Hiring Clarity Before the Job Description
By Akkul Dhand · Published 26 October 2026
Decide what the business actually needs before recruiting another person into an unclear role.
Who this is for: Founders and managers considering a new hire, particularly where workload, capability and ownership problems are mixed together.
A hire should solve a defined business need. “We need someone senior” is the beginning of the question, not the answer.
1. Diagnose before acting
Answer each question with a concrete example or piece of evidence. Mark unknowns openly. This is a discussion aid, not a validated scoring instrument.
- Which result is currently missing or at risk?
- Is the constraint volume, specialist skill, authority or a broken process?
- Can current workload be evidenced rather than described as “very busy”?
- Who will manage and onboard the person?
- What would successful performance look like after 90 days?
2. Put the method to work
1. Define the problem
Describe the missing result, affected customers or teams and the consequence of leaving it unresolved. Identify what has already been tried. Separate a temporary spike from sustained demand and identify work that should stop altogether.
2. Compare the options
Consider process correction, reprioritisation, training, internal movement, temporary support and a permanent role. Compare capability, timing, cost, continuity and control. Do not assume automation or outsourcing is automatically cheaper or suitable.
3. Write the outcome scorecard
Define three to five outcomes for the first 90 days and the ongoing role. Specify reporting line, authority, interfaces and essential skills. Separate requirements needed on day one from those that can realistically be taught.
4. Assess against the work
Use consistent questions and an appropriate work sample tied to the scorecard. Set evaluation criteria in advance and compare evidence, not confidence or personal similarity. Keep candidate tasks proportionate and avoid using unpaid exercises as commercial work.
5. Prepare the role to succeed
Budget the full employment and enablement cost. Assign an onboarding owner, access, training and early checkpoints. Agree how the manager will assess outcomes and adapt goals when dependencies are outside the new hire’s control.
3. A worked example
Illustrative example: a founder wants an operations head because every purchase reaches them. Mapping shows the purchasing team has capability but no agreed approval limits. The business first clarifies authority and improves purchasing visibility. It reassesses the hiring need after the change rather than recruiting someone solely to forward approvals.
4. Working sheet
The first row shows how to fill this in. Use the blank rows for your own business. Add evidence links and review dates to your working copy.
| Missing business outcome | Evidence and constraint | Options considered | Role outcome / authority | 90-day evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faster routine purchasing | Approvals queue at founder; demand measured | Authority reset before hiring | Purchasing owner within agreed limits | Turnaround, exceptions and service continuity |
5. Action plan
- Days 1–3: define the business problem and collect workload evidence.
- Days 4–7: test alternatives and agree whether a role is needed.
- Week 2: finalise scorecard, budget and assessment method.
- Before joining: confirm onboarding ownership and 30/60/90-day checkpoints.
6. Check whether it worked
- Time to independent delivery against the agreed role outcomes.
- Quality and delivery improvement in the original problem area.
- Manager support, onboarding completion and unresolved role dependencies.
Do not hire a senior title to compensate for authority the founder will not release. Avoid promising a result while withholding the resources or decisions needed to achieve it.
What you should leave with: A documented hire/no-hire decision and, if hiring proceeds, an outcome-based role scorecard.