In 1 minute
- Start with the responsibilities of the role, not the list of technologies.
- Separate essential requirements from nice-to-haves.
- Agree on conditions and assessment criteria before searching.
- Review the brief when the search brings new information.
A search usually starts with the name of a position. To find and assess the right person, you need to describe the work they will do and the conditions under which they will do it.
The brief lets the hiring team and the people running the search share criteria from the start.
Start with the responsibility of the role
What does the person need to solve? What decisions will they be able to make? Who will they work with? These answers help define the experience needed and the expected level of autonomy.
Instead of piling up requirements, link each one to a specific task.
Separate essentials from nice-to-haves
An essential requirement should have a clear link to the work. Desirable knowledge can make onboarding easier, but it should not automatically rule out someone capable of learning it.
For example, distinguish the experience needed to sustain a critical system from familiarity with a tool that can be learned with support. The assessment depends on the real context of the position.
Define the level of autonomy
Labels like junior, mid-level and senior do not mean the same in every organization. Explain what decisions the person is expected to make, what support they will have and what complexity they will handle.
It is also worth identifying who will provide the initial support.
Agree on the conditions before searching
Work arrangement, location, relevant hours, availability and hiring conditions affect how well the offer matches the available profiles. If these points are still open, record them and define who can resolve them.
Use this brief with your team
| Topic | Information to complete |
|---|---|
| Position name | What the role is called |
| Reason for the search | What need gives rise to the hire |
| Responsibilities | Which tasks and decisions the person will be in charge of |
| First objectives | What they are expected to solve when they join |
| Team | Who they will work with and report to |
| Essential knowledge | What they need to know and why |
| Desirable knowledge | What they can learn or develop |
| Relevant experience | What situations they should have been through |
| Autonomy | What decisions they will make and what support they will have |
| Conditions | Work arrangement, location and hiring conditions |
| Assessment | Which stages there will be, who takes part and what is reviewed |
| Decision | Who approves and how feedback is shared |
Prepare an assessment related to the work
Each stage should help answer a question about the position. If a test is proposed, agree on its objective, duration and assessment criteria.
Sharing the criteria before interviewing makes it possible to compare relevant information and document feedback. Personal preferences unrelated to the task should not replace those criteria.
Review the brief when new information comes up
The search also provides information about the market and how clear the offer is. If the available profiles do not match what was expected, review requirements, conditions and alternatives with the hiring team.
Recording the changes keeps different people from assessing different versions of the same position.
