Build a Hiring Funnel from Scratch
12 weeks · 3 milestones
Design and run a hiring process from JD to offer for 3+ roles successfully.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
A hiring funnel starts with clarity about what the role requires and how the team will evaluate candidates. The job description (JD) is not a laundry list of requirements — it is a specific description of the problems the role solves, the outputs expected in the first 90 days, and the evidence that a candidate can produce those outputs. The evaluation framework defines how the team will decide: what criteria matter, how each stage of the process assesses those criteria, and what the final decision process looks like. Both must exist before sourcing begins.
Proof required
Submit for at least 3 roles: (1) job descriptions — each must include: specific problem the role solves, 2–3 concrete 90-day outputs (e.g. 'first API design reviewed and approved by engineering lead'), required evidence (what past work or take-home exercise would demonstrate readiness), compensation range; (2) an evaluation framework for each role: the 3–4 criteria being assessed, how each stage of the hiring process (screen call, technical exercise, panel interview, reference check) assesses which criterion, and the decision process (who has input, who has final decision, how tie-breaks work); (3) a sourcing plan: which channels will be used for each role and why.
What gets checked
- JD outputs are specific and verifiable — '90-day output: design the API schema for the payments module, reviewed and approved by the platform lead' is specific; 'contribute to the team' is not verifiable
- Evaluation framework assigns each interview stage to specific criteria — 'everyone interviews' is not an evaluation framework; 'stage 3 panel interview assesses system design competence (engineering lead) and cross-functional communication (PM lead)' is a framework
- Compensation range is included in the JD — hiding compensation until an offer is made wastes candidate and interviewer time; the JD must include a range
Resources
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GitLab Handbook — Hiring Process
Go further: a complete operational reference for running a hiring funnel from JD to offer at scale.
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