The Ultimate Checklist for Hiring Your Dream Team
Learnings from my HR sister
My sister works in HR. The challenge is hiring.
She has recently told me there are no people. Many who apply for jobs have unreasonable expectations, zero relevant experience, and poor behaviors.
I had to ask her if it was about the people, the process, or the job ads. We looked together and found a few things that did not make sense. Department managers gave her some generic job descriptions and then complained about the lack of good candidates.
Who’s fault is long and tiring hiring? HR or Managers.
It does not matter. We discussed what could be improved and created the checklist she successfully presented to the managers.
The future is bright in hiring.
Hiring the right people premisses
We used to talk about people as ‘chairs’ in teams. They need to be filled.
![Plastic chair [MEME] Vergil chair, motivated - 34 epoch SD1.5 | Stable Diffusion LoRA | Civitai](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NISF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff4aafc55-981b-4b20-888e-bb17450ef092_450x450.jpeg "Plastic chair [MEME] Vergil chair, motivated - 34 epoch SD1.5 | Stable Diffusion LoRA | Civitai")
Hmmm. Welcome to the corporate management meetings.
Hiring the right people isn’t about filling positions. You don’t care about fancy email titles.
You want to work with individuals who will care to be successful in what they do and contribute to your team’s goals.
You want people. You don’t want positions.
Since we now understand each other, here is the checklist.
Btw. founding members have it available as a pdf:
1. Role definition
Generic and vague job descriptions will result in poor candidates. Anyone can do anything if it is written like this:
We are seeking motivated individuals to join our team. In this role, you will contribute to various tasks and projects, collaborating with colleagues to ensure smooth operations and overall success.
Ah. No more motivated individuals who contribute to various tasks, please.
Define the role clearly.
Outline the KEY responsibilities, expectations, and growth opportunities.
Identify the must-have skills (not vague 20+ but really the key!)
Describe ideal candidate job experiences
Align the role with the business objectives. What do they contribute to? What is your team's mission?
Example summary:
We are seeking a detail-oriented Payroll Specialist to join our Accounting Team. In this role, you will be responsible for ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing while maintaining compliance with all relevant regulations. The ideal candidate has a strong background in payroll management, a understanding of payroll systems (e.g. XY), and a commitment to financial accuracy.
2. Job description that attracts the right candidates
Role definition is your starting line. Then, you go into making it sexy but true to the reality.
Don’t forget candidates are not stupid they know that some keywords mean something different:
Fast-paced environment = high stress, pressure, unreasonable deadlines
Self-starter = minimal training, or support from us
Compatitive salary = we’re not telling you the pay because it’s probably low
Flexible schedule = work overtime and weekends
Wear many hats = you’ll do multiple jobs for the price of one
Avoid these and instead do:
Keep it concise and informative. No jargon or generic fluff.
Talk about your company and why they should join.
Differentiate between key qualifications and “nice-to-have” skills to avoid unnecessary filters of candidates. (You know all the speak English, French, German, Chinese, Portuguese, etc.)
Example: Payroll Specialist
What you will be doing
Own the payroll process—ensure every employee is paid accurately and on time while maintaining compliance with tax laws and company policies.
Manage payroll records with precision, from tax filings to deductions, complete accuracy and confidentiality are a must.
Collaborate with the accounting team to reconcile payroll accounts, support financial reporting, and keep everything running smoothly.
Be the go-to payroll expert—address employee inquiries, resolve discrepancies, and provide clarity on payroll-related matters.
Stay ahead of the game—keep up with payroll laws, tax regulations, and industry best practices to ensure compliance and efficiency.
Support audits and reporting by providing accurate payroll data and assisting in financial tasks as needed.
What we’re looking for
Experience: Minimum 3 years as a Payroll Specialist or in a similar role.
Expertise: Knowledge of payroll processing, tax regulations, and compliance requirements.
Tech Skills: Proficiency in payroll software and Microsoft Excel—you love making numbers work.
Detail-Oriented Mindset: Accuracy is your superpower, and you take pride in financial precision.
Team Player: You enjoy working with cross-functional teams.
Why us
Join our accounting team, we are number-nerds with an eye on financial accuracy.
Grow with us. We believe in continuous learning and offer opportunities for professional development (such as mastering new payroll systems, staying ahead of regulatory changes, or advancing within the company).
Work in a supportive environment. We value structure and precision, but we love working together. We get your tools and support.
Make an impact. Payroll with us is both numbers and people’s livelihood. Our accounting team contributes to employee satisfaction and company transparency.
Clear and pretty job ad.
3. Get your job ad in front of the right people
Even the most sexiest and concise job ad can disappear in the competitive market.
The next challenge is to make it visible.
What worked for me in the past is:
Use targeted job boards and professional networks (not just LinkedIn)
Ask employees for referrals
Get behind the door and approach passive candidates, sometimes they don’t look for a new job but are happy to be approached.
4. Candidate screening
You have CVs. Now, it’s time to process it.
Use tools if you can screen resumes on relevant experience and keywords. Don’t care about job titles, but search for responsibilities and skills.
Call people to get the first feel from them. How much are they interested in? What motivates them?
Do not disregard non-traditional backgrounds. They sometimes pay off the most.
As a manager, I conducted loads of hiring interviews. A few times I hired people with transferable skills but not real experience in the type of business we did. Sometimes it was a miss but sometimes these people were rockstars who quickly climbed the ladder.
Giving a shot to people who are hungry to learn is often better than experienced but bored candidates.
5. Interviews with real insights and outcome
Some managers like sugar in their coffee and sugar in their interviews. “Our team is blah blah.”
Then you join the company and you work with a different team who sucks. I have been there. It was hyper-demotivating.
So, keep it real to avoid demotivation and false expectations.
Ask open-ended questions. Prepare a few examples important for the job. (e.g., tell me about a time when your reports were audited).
Reply honestly to candidates’ questions (e.g., how are the clients?)
Look beyond skills. Focus on attitude, adaptability, and team compatibility.
For tech roles, test application rather than theoretical knowledge (yes, infamous Excel tests haha)
Do not have 100 rounds of interviews. You don’t want an overly time-consuming process.
Credit: https://textexpander.com/blog/31-recruiter-memes-thatll-make-you-laughor-cry
6. Do diligence before you decide
Do your homework and you will have a clean table.
Check references and work style.
Check credentials and past experience. This is so important for management and leadership roles. Don’t hire for a fancy resume. Hire leaders who can do the job.
Do not decide alone. Always check your decision with others since we all have our biases and they can lead to constant hiring troubles.
7. Make them say yes
You have the right people, do not lose them by giving them lousy offers. Be fair and realistic.
Check the market average and company budgets. What range can you offer?
Highlight opportunities and benefits. Salary is one motivation but growth is as well important.
Move fast. Don’t beat around the bush when you have the right person. Hire them.
8. Hiring does not finish just like that
Hired and the job is over? No, it is not.
The onboarding process starts:
Have at least a rough plan of what you will be doing with a new person.
Assign a mentor or buddy to help and answer questions.
Set clear expectations for the first 30 or 60 days. What will they be doing?
9. Ongoing people’s work
Take care of your dream team. This is what they need and want:
Feedback and career development opportunities.
Recognize contributions and make them feel valued.
Listen and support your team.
Challenge them.
and everything else you can read about in leadink :-)
TL;DR
Hiring the right people is a coincidence but you can make it more likely by being diligent and realistic.
Describe who you want, give them a chance, and true information and you will probably be signing the hiring papers soon.
Happy hiring! Ivona
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