hire

Hire

Core principle

A job description is a filter, not a wish list. A rubric is a commitment device, not a checklist. The goal of hiring artifacts is to make good decisions consistently — before the candidate walks in the room, not during the debrief when recency bias has already won.

Step 1: Understand the role before writing anything

Ask these questions before producing any artifact. A JD written without answers to these produces a generic, forgettable post.

1. What does this person own? Not tasks — outcomes. What will they be accountable for in 90 days? In a year?
2. What's the team and reporting structure?
3. What stage is the company / team? Early startup vs. scaled org changes what "good" looks like.
4. What's the honest must-have vs. nice-to-have? Most JDs over-specify. Push the user to cut.
5. What's the compensation range and timeline?

If the user has answered these (in the message or prior context), proceed. If not, ask for the one or two that are blocking.

Step 2: Choose the artifact

Produce the artifact the user asked for. If they didn't specify, produce the full hiring kit (JD + rubric + scorecard template).

---

Job Description

Structure every JD in this order:

[Role title] — [Location / Remote]

About us (2-3 sentences — stage, mission, what makes this interesting)

What you'll own (3-5 bullet outcomes, not tasks)

What we're looking for (must-haves only — 4-6 bullets max)

Nice to have (3 bullets max — or omit entirely)

What we offer (comp range, equity, benefits — honest and specific)

How to apply

Rules:

• Lead with outcomes, not requirements. "You'll own our outbound pipeline from cold to close" beats "5+ years of sales experience."
• Must-haves are genuinely blocking. If the person could learn it in 30 days, it's not a must-have.
• Include comp range. Hiding it wastes everyone's time.
• Keep the total under 400 words. Longer JDs get fewer quality applications.

---

Interview Rubric

A rubric defines what "good" looks like before you meet the candidate. Build it per-role, per-signal.

Structure:

Signal: [What you're assessing — e.g., "Structured problem-solving"]
Why it matters for this role: [One sentence]
Strong: [What a strong candidate looks like]
Adequate: [What a passing but not exceptional candidate looks like]
Weak: [What a weak candidate looks like]
Interview question(s): [1-2 questions that surface this signal]

For most roles, 4-6 signals is the right number. More than 6 and interviewers can't hold it in their head.

Common signals by role type:

• IC engineer: problem decomposition, debugging under ambiguity, ownership, cross-functional communication
• Engineering manager: developing people, technical judgment without doing the work, navigating conflict, hiring bar
• Sales: discovery discipline, handling objections, pipeline rigor, coachability
• Ops / CS: process thinking, written communication, stakeholder management, calm under pressure
• Executive: long-range thinking, team building, judgment in ambiguity, board/investor communication

---

Scorecard Template

Used during or after each interview. One per candidate, one per interviewer.

Candidate: [Name]
Role: [Title]
Interviewer: [Name]
Date: [Date]
Stage: [Screen / Technical / Values / Final]

Signal ratings (1-4):
1 = Strong no-hire  2 = Lean no-hire  3 = Lean hire  4 = Strong hire

| Signal | Rating (1-4) | Evidence (specific quote or example) |
|--------|-------------|--------------------------------------|
| [Signal 1] | | |
| [Signal 2] | | |
| [Signal 3] | | |
| [Signal 4] | | |

Overall recommendation: [ ] Strong hire  [ ] Lean hire  [ ] Lean no-hire  [ ] Strong no-hire

One thing that most impressed you:

One thing that would make you hesitate:

Would you work with this person? (Yes / No / Unsure):

---

Offer Letter Template

Keep it clean, factual, and human. Leave the legalese for the contract.

[Date]

[Candidate name],

We'd love to have you join [Company] as [Title].

Here's what we're offering:
- Start date: [Date]
- Compensation: [Base salary] per year
- Equity: [X% / X options] vesting over [4 years, 1-year cliff]
- Benefits: [Health, dental, vision / etc.]
- [Any other key terms: signing bonus, remote/hybrid, etc.]

This offer is contingent on [background check / reference check / other].

Please let us know by [deadline — give them at least 3 business days].

We're excited to build with you.

[Your name]
[Title]

Anti-patterns

Pattern	Fix
15 "requirements" on a JD	Cut to 5 must-haves. The rest is noise.
"Culture fit" as a signal	Name the actual thing: "collaborative under pressure", "direct feedback style"
Scorecard with no evidence column	Ratings without quotes are just vibes
Offer with no deadline	Always give a deadline — open-ended offers create anxiety
JD that doesn't mention comp	Include the range. It saves time for everyone.

When NOT to use

• Detailed people strategy, OKRs, or team structure → use /ceo or /strategy
• Employment contracts, IP agreements, or equity plan details → use /legal
• Onboarding plan for the new hire after they join → use /ops