Part 16 of 20 in How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders← Part 15Part 17 →
This chapter provides a structured thirty-day plan for improving hiring practices in your company. It helps Indian founders identify current employee performance, prepare for future hires, and refine interviewing skills.
- Days 1-3: Evaluate current employees as A, B, or C based on performance.
- Days 4-7: Create scorecards for the next three hires to guide future recruitment.
- Days 8-14: Build a talent pipeline and schedule regular recruitment activities.
- Days 15-21: Conduct screening calls to refine interviewing techniques.
- Days 22-30: Use detailed interviews and set strict hiring rules to finalize candidates.
Methods die in the gap between applause and Monday. Use this chapter as a sprint.
Days 1 to 3. Face the roster
List every person in the company. For each one, mark A, B, or C against the outcomes of their current seat, not against their potential or their loyalty. If you cannot do this honestly, ask a co-founder to do it separately and compare. The gaps between the two lists are your politics.
You are not firing half the company on Friday. You are ending the pretence that you do not already know.
Days 4 to 7. Scorecards for the next three seats
Write scorecards for the next three hires, even if only one is open. Include the seat you will need when the current hero becomes a bottleneck. Share each scorecard with one person who will have to live with the hire. If they cannot see themselves using it in a review, rewrite it.
Days 8 to 14. Open the pipeline
Create the sheet. Twenty names. Ask ten people the talent question. Block the weekly Talent slot for the next quarter. If you use a recruiter, send the scorecard and a written definition of no.
Days 15 to 21. Practise the screen
Run five screening calls using the four questions, including two you expect to reject. Record, with permission, or have a colleague sit in. Count how much you spoke. If it was more than thirty percent, you were performing.
Days 22 to 26. Practise the Who
Take one serious candidate, or run a retrospective Who interview with a trusted colleague as practice. Walk a full career. Take notes on a timeline. You will feel slow. Slow is the point.
Days 27 to 30. Close the loop
Write your Five-F sell sheet for the most important open role. Write the reference questions on a card and keep it by the laptop. Decide the rule you will not break this year. Mine, for the founders I work with, is simple. No hire without a scorecard and a Who interview. No exceptions for cousins, investors’ friends, or people who can join tomorrow.
Frequently asked questions
How do I evaluate current employees in this plan?
Mark each employee as A, B, or C based on their current performance outcomes, not potential or loyalty.
What is a scorecard in the hiring process?
A scorecard outlines the expectations and requirements for a position, helping guide recruitment and performance reviews.
How can I improve my screening calls?
Conduct five screening calls using set questions, ensuring you speak less than 30% of the time to avoid performing.
What is the Five-F sell sheet?
It is a document outlining the key selling points of an open role, used to attract top candidates.