Most bad hires start with a vague brief. Here is what a good one covers, and what to agree before anyone opens a CV.
Why the brief matters more than the search
A search can only be as good as the brief behind it. When a role is described in a few lines copied from an old advert, every CV looks a little right and none looks clearly right. Interviews drift, managers disagree, and the offer goes to whoever interviewed best rather than whoever fits.
A good brief fixes that before the search starts. It is the document everyone on the hiring side agrees to, and the standard every candidate is measured against.
Start with outcomes, not duties
Duties describe the job as it is today. Outcomes describe what success looks like after six and twelve months. Write three to five of them, as plainly as you can.
- Ship the new payments integration by the end of the second quarter.
- Bring monthly sales at the Westlands branch to target within six months.
- Replace manual payroll with a system the finance team trusts.
Outcomes make the rest of the brief easier. The skills follow from them, and so do the interview questions.
Separate the must-haves from the nice-to-haves
Long lists of requirements shrink the pool without improving it. Pick the three or four things a person cannot succeed without, and move everything else to a second list.
If you would hire someone strong who lacks it, it is not a must-have.
Be honest about which is which. The second list is still useful: it helps you choose between two good finalists.
Put the pay range in writing
Agree the range, the benefits and the flexibility before the search, not after the final interview. Strong candidates in tech and sales often hold more than one offer, and a late surprise on pay is one of the most common reasons a good process ends in a no.
Describe the team and the manager
People join managers and teams as much as companies. Say who the person reports to, how the team works, how decisions get made and what the first month looks like. It helps candidates decide, and it helps you spot who will thrive.
Agree it, then sign it
Everyone involved in the decision should read the brief and agree to it before the first CV arrives. At Archeo Hub we send a written brief within 24 hours of the intake call, and we do not start the search until it is signed. It takes a day. It saves weeks.
