Define success in the role
Describe the work that would make the hire valuable in the first months. For a project role, name the deliverable and the stage the project has reached. For ongoing work, explain what the person will own after settling in.
For employers
Tell us the role and the team.
Choose the arrangement, then tell us about the work and the people around it: the skills needed, the team, and how it operates.
Choose the arrangement.
Each one suits a different need. Mention the one you have in mind, or describe the situation. Questions about search scope, what a talent map would contain, or fees? Include them in your first email.
- 01
Permanent
The role is part of how the team runs every week, not tied to one project.
Useful to include
- Who the person reports to and works with most
- The systems they will own once they are settled in
- Skills they need on day one, and skills they can learn
- 02
Contract
A project, a migration, or a build with a defined scope and an expected end.
Useful to include
- What the project delivers and how long it should run
- The tools and environments already in place
- On site, hybrid, or remote
- 03
Temporary
Short-term cover while someone is away, or while a backlog is cleared.
Useful to include
- The dates the cover is needed
- The tickets, systems, or tasks the person will pick up
- Who will hand the work over
- 04
Executive search
A senior technology leader, such as a head of IT, engineering, data, or security.
Useful to include
- What the leader is expected to change, and what should stay steady
- The team they will lead and the people they will answer to
- Who will take part in the interviews
- 05
Talent mapping
A view of who is available in a specialty or market before you commit to a hire.
Useful to include
- The specialty and the locations you want to understand
- The decision the map should help you make
What a useful brief covers.
A few lines on each is enough to start. Leave out anything you cannot share yet.
The work
- What the person will build, run, or fix in the first months
- The systems, languages, and tools in use
- Skills that are essential, and skills that can be learned
The team
- Who they report to and work beside
- How the team works: on site, hybrid, or remote, and how decisions get made
- What the company values in the people who do well there
The terms
- The arrangement you have in mind
- Start date, and the end date for contract or temporary work
- Location, and the pay or rate range if you can share it
Set the search up to answer the right question.
A precise brief makes it easier to compare people on the work that matters. These decisions can be rough at first; the point is to surface them before a title or keyword list drives the search.
Separate requirements from preferences
Identify the skills needed on day one, then the tools or domain knowledge a strong person could learn. This distinction keeps the search focused without reducing the job to exact keyword matches.
Plan the decision
Know who will meet candidates and what each conversation should test. Be ready to discuss location, timing, and a pay or rate range if one can be shared. If search scope, talent-map content, or fees are unclear, ask before proceeding.
The process guide describes how a brief, search, interviews, and a hiring decision can relate to one another.
Ready to start?
The Contact page has the employer email link and the address to copy.