We do not recruit and we do not earn placement fees. Our only interest is whether the hire is the right decision.
Pressure-test a proposed hire before committing salary budget. We examine the pressure behind the role, the work that needs to be owned, and the capability the business genuinely requires.
The review helps you decide whether to:
• proceed with the hire
• redesign the proposed role
• develop or reorganise existing capability
• pause the vacancy and address the underlying problem another way
Doug Caiger, Before You Hire
The business pressure
What is creating the need for action, and why is hiring being considered?
The work and responsibilities
What needs to be delivered, owned or decided, and where does that responsibility sit today?
Capacity and capability
Is the business short of available time, missing a specific capability or relying too heavily on certain people?
Role design
Are the proposed responsibilities, authority, seniority and expectations realistic?
Retention and dependency risks
Could the new hire inherit unclear ownership, concentrated knowledge or conditions that have contributed to previous hiring problems?
The Before You Hire Review examines one proposed hiring decision from the business problem through to the recommended response.
It typically includes:
• a 60–90 minute discussion with the relevant business leader
• review of the proposed role, responsibilities and supporting information
• independent assessment of capacity, capability, ownership and dependency risks
• a findings session to discuss the recommendation
• a concise written report with practical next steps
The completed review is delivered within five working days.
• a clear diagnosis of the pressure behind the proposed hire
• a view of the work, responsibilities and decisions the role is expected to own
• identified capacity, capability, dependency, structural and retention risks
• recommendations on what should remain, move, change or stop
• a clear recommendation to proceed, redesign the role, develop or reorganise existing capability, or pause
• where hiring is justified, a clarified role purpose, responsibilities, capability requirements and success expectations
• a concise written report and practical next-step action plan
The Review focuses on one proposed hiring decision.
Sometimes that decision exposes a wider issue involving management capacity, unclear ownership, future capability or team structure. Where it does, we will make that clear in the findings and recommend what should be addressed now, what can wait and whether any further support is needed.
Any wider advisory work is agreed separately, and only where it earns its place. The Review stays focused on the hiring decision in front of you.
Make sure the proposed role is solving the right problem.