star rating?
10. What metrics will you use to evaluate success? For in-house marketing roles: Awareness, engagement, acquisition, conversion, retention, revenue growth, sales, ROI, ROAS, etc. For agency roles: Growth within existing accounts, new business, client satisfaction, revenue growth, cost savings, process improvement, etc.
Career Path, Culture & Opportunity
1. Who will this role report to? How will it be supported, either by direct or indirect reports?
2. Do they need experience managing teams or is this an individual contributor role?
3. Who are the people/roles they’ll work with most frequently?
4. What friction or challenges might they encounter? E.g. Is a turnaround required? Is there resistance to change? High growth, but limited resources? Do you need someone to evoke change or build on past successes?
5. What is the career path for this hire? Is the promotion path well-defined?
6. How did the company perform last year? How can you quantify growth and achievements?
7. Were there layoffs and how do you plan to message them to candidates?
8. What representative work/case studies/press/accolades can you share with candidates?
9. When you joined the company, what sold you on the opportunity? What keeps you there now?
10. How has the company demonstrated its commitment to diverse hiring?
11. How does your company support work-life balance? What are your expectations around in-person/hybrid/remote work scenarios?
12. What do you consider to be the top 3 things your company can offer to candidates? E.g. High visibility, ability to make an impact, access to leadership & mentorship, autonomy/authority/leadership
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