What Is a Recruitment Plan?
A recruitment plan is your roadmap from "we need to hire" to "they've accepted the offer." It answers:
- **Who:** Exactly what profile are we looking for? - **Where:** How will we find candidates? - **How:** What's our evaluation process? - **When:** What's our timeline and who's involved? - **Why:** How does this hire support business goals?
Without a plan, hiring becomes reactive and inconsistent. You waste time on wrong-fit candidates and lose great ones to slow processes.
Step 1: Define the Role Clearly
Before you post anywhere, get crystal clear on what you need:
The Scorecard Approach:
1. **Mission:** One sentence on why this role exists 2. **Outcomes:** 3-5 measurable results expected in year one 3. **Competencies:** Skills and behaviors required for success
Questions to answer:
- What does success look like in 6 months? 12 months? - What's the most important thing this person will do? - What are dealbreakers vs. nice-to-haves? - How does this role interact with other functions?
- Role mission statement written
- 3-5 first-year outcomes defined
- Must-have competencies listed
- Nice-to-have competencies separated
- Reporting structure clarified
- Growth path documented
Step 2: Build Your Sourcing Strategy
Where will candidates come from? Diversify your sources:
Active sourcing:
- LinkedIn outreach - Industry communities and forums - Employee referral program - Recruiting agencies
Passive sourcing:
- Job boards (general and niche) - Your careers page - Social media presence - Content marketing
For each source, define:
- Who's responsible? - What's the expected volume? - What messaging will we use? - How will we track effectiveness?
Step 3: Design Your Interview Process
Map out every step candidates will experience:
Typical structure:
1. **Application review** - Who reviews? What criteria? 2. **Recruiter screen** - 20-30 min phone/video call 3. **Hiring manager interview** - 45-60 min deep dive 4. **Skills assessment** - Practical test or case study 5. **Team interviews** - Meet potential colleagues 6. **Reference checks** - Verify past performance 7. **Offer** - Compensation discussion and close
For each stage, document:
- Who's involved? - What are they evaluating? - What questions will they ask? - How long should it take? - What's the pass/fail criteria?
Pro tip: The best predictor of job performance is a work sample test. Build a practical assessment relevant to the role.
Step 4: Set Timeline and Ownership
Slow hiring loses good candidates. Set clear timelines:
Sample timeline:
- Week 1-2: Sourcing and applications open - Week 3: First-round interviews - Week 4: Second-round interviews and assessments - Week 5: Final interviews and reference checks - Week 6: Offer extended
Assign owners for:
- Posting and updating job ads - Reviewing applications - Scheduling interviews - Coordinating feedback - Making the final decision - Extending and negotiating offer
- Target start date identified
- Working backwards timeline created
- Interview slots pre-blocked on calendars
- Each stage has a clear owner
- Communication cadence with candidates defined
- Fallback plan if timeline slips
Step 5: Structured Evaluation and Decision-Making
Avoid gut-feel hiring with structured evaluation:
Scorecard system:
- Rate each candidate on defined competencies (1-5 scale) - All interviewers submit feedback before discussing - Use consistent criteria across all candidates
Debrief meeting:
- Review scorecards together - Discuss discrepancies in ratings - Make decision based on evidence, not impressions
Document everything:
- Why candidates were rejected - What made the final candidate stand out - Any concerns and how they were addressed
This creates consistency and protects against bias.
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