Hiring Process Checklist
A hiring checklist for small teams: define the role, write the job ad, screen, run structured interviews and decide fairly, from approved role to signed offer.
- Typical schedule per open role
- The checklist 5 sections, 24 items
- Variables
{{role}}{{hiring_manager}}
Use this checklist for every open position, from the moment the role is approved until a candidate accepts the offer. It is written for small companies without a recruiting team, where the hiring manager runs most of the process alongside their normal job.
Who owns it
The hiring manager owns the run and makes the final decision. HR or an office manager usually handles the job ad, scheduling and candidate communication. Interviewers own their own scorecards. Write the names into the run so candidates never wait because each person thought someone else would reply.
Common pitfalls
- Starting without a clear role. If you cannot list the three outcomes the person should deliver in their first year, interviewers will each assess something different.
- Unstructured interviews. Free-form chats favour people who are like the interviewer. Ask every candidate the same core questions and score them against written criteria.
- Slow feedback. Good candidates often have other offers. Set a target time for each stage and tell candidates what it is.
- Debriefing in a group first. The most senior or loudest voice anchors everyone else. Collect written scores before the debrief meeting.
- Discriminatory questions. Questions about family plans, age, religion or health are off limits in many countries. Adapt this to your jurisdiction; it is a practical checklist, not legal advice.
Keeping every role in its own run makes it easy to see where a process is stuck.
The checklist: Hire for {{role}}
Define the role
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Headcount and budget for
{{role}}approved -
Three to five outcomes expected in the first year written down
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Must-have and nice-to-have skills separated, and the list kept short
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Salary range agreed before the ad is published
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Interview stages, interviewers and a scorecard per stage defined by
{{hiring_manager}}Each interviewer assesses different criteria, so stages do not repeat each other.
Attract candidates
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Job ad written with the outcomes, the salary range and a realistic list of requirements
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Ad checked for biased or exclusionary wording
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Ad published on the careers page and chosen job boards
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Team asked for referrals optional
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Response template and target response time agreed for every applicant
Screen and interview
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Applications screened against the must-have list only
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Short screening call held with shortlisted candidates (salary, notice period, location)
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Same core questions asked to every candidate in each stage
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Practical task or work sample given, with a reasonable time limit optional
Keep it short and relevant, and consider paying for take-home work that takes more than a few hours.
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Each interviewer submits a written scorecard before talking to the others
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Rejected candidates informed within the agreed time
Decide
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Debrief held after all scorecards are in
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Decision documented with reasons linked to the criteria
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References checked with the candidate's consent optional
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Offer approved by
{{hiring_manager}}and whoever signs off on pay
Close the role
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Offer made and accepted (see the job offer checklist)
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Remaining candidates told personally that the role is filled
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Job ads taken down
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Candidate data deleted or kept according to your retention policy
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
What are the main steps of a hiring process?
Define the role and the criteria, write and publish the job ad, screen applications, run structured interviews, decide based on written scores, and make the offer. Close the loop by informing every candidate and handling their data correctly.
How many interview rounds should a small company have?
Two to four stages are typical: a screening call, one or two interviews focused on different skills, and often a practical task. Each extra round slows the process down and risks losing candidates, so every stage should assess something the others do not.
What is a structured interview?
It is an interview where every candidate gets the same core questions and is scored against the same written criteria. It makes candidates easier to compare and reduces the influence of first impressions. Follow-up questions are still fine, as long as the core stays the same.
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