Recruiting the right people

Good recruitment begins before the first interview. A precise role brief, role-relevant screening and consistent assessment will produce a better decision than relying on CV polish or general interview confidence.

Provide the process map, outcomes, measures, reporting line, working hours, systems, salary range and genuine non-negotiables. Explain what success and failure have looked like in comparable local roles.

Separate essential requirements from preferences. An unfocused wish list narrows the market unnecessarily, while a vague brief creates inconsistent shortlists and avoidable delay.

Confirm what the partner will assess before candidates are presented. Test written and spoken communication at the level the work requires, verify technical capability through role-relevant evidence and complete appropriate employment and reference checks.

For home-based roles, assess the working environment against the agreed standard. For unusual schedules, discuss the candidate’s experience and preferences rather than assuming they will adapt.

Use the same core questions and scoring criteria for every candidate. Ask for specific examples: the situation, the candidate’s personal contribution, the choices they made and the result.

Explain the role honestly, including routine work, difficult customers, schedule expectations or periods of pressure. Include the future manager in the process and keep the panel small enough for a genuine conversation.

Create a short exercise that reflects the actual work: a reconciliation, customer response, design brief, analysis task or small technical problem. Assess it against a simple rubric covering accuracy, judgement, communication and handling of ambiguity.

Keep the exercise proportionate. If a substantial piece of productive work is required, agree appropriate payment and make the conditions clear to every candidate.

Do not treat titles, qualifications or tenure as stand-alone proof. Ask what the candidate did each day, what changed during their time in the role and why they moved.

Look for a pattern of relevant learning, dependable delivery and increasing responsibility. Give recent experience, verified skills and the practical assessment more weight than unfamiliar job titles or assumptions about another labour market.

Once the preferred candidate is approved, move promptly. Let the partner handle the formal employment process while the future manager makes personal contact and reinforces why the candidate was selected.

Confirm the candidate’s contractual notice requirements with the partner. Use the period before commencement to prepare access, equipment, training and the first-week schedule, and maintain appropriate contact until day one.