Recruitment ready checklist: your step-by-step guide to hiring success

Define the role

Pinpoint core responsibilities: start by clearly outlining the essential duties and responsibilities of the new hire. This helps you understand exactly what the role requires and sets clear expectations.
Identify “nice-to-haves”: beyond the essentials, think about additional skills or experiences that would be beneficial but aren’t deal-breakers. This helps you prioritise candidates who bring extra value.
Clarify what you don’t want: it’s just as important to be clear about what you don’t need. Reflect on previous hires or industry trends to spot traits or skills that won’t work well in your company or for this role. This can help you avoid unsuitable candidates early on.

Translate role requirements into skills: break down the job’s responsibilities into specific skills and behaviours you can measure. For example, if leadership is key, define what that looks like in your company—perhaps it’s mentoring junior staff, managing projects or influencing stakeholders.
Align competencies with company values: ensure these competencies not only match the role but also reflect your company’s core values. This way, you’ll find someone who’s a good cultural fit as well as a technical match.
Create a competency framework: develop a framework that lists the key competencies alongside indicators of proficiency. This framework will guide interviewers in assessing candidates consistently and fairly.

Start with a strong introduction: open with an attention-grabbing statement that highlights why someone would want to work for your company. Mention what makes your company special, including culture, mission and the impact the role will have.
Clearly outline responsibilities: detail the key responsibilities of the role in clear, concise language. Avoid jargon so candidates can easily understand what’s expected.
Showcase growth opportunities: candidates are often looking for roles where they can grow. Include details about career development opportunities, potential for advancement and any support for further training or education.
Include a call-to-action: make it easy for candidates to apply by providing clear instructions on how to do so, what to include and any application deadlines.

A group of businesspeople discussing ideas.

Check for biased language: review the language in your job description to ensure it’s free from gendered terms, age bias, or any other language that could discourage qualified candidates from applying.
Highlight your commitment to diversity: clearly state the company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Mention any initiatives or policies that support underrepresented groups within your workplace. Highlight your willingness to support diverse hiring and widen the candidate pool, with a line such as: "we value a diverse range of experiences and skills. If you don't meet all the requirements but believe you can excel in this role, please apply."
Use data to improve inclusivity: analyse data from previous recruitment efforts to identify areas where you could be more inclusive. For instance, if you find certain demographics are underrepresented among applicants, consider revising your job description and outreach strategies.

Structure the interview stages: decide how many stages your interview process will have, who will be involved at each stage and what you’ll be assessing. For example, you might start with a phone screen, move on to technical assessments and finish with company ways of working and values alignment. Ensure each stage is purposeful, prioritises pace and respects the candidate's time.
Prepare a question bank: develop a set of questions aligned with the competencies you’ve defined. Include a mix of behavioural, situational and skills-based questions to thoroughly evaluate each candidate’s suitability for the role.
Set clear evaluation criteria: decide how to score candidates during interviews. Whether you use a numerical rating system or qualitative assessments, ensure it’s standardised across all interviewers for fairness.
Plan logistics: consider the practical details, such as how long each interview will take, whether it will be in person or virtual and any materials candidates should prepare or bring.

A group of people in an office meeting.

Hold a kickoff meeting: bring your interview panel together to align on the role, competencies and interview plan. Make sure everyone understands their role in the process and what’s expected of them.
Review the competency framework: go over the competency framework with the panel so everyone understands what good answers look like and how they’ll be evaluated.
Assign specific roles: clearly define each interviewer’s focus—who will assess technical skills? Who will gauge cultural fit? This ensures a thorough evaluation without overlap.
Discuss bias: remind the panel about unconscious biases that can influence decision-making. Encourage everyone to focus on evidence and examples from the interviews rather than subjective impressions.

Legal and ethical training: ensure every team member involved in the interview process is familiar with legal requirements, including anti-discrimination laws and fair hiring practices. This should cover what questions are appropriate to ask and which are off-limits.
Interview techniques: provide training on effective interviewing techniques, such as active listening, note-taking and avoiding leading questions. This helps ensure that interviews are consistent and productive.
Reflect and improve: after the interviews, take time to reflect on the process. Discuss what worked well and where there’s room for improvement, so your recruitment practices keep getting better.