Recruitment is not just about finding candidates.
That is the bit everyone sees, but hiring problems can start much earlier. The role is not fully defined, the salary has not been sense-checked, the interview process doesn’t get to the bottom of things, or feedback takes too long. By the time a decent candidate appears, the process hasn’t got all its ducks in a row.
So I have put together The Employer Recruitment Pack: practical checklists, templates and planning sheets to help you before, during and after hiring.
It’s for the people involved in the decision – hiring managers, HR and anyone else who needs to be clear about what you are doing and why. Start with role clarity and vacancy planning, then use the other tools as you reach each stage. You don’t need to overcomplicate it; you do need a shared plan.
1. Role Clarity Checklist
Before any vacancy goes live, the first question should be simple: Do we actually know what we are hiring for?
This checklist helps employers sense-check the basics before starting the recruitment process. It covers why the role exists, what problem the person needs to solve, what skills are genuinely essential, whether the salary is realistic, and whether the company is ready to interview and make a decision.
Because sometimes the issue is not the candidate market. Sometimes it is a vacancy clarity problem.
2. Role Builder & Vacancy Planning Sheet
Once the basic role clarity is there, the next step is to build the vacancy properly.
This planning sheet helps employers work through the purpose of the role, the hiring trigger, the candidate attraction points, the essential and desirable skills, the salary/package reality check, and the interview process.
It is designed to help turn “we need someone” into a proper recruitment brief.
3. Job Advert Builder & Template
Good candidates want to know what the role is, why it exists, what they will be doing, what is on offer, and why they should be interested.
This template helps employers turn the vacancy brief into a clear, candidate-focused advert that explains the opportunity properly.
4. Interview Question Bank & Planner
This question bank helps employers plan what they are actually trying to assess, ask better questions, and capture useful evidence during the interview.
The aim is simple: better questions, better interviews, better hiring decisions.
5. Candidate Scoring Sheet & Interview Scorecard
This scorecard helps employers compare candidates against the role, not just against gut feel. It covers technical ability, relevant experience, communication, motivation, the requirements of working in the team, salary alignment, notice period and overall suitability.
Useful when there is more than one person involved in the decision, or when several candidates are being compared.
6. Job Offer Checklist & Candidate Close Plan
This checklist helps employers confirm the details before making an offer, discuss possible counteroffers, communicate clearly with the candidate, and keep them engaged through their notice period.
Because an accepted offer is not the finish line. The candidate still needs to start.
7. Onboarding Checklist & First 90 Days Plan
The first day, first week and first 90 days matter. This onboarding checklist helps employers prepare properly, set expectations, plan training, measure early progress and reduce the risk of a new starter feeling like they have walked into chaos.
A good hire still needs a good start.
These tools are not here to overcomplicate recruitment.
They are here to make it more structured, more realistic and less reactive.
If you want to work through the thinking behind the brief, start with my pre-job creation checklist. For roles you know you’ll need further down the line, read my thoughts on succession planning. The pack helps you organise a vacancy; succession planning helps you see what may be coming next.
If you are recruiting for an engineering, manufacturing or technical role and want to sense-check the vacancy before going to market, get in touch about permanent recruitment.
A conversation at the start gives us a chance to spot the gaps before you go to market.