Write the role before you hire

Career · Little Light original

The team says it needs another person immediately. Everyone is overloaded, so the job description becomes a collection of the tasks people most want to hand off. By the time the candidate arrives, the role is expected to solve several different problems with one title and no clear authority. Before hiring, decide what must be different six months after this person starts. Which outcomes belong to them? Which decisions can they make? What support, budget, and relationships will the work require? Some tasks may belong in a process change rather than a new job. Others may reveal that you need a different level of experience than first assumed. A thoughtful role is an early act of leadership. It gives candidates a fair picture and gives the new colleague a chance to succeed at something coherent. Hiring does not begin with finding an impressive person. It begins with making an honest promise about the work you are asking someone to carry.

Little Light