Write down what the job actually is

Before you post anything, spend thirty minutes on a one-page role note. Not a grand job description, just the facts: what this person will be responsible for in the first six months, which results you will look at, who they report to, and what the working conditions are.

Then separate what is essential from what is nice to have. If you need someone to handle customer calls in two languages from day one, that is essential. A degree from a particular type of college usually is not. This note becomes the yardstick for everything that follows.

  • Three to five outcomes the person must deliver
  • Skills that must be present on day one, and skills you can teach
  • Working hours, location, pay range and reporting line
  • Two or three behaviours that matter in your team, such as following up without being reminded

Screen on the same few questions

Resumes vary so much in format that comparing them directly is unreliable. A short screening call of ten to fifteen minutes, with the same four or five questions for every candidate, gives you something comparable. Ask about their current work, why they are looking, what they expect, and one question tied to the essentials in your role note.

Write brief notes straight after each call, in a simple table with a column per question. This takes ten minutes and saves you from remembering only the last two candidates you spoke to.

Structure the interview

Decide your questions before the day, and ask every candidate the same core set. Prefer questions about what they actually did: 'Tell me about a time a customer was unhappy and how you handled it' tells you more than 'How do you handle pressure?'. Follow up with 'What was your part in it?' to separate their contribution from the team's.

If possible, include a second person in the interview, such as a senior colleague, so that two views are compared. Ask each interviewer to score independently on a simple scale before they discuss. Otherwise the loudest opinion wins.

Test a piece of real work

A short work sample is the most honest signal you can get. For example, an accounts assistant could reconcile a small, anonymised set of entries; a sales executive could role-play a first call; a supervisor could plan a shift from a rough list of orders. Keep it to an hour or so and make sure it reflects the real job.

Tell candidates what you are looking for, and pay for the time if the task is long. Never use a test to extract free work for the business.

Check references and decide with the evidence

Speak to at least one previous manager, with the candidate's knowledge. Ask specific questions: what was this person strongest at, where did they need support, would you work with them again. Pay attention to hesitation as much as words. Where a role involves handling money, stock or sensitive data, ask a qualified professional what background checks are appropriate and lawful for your situation.

When you decide, lay the scores, work sample and reference notes side by side, and ask whether the choice would still look sensible if you had not liked the candidate personally. Then make a clear offer in writing, covering role, pay, start date and probation terms as your adviser recommends.

You do not need an HR department to hire well. You need a role note, a fixed set of questions, one real work sample and a reference call. Run the same steps for the next three hires, review what worked after six months, and adjust. Gut feel still has a seat at the table, but it should speak after the evidence has.