---
name: hiring-playbook
description: Design jobs, source candidates, run structured interviews, and onboard effectively. Use when hiring for any role.
domain: mindset
---

# Hiring Playbook

End-to-end hiring framework: job design, sourcing, structured interviewing, culture fit, offer negotiation, and 90-day onboarding.

## When to Use

- Hiring for any role (IC, manager, executive)
- Scaling a team rapidly
- Improving hiring quality or reducing mis-hires
- Onboarding new hires effectively
- **When NOT to use**: Filling roles via internal promotion (different process)

## Process

### 1. Job Design

**Define before posting**:
- **Outcomes**: What must this person achieve in 6/12 months?
- **Must-haves**: Non-negotiable skills/experience
- **Nice-to-haves**: Bonus skills
- **Culture fit**: Values alignment

**Example** (Senior Engineer):
- **Outcomes**: Ship 2 major features, mentor 2 junior engineers, reduce P0 bugs by 30%
- **Must-haves**: 5+ years backend (Python/Go), system design experience, production debugging
- **Nice-to-haves**: Kubernetes, observability tools
- **Culture**: Ownership mindset, clear communication

---

### 2. Sourcing Strategies

| Channel | Best For | Conversion Rate |
|---------|----------|-----------------|
| **Referrals** | High-quality candidates | 20-30% (highest) |
| **Inbound** | Strong employer brand | 5-10% |
| **Outbound** | Passive candidates | 1-3% (lowest, but reach) |
| **Agencies** | Hard-to-fill roles | 10-15% (expensive) |

**Outbound template**:
> Hi [Name],  
>   
> I'm [Your Role] at [Company]. We're [brief mission].  
>   
> I noticed your work on [specific project]. We're solving [related problem] and think your experience with [skill] would be a great fit.  
>   
> Worth a 15-min chat? [Calendar link]

**Key**: Personalize (mention their work), keep short, make ask low-friction.

---

### 3. Structured Interviewing

**Principle**: Ask every candidate the same questions, score with rubric (reduces bias).

**Interview Loop** (4-6 rounds):
1. **Recruiter screen** (30 min): Culture fit, comp expectations, logistics
2. **Hiring manager** (45 min): Role fit, past experience (STAR questions)
3. **Technical/skills** (60-90 min): Work sample or case study
4. **Team fit** (30 min): Cross-functional collaboration, communication
5. **Leadership/values** (30 min): Behavioral questions aligned to company values
6. **Debrief**: All interviewers align on hire/no-hire

---

### 4. Interview Scorecard

**Score 1-4 on each dimension**:
- **1**: Strong no
- **2**: No
- **3**: Yes
- **4**: Strong yes

**Dimensions** (example for engineer):
- Problem-solving
- Technical depth
- Communication
- Ownership
- Culture fit

**Decision rule**: Average ≥3.0 AND no 1s = Hire.

---

### 5. STAR Questions (Behavioral)

**Format**: Situation → Task → Action → Result

**Examples**:
- "Tell me about a time you missed a deadline. What happened?"
- "Describe a project you're most proud of. What was your role?"
- "Tell me about a conflict with a teammate. How did you resolve it?"

**Red flags**:
- Vague answers ("we did X" → who is "we"?)
- No ownership ("my manager decided..." → passive)
- Blaming others ("they screwed up" → no accountability)

---

### 6. Work Samples

**Principle**: Simulate real work (better signal than whiteboard).

**Examples**:
- **Engineer**: Debugging exercise, code review, system design
- **Designer**: Portfolio review + design critique
- **PM**: Product spec or roadmap exercise
- **Sales**: Mock pitch or objection handling

**Key**: Pay candidates for take-home work >2 hours.

---

### 7. Culture Fit Assessment

**Not "beer test"** (do I want to hang out?). **Instead**: Values alignment.

**Questions**:
- "What kind of team culture do you thrive in?"
- "Describe your ideal manager."
- "What frustrates you most at work?"

**Match answers to your company values**. If misaligned, don't hire (culture mis-hires are expensive).

---

### 8. Offer Negotiation

**Components**:
- **Base salary**: Market rate (use Levels.fyi, Pave, Carta)
- **Equity**: % of company or # of options (with strike price + valuation)
- **Benefits**: Health, 401k, PTO, remote policy
- **Start date**: Flexibility

**Process**:
1. **Verbal offer**: Gauge reaction before formal offer letter
2. **Formal offer**: Written, 48-72 hour expiration
3. **Negotiation**: Most candidates negotiate. Build 10-20% buffer.

**Script**: "We'd love to offer you [role] at $X base + Y equity. Does that work?"

---

### 9. 90-Day Onboarding Plan

**Goal**: New hire is productive and integrated by Day 90.

**Week 1**: Orientation
- Set up accounts, tools, access
- Meet team (1:1s with key people)
- Review company mission, values, strategy

**Month 1**: Learning
- Shadow teammates
- Small wins (ship something by Week 2)
- 1:1s with manager (weekly)

**Month 2**: Contributing
- Own a small project end-to-end
- Get feedback (mid-point review)

**Month 3**: Thriving
- Full velocity on role outcomes
- 90-day review: Are they hitting expectations?

**Red flag**: If not productive by Day 90, likely a mis-hire.

---

## Common Rationalizations

| Rationalization | Reality |
|-----------------|---------|
| "I'll know it when I see it" | Unstructured hiring is biased. Use scorecards. |
| "We need someone who can do everything" | Unicorns don't exist. Hire for must-haves, train nice-to-haves. |
| "Culture fit = I like them" | Culture fit = values alignment, not likability. |
| "We'll onboard them organically" | Structured onboarding reduces time-to-productivity by 50%. |

## Red Flags

- You can't describe what success looks like in this role (no outcomes defined)
- You ask different questions to each candidate (inconsistent, biased)
- You hire based on "gut feel" (no scorecard)
- You don't check references (skip at your peril)
- New hire gets no onboarding plan (they flounder for months)

## Verification

- [ ] Job outcomes defined (what must they achieve in 6/12 months?)
- [ ] Sourcing channels active (referrals, inbound, outbound, agencies)
- [ ] Interview loop structured (same questions for all candidates)
- [ ] Scorecard created (1-4 scale on key dimensions)
- [ ] Work sample or case study designed (simulates real work)
- [ ] Offer components defined (salary, equity, benefits benchmarked)
- [ ] 90-day onboarding plan written (Week 1, Month 1-3 milestones)