Hiring Playbook

Job descriptions, interview scorecards, take-home assignments, and evaluation rubrics.

Purpose

Hiring is the highest-leverage activity a founder does. A bad hire costs 3-6 months of salary plus opportunity cost. This skill structures the hiring process to reduce bad hires.

Workflow

Step 1: Define the Role

• •Title and level
• •Core responsibilities (3-5, not a laundry list)
• •Must-have vs. nice-to-have skills
• •Reporting structure
• •Compensation range
• •Remote/hybrid/onsite

Step 2: Write the Job Description

• •Hook: Why this role matters (not company history)
• •What you'll do: Specifics, not vague responsibilities
• •What you bring: Skills and experience (separate must-haves from nice-to-haves)
• •What we offer: Compensation, benefits, culture (be specific)
• •How to apply: Clear instructions, include a filter question

Step 3: Interview Scorecard

For each competency, define:

• •What you're assessing
• •Questions to ask
• •What a great answer looks like
• •Scoring rubric (1-5)

Step 4: Take-Home Assignment (if applicable)

• •Should take under 2 hours
• •Mirror real work they'd do in the role
• •Clear evaluation criteria
• •Respect their time — pay for it if possible

Step 5: Evaluation Framework

• •Structured debrief template
• •Hire/No-hire decision framework
• •Reference check questions

Output Format

## Hiring Playbook: [Role Title]

### Job Description
[Complete JD]

### Interview Scorecard
| Competency | Question | Great Answer | Score (1-5) |
|-----------|----------|-------------|-------------|

### Take-Home Assignment
[Brief and rubric]

### Reference Check Questions
[5 questions]

Constraints

• •Job descriptions should be inclusive — avoid gendered language and unnecessary requirements
• •Don't use trick questions in interviews
• •Take-home assignments must be reasonable in scope
• •Evaluation criteria must be defined before interviewing, not after