Recruitment 101: A simple hiring process you can build from scratch (and actually stick to)

If you don’t have a recruitment process yet, you’re not alone.

This usually happens for one of two reasons:

• Your business is growing quickly and hiring has become urgent
• You’ve always relied on word of mouth, agencies, or “we’ll figure it out” and it’s worked…until it suddenly hasn’t

Either way, if you’re thinking “we need to get this right from the start, but I don’t know where to begin”, this blog is for you.

This is a practical baseline. A simple end to end hiring process you can use as your standard, then build on as you grow.

The baseline workflow (7 stages)

You don’t need ten stages, five forms, and a complicated system.

You need clarity, consistency, and a few non-negotiables that protect your time and the candidate experience.

1. Role brief and approval
2. Attraction
3. Screening
4. Interview plan
5. Assessment and decision
6. Offer and close
7. Onboarding handover

1) Role brief and approval

Purpose: Get clear on what you need, why you need it, and what success looks like.

What “good” looks like:

• A one page role brief that covers:

• • Why the role exists now
  • What must be true on day one (skills, experience, behaviours)
  • What can be learned in the first 3 to 6 months
  • Who they report to and who they work closely with
  • Working pattern and location expectations
  • Salary range and any deal breakers
  • What great performance looks like at 3 and 6 months

Common sticking point

Writing a job description that lists tasks, but never defines outcomes.

➡️ Quick takeaway
If you do one thing before hiring, do this. A clear brief saves weeks later and reduces the “we’re not sure” decision making.

🛠️ DIY
Book 30 minutes with the hiring manager and ask:

• What problem will this person solve?
• What do we need them doing in the first 90 days?
• What would make you say, this was a great hire?

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can turn a messy brief or a handful of thoughts into a clear role profile, success outcomes, and a realistic hiring plan that matches your budget and the market.

2) Attraction

Purpose: Get the right people interested, not just more people applying.

What “good” looks like

• A job advert that answers:
  • What is the role really about?
  • What is the team and culture like?
  • What will someone learn or own?
  • What is the working pattern and salary range?

• A simple channel plan:
  • Where will we post it?
  • Who will we approach directly?
  • Who in your network can help share it?

Common sticking point

Copying and pasting a job description into an advert and hoping for the best.

➡️ Quick takeaway
If the advert could be for any business, it will attract people who are applying anywhere.

🛠️ DIY
Write the advert like you are speaking to one person. The right person. Keep it clear and specific.

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can rewrite your advert to be more human, more specific, and more likely to attract people who fit the role and your culture. I can also advise on where to focus your energy so you’re not spreading the net too wide.

3) Screening

Purpose: Move quickly, fairly, and consistently.

What “good” looks like

• A short set of screening criteria based on your role brief
• A simple pre screen call structure that checks:
  • Motivation and alignment
  • Key experience and evidence
  • Practicalities (location, notice, salary expectations)
  • A couple of role related questions to test understanding

• Clear candidate communication, even if it is a “not this time”

Common sticking point

Skimming CVs and relying on gut feel, then realising later you didn’t check the basics.

➡️ Quick takeaway
A good screening process saves interview time. It also improves candidate experience because people know where they stand quickly.

🛠️ DIY
Create 6 to 8 consistent screening questions and use them for every candidate.

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can create the screening questions and scorecard for you, or run screening on your behalf, so you only meet the people who are genuinely aligned.

4) Interview plan

Purpose: Make interviews feel organised, fair, and useful.

What “good” looks like

• A clear interview structure:
  • How many stages
  • Who is involved at each stage
  • What each stage is for
• Interview questions mapped to the role outcomes
• A simple scorecard, so you are assessing evidence, not vibes
• Time allowed for decision making and feedback

Common sticking point

A good conversation, but no consistent way to compare candidates.

➡️ Quick takeaway
The best interviews feel human, but they’re still structured. Structure is what makes hiring fair and repeatable.

🛠️ DIY
Before you interview anyone, write down:

• The 5 things you need to assess
• The questions you will ask
• What a strong answer sounds like

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can build your interview plan, scorecards, and hiring manager guidance, including inclusive interview tweaks and how to give candidates a fair chance to show their strengths.

5) Assessment and decision

Purpose: Make a confident decision based on evidence.

What “good” looks like

• Quick debrief after interviews, ideally same day
• Scores and notes captured consistently
• One decision maker accountable for the final call
• A clear “yes”, “no”, or “hold” outcome and next step

Common sticking point

Decisions drifting for a week, then the best candidate accepts something else.

➡️ Quick takeaway
Speed is not about rushing. It is about being organised. Good people do not stay available for long.

🛠️ DIY
Set a decision deadline before you start interviewing. Treat it like a priority meeting.

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can help you set simple service levels and decision points, so hiring doesn’t get pushed down the list.

6) Offer and close

Purpose: Secure your preferred candidate and keep the experience positive.

What “good” looks like

• A verbal offer quickly, followed by clear written confirmation
• A short, human explanation of why you chose them
• A clean process for references and paperwork
• A respectful close for unsuccessful candidates, with a brief reason where possible

Common sticking point

Making an offer, then going quiet while things are sorted internally.

➡️ Quick takeaway
The offer stage is still part of candidate experience. This is where trust is won or lost.

🛠️ DIY
Decide who is responsible for:

• The offer call
• The written offer
• Candidate updates during notice periods

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can support with offer management, candidate communication, and keeping the process warm and clear until they start.

7) Onboarding handover

Purpose: Make the first weeks feel joined up, not chaotic.

What “good” looks like

• A simple handover from hiring to onboarding:
  • Start date confirmed
  • First week plan
  • Key meetings booked
  • Equipment and access sorted
  • Who owns check ins at week 1, 2, 4, and 8

Common sticking point

Great hire, poor start. Then you spend the first month fixing avoidable gaps.

➡️ Quick takeaway
Onboarding is part of retention. It’s also part of your employer reputation.

🛠️ DIY
Create a first week checklist and reuse it for every hire.

🙋‍♀️ Where I can support
I can help you design a simple onboarding handover and manager checklist that fits your business and is easy to repeat.

If you want to keep it simple, start here

If you do nothing else this week, do these three:

➡️ Write a one page role brief with day one needs and 90 day outcomes

➡️ Create a consistent screening call structure

➡️ Use a scorecard for interviews so decisions are based on evidence

That’s your Recruitment 101 foundation.

How this links to The Recruitment Review

Once you have a baseline process, the next step is making it consistent, inclusive, and genuinely reflective of your brand.

That is what The Recruitment Review is built for.

It helps you see:

• What is working
• What is missing
• Where time is being lost
• Where candidate experience is slipping
• What to fix first, with clear practical recommendations

If you’re building from scratch, I can help you implement the foundations. If you already have bits of a process but it feels messy, I can help you tighten it up so it runs smoothly and gives candidates a great experience.

➡️ ➡️ TAKE THE RECRUITMENT REVIEW AUDIT HERE ⬅️ ⬅️