Recruitment Workflow for Professional Services

# Recruitment Workflow - Professional Services

## Purpose
Use for every new hire to standardise your recruitment process, reduce time-to-hire, and improve candidate experience.

## When to Use
A full recruitment workflow covering job posting, application screening, interview scheduling, reference checks, and offer management.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your professional services business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Employment Hero or Slack)

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## Recruitment Workflow

### Trigger
Approved position to fill, either a new role or a vacancy from a departing team member.

### Steps

**Step 1: Confirm Role Requirements** (Owner: Hiring Manager) - Within 2 business days of approval
Complete the role requirements document: job title, reporting line, key responsibilities, required qualifications and experience, desired attributes, salary range, employment type (full-time, part-time, contract), and start date.
- Tool: Notion or Employment Hero
- Output: Role requirements documented and approved

**Step 2: Prepare Job Advertisement** (Owner: HR or Hiring Manager) - Within 2 business days
Write the job advertisement using your employer brand template. Include: company overview, role summary, responsibilities, requirements, benefits, salary range (recommended for Australian market), and application instructions. Get approval from the Hiring Manager.
- Tool: Employment Hero
- Output: Job advertisement approved and ready to post

**Step 3: Post and Distribute** (Owner: HR) - Within 1 business day of ad approval
Post the role on Employment Hero's job board, SEEK, LinkedIn, and any industry-specific platforms. Share internally via Slack for employee referrals. Track posting channels in the recruitment tracker.
- Tool: Employment Hero + Slack
- Output: Job live across all channels

**Step 4: Screen Applications** (Owner: HR) - Ongoing, review daily during active recruitment
Review incoming applications against the must-have criteria. Categorise candidates as: Yes (meets criteria), Maybe (partial fit), or No (does not meet criteria). Send acknowledgement emails to all applicants.
- Tool: Employment Hero
- Output: Candidates categorised, acknowledgements sent

**Step 5: Phone Screen** (Owner: HR) - Within 3 business days of shortlisting
Conduct 15-20 minute phone screens with "Yes" candidates. Assess communication skills, confirm availability and salary expectations, clarify any CV gaps, and gauge cultural fit. Score each candidate.
- Tool: Phone + Employment Hero (notes)
- Output: Phone screen scores recorded

> Decision Point: If fewer than 3 candidates pass the phone screen, review "Maybe" candidates or consider extending the search. If 3+ candidates pass, proceed to interviews.

**Step 6: Schedule Interviews** (Owner: HR) - Within 2 business days
Schedule first-round interviews with the Hiring Manager. Send calendar invites with: interview format, duration (typically 45-60 minutes), who they will meet, and any preparation needed. Book a meeting room or set up a video link.
- Tool: Calendar + Employment Hero
- Output: Interviews scheduled, candidates confirmed

**Step 7: Conduct First-Round Interviews** (Owner: Hiring Manager) - As scheduled
Interview candidates using the structured interview guide with consistent questions for all candidates. Score responses against the competency framework. Complete the interview scorecard in Employment Hero.
- Tool: Employment Hero
- Output: Interview scorecards completed

**Step 8: Second-Round Interviews** (Owner: Hiring Manager + Team Lead) - Within 5 business days of first round
Invite top 2-3 candidates for second-round interviews. Include a practical task or presentation relevant to the role. Involve a peer or team member for cultural fit assessment.
- Tool: Employment Hero + Calendar
- Output: Second-round scorecards completed

> Decision Point: If a clear preferred candidate emerges, proceed to reference checks. If no suitable candidate is identified, reassess the role requirements or extend the search.

**Step 9: Reference Checks** (Owner: HR) - Within 3 business days
Contact 2 professional references for the preferred candidate. Use the standard reference check template. Verify employment history, performance, and conduct. Document findings.
- Tool: Phone + Employment Hero
- Output: Reference checks completed and documented

**Step 10: Prepare and Send Offer** (Owner: HR + Hiring Manager) - Within 2 business days of successful references
Prepare the employment contract and offer letter in Employment Hero. Include salary, start date, reporting line, probation period, and key terms. Send for Hiring Manager and Director approval before issuing to the candidate.
- Tool: Employment Hero
- Output: Offer letter sent to candidate

**Step 11: Manage Offer Response** (Owner: HR) - Allow 3-5 business days for response
Follow up with the candidate to answer any questions about the offer. If the candidate negotiates, consult with the Hiring Manager on flexibility. If the candidate declines, proceed to the next preferred candidate.
- Tool: Employment Hero + Phone/Email
- Output: Offer accepted (or next candidate approached)

**Step 12: Close Recruitment** (Owner: HR) - Within 2 business days of acceptance
Send regret emails to unsuccessful candidates. Remove the job posting from all platforms. Update the recruitment tracker with outcome, time-to-hire, and cost-per-hire metrics. Initiate the employee onboarding workflow.
- Tool: Employment Hero + Slack
- Output: Recruitment closed, onboarding triggered

### Completion Criteria
- [ ] Role requirements documented and approved
- [ ] Job posted across agreed platforms
- [ ] All applicants acknowledged
- [ ] Structured interviews conducted with scorecards
- [ ] Reference checks completed for preferred candidate
- [ ] Offer accepted in writing
- [ ] Unsuccessful candidates notified
- [ ] Onboarding workflow initiated

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**Complexity:** advanced | **Setup time:** 30 minutes | **Tools:** Employment Hero, Slack, HubSpot

Note: This template has been tailored for professional services businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.