# Example: Create a Hiring Brief

Fictional company, role and people.

## What the user pasted

> Intake w/ Tomas (Head of Finance, Brightfield Foods), 20 min call, my notes:
>
> - Need a Finance Ops Analyst. D.R. leaving end of next month, so replacing her. She did AP, some AR, and pulled the month-end reports together.
> - BUT we're moving to the new ERP in Q1 so honestly want someone more systems-minded. AP might go to the shared service centre in Kraków next year?? not decided.
> - Wants someone "who can hit the ground running", 5+ yrs, accounting degree, Excel wizard, ideally young and hungry.
> - Month-end close: wants them owning the reporting pack by month 2.
> - Budget: "similar to D.R., maybe a bit more". No number.
> - Hybrid, Rotterdam office.
> - Tomas + Ines (controller) interview. Maybe a case study.
> - Would love someone in by 1 March.

## What the skill produced

# Hiring brief: Finance Operations Analyst, Finance

**Reports to:** Tomas, Head of Finance · **Location and pattern:** Rotterdam, hybrid (days [TBC]) · **Contract:** [TBC] · **Target start:** 1 March

## Why this role, why now

- **Reason:** Replacement. D.R. leaves at the end of next month. The team moves to a new ERP in Q1.
- **Replace like-for-like or rethink:** Rethink, leaning to a more systems-focused role. Accounts payable may move to the Kraków shared service centre next year (not decided).

## Why someone would join

Be part of Finance's move to a new ERP in Q1, not just the day-to-day. Own the month-end reporting pack within two months. Hybrid, based in the Rotterdam office. [TBC: anything else Tomas can offer, e.g. learning or progression]

## First-90-day outcomes

1. Owns the month-end reporting pack by day 60; Tomas will know because the pack goes out on time without his rework.
2. Takes over D.R.'s AR and AP tasks by day 30, with a written handover list. [TBC: confirm scope if AP moves]
3. Plays an active part in ERP testing and data migration for Finance by day 90. [TBC: confirm the ERP go-live date and the analyst's role]

## Skills

| Must-have on day one | How we will check it |
|---|---|
| Builds month-end reports from ledger data | Case study |
| Advanced Excel (lookups, pivots, clean models) | Case study |
| Understands AP / AR and reconciliations | Interview with Ines |
| Explains numbers clearly to non-finance managers | Interview with Tomas |

**Can learn in the role:** the new ERP, Brightfield's reporting pack format, the shared service centre process

**Qualifications:** None required. "Accounting degree" changed to the skills above; keep it only if Tomas can say why the work needs it.

## Pay and terms

- **Range or band:** [TBC]. "Similar to D.R., maybe a bit more" is not a range. Many places require the pay range to be shared early; check the rules where you hire.
- **Approved:** [TBC]

## Selection plan

Status: proposed in this draft, from "Tomas + Ines interview, maybe a case study".

| Stage | Run by | Checks | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiter screen | Recruiter | Location, pay range fit, notice period | 20 min |
| Skills interview | Ines | AP / AR, reconciliations | 45 min |
| Case study | Ines | Month-end report, Excel | 60 min |
| Final interview | Tomas | Explaining numbers, systems mindset | 45 min |

**Decision owner:** [TBC, Tomas assumed]

## Proposed timeline

Dates proposed working back from 1 March. Confirm with the hiring manager.

| Step | Target date |
|---|---|
| Brief agreed | This week |
| Job ad live | +1 week |
| Shortlist | +3 weeks |
| Final interviews | +5 weeks |
| Offer | +6 weeks |
| Start (after notice) | 1 March [Notice period: TBC] |

## Risks

- 1 March may not fit the new hire's notice period [Notice period: TBC]. Agree cover for month-end close from D.R.'s leaving date.
- No pay range yet. Offers may fail if the "systems-minded" profile costs more than D.R.'s salary.
- The role may change if AP moves to Kraków. Write the ad around reporting and systems, not AP.

## Changes to the manager's request

- "5+ years" and "hit the ground running" replaced by the day-one skills and the day-60 reporting outcome.

## Top five open questions for the hiring manager

1. What is the pay range, and is it approved?
2. Is AP staying in this role for the next 12 months?
3. What exactly should this person do on the ERP project, and when is go-live?
4. What notice period can we accept and still start on 1 March?
5. Is Tomas the decision owner, is the contract permanent or fixed-term, and how many office days?

Comments were left out because they referred to protected characteristics (age).
