# Hiring templates

Copy-paste material for the `hiring` skill: a full anchored scorecard, a
structured question bank, a job-post skeleton with the gender-coded word list,
and a screening rubric. Adapt the wording to the role; keep the *shape*.

## Anchored scorecard (one competency at all five levels)

Write anchors like this for each of your 3–6 competencies. The example below is
"Problem-solving"; mirror the structure for the others.

```text
Competency: Problem-solving
  1 — Vague answer. No real problem, no tradeoff, no result. Hand-wavy.
  2 — Names a problem but cannot explain the approach or alternatives.
  3 — Describes a decision and what they did, but thin on alternatives or
      on the measured outcome.
  4 — Clear problem, considered alternatives, owned the call, knows the result.
  5 — All of 4, plus named the tradeoff explicitly and how they bounded the
      risk; reflects on what they would change.
  Score (1–5): __
  Evidence (required — quote or concrete example): "____________________"
```

Overall block, filled once per interviewer per candidate:

```text
Overall recommendation:  [ ] Hire   [ ] On-Hold   [ ] No-Hire
Rationale (one paragraph, tied to the evidence above):
  ____________________________________________________________
Submitted before debrief?  [ ] yes
```

## Structured question bank (by competency)

Ask the same questions in the same order for every candidate. Each line is a
behavioral / STAR or work-sample prompt; the follow-ups dig for Situation, Task,
Action, Result.

```text
Ownership
  "Tell me about something you owned end to end that no one asked you to fix."
  Follow-ups: What made it yours? What did YOU do vs the team? What changed?

Problem-solving
  "Walk me through the hardest tradeoff you owned in the last year."
  Follow-ups: Options? The one you picked and why? Measured result? Redo?

Collaboration
  "Describe a disagreement with a peer on an approach. How did it resolve?"
  Follow-ups: Their view vs yours? What did you do? Outcome for the work?

Communication
  "Explain a complex thing you had to make a non-expert understand."
  Follow-ups: Who was the audience? How did you check they got it?

Role-craft (work-sample, swap per role)
  Engineer: review this 40-line diff aloud — what would you change and why?
  PM: here's a vague feature request — write the one-paragraph problem statement.
  Marketer: here's our product — draft a 3-line value prop and who it's for.
```

## Job-post skeleton

```text
[Title] · [pay band] · [location / remote policy]

[2-line hook: the mission and why this role matters — apply brand-voice.]

What you'll do
  - [3–5 concrete outcomes, not a duty list]

Must-haves (cap at ~6)
  - [job-related, verifiable; nothing learnable-on-the-job]

Nice-to-haves
  - [everything else that helps but isn't required]

Comp & location
  - [pay range, location/remote, anything material]

How to apply
  - [low-friction; ask for work, not a cover-letter ritual]
```

### Gender-coded word do/don't

| Don't (masculine-coded / exclusionary) | Do (neutral / inclusive) |
|---|---|
| rockstar, ninja, guru, wizard | engineer, specialist, owner of |
| aggressive, dominant, fearless | proactive, decisive, confident |
| ambitious, driven, competitive | motivated, goal-oriented |
| strong, crush it, kill it | capable, deliver, ship |
| "8+ years required" as a must-have | "experience building X" (skill, not tenure) |
| "must thrive under pressure" | "comfortable with shifting priorities" |
| 11 named technologies, all required | one or two core, rest as nice-to-have |

## Screening rubric template

Score every applicant on the same rows. Blind the non-job fields before review.

```text
Candidate: ___   Role: ___   Screener: ___

Job-related criteria        | pass | partial | fail
  [must-have 1]             |      |         |
  [must-have 2]             |      |         |
  [must-have 3]             |      |         |
  [work-sample signal]      |      |         |

Blind these — do NOT score on them:
  school name · candidate name · age · employment gaps · photo · address

Criminal history: NOT asked at this stage (defer to post-conditional-offer).

Decision: [ ] advance  [ ] work-sample to resolve  [ ] reject  [ ] parking lot
Job-related reason (required if reject): ______________________
```
