Whilst nothing can take the place of meeting up in the flesh, we also need a written brief. It means that everyone – you, us, the candidate – are clear as to what’s needed and expectations can be managed on all sides.
And in a competitive market place, it can be a really handy sales tool to attract the best possible talent.
Here are the areas that a brief would usefully cover:
The details
Titles are important, as is an idea of the department, team and structure. Candidates like to know about reporting and line management too.
About the Company
This is your chance to really sell yourself, your client, work, awards, people, results, ethos, profile, reputation, offices, location, anything that makes you look a better potential employer than your competition
Background to the brief
If possible, it’s always nice to know why you are looking for a new person, whether this is a new role or a replacement role, whether the team is expanding, re-organising and so on. If it’s confidential, then just tell us rather than include it on the written brief
Role and responsibilities
What does the job involve, what do you need this person to do, what are the expectations/objectives/priorities, what will they be judged against. What skills do you need, what experience should they have and from where. If possible, try and make this sound appealing to the potential candidate, rather than like a whipping list.
Opportunities
What’s in it for the successful candidate, how do you see this role growing or developing, what other areas might this person become involved in, what is their likely career progression. Again, the trick is to make it sound as attractive as possible whilst being as truthful as possible.
Salary and benefits
What basic salary range are you looking at? Also, think about pension schemes, extended holidays, bonuses, training and development, soft benefits like gym membership and duvet days, agency yoga classes and French lessons; they’re all important
The process
Who is co-ordinating the search, who will be interviewing them, how many stages do you envisage, will a presentation be required, that sort of thing
Timing
When do you want to see people, and when do you need them to join.
