Notes on hiring well

Short, practical articles for people who hire.

Half or more of new executives struggle in their first 18 months, mostly on fit. How to define the role, find the right leader and help them succeed.

A CV tells you where someone worked. It says little about whether they will do well in your role, on your team.

When a company cuts its hiring plan from twenty roles to three, those three decisions matter far more.

Most job descriptions are wish lists. A useful brief is shorter and answers five questions.

Your first SaaS sales or customer success hire works without a playbook. Here is how to choose between the two roles and what to test.

A founder or HR head can judge an engineer without reading code. Borrow a technical reviewer for the code and ask five questions yourself.

A candidate in India may join one to three months after accepting. Plan backwards from your start date and stay in touch during the wait.

Technical hires who fail early usually fail for one of four reasons. All four can be checked before the offer goes out.

An interview scorecard is a one-page form that makes every interviewer rate every candidate on the same points. Here is how to build and use one.

Product manager, engineer or implementation specialist: the right first hire for a SaaS product team depends on where work is stuck today.

A counter-offer usually arrives during the notice period. Learn the candidate's real reason for leaving early, and respond the same day.

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