--- name: developer-recruiting-strategy description: This skill should be used when the user asks to "create a recruiting strategy", "plan sourcing channels", "define role scorecard", "build hiring plan", "identify must-haves vs nice-to-haves", or "create talent acquisition plan". Transforms hiring intake into actionable recruiting strategy with sourcing channels, scorecard, and execution plan. version: 0.1.0 license: MIT --- # Developer Recruiting Strategy Convert hiring intake documents into comprehensive recruiting strategies that maximize candidate quality while minimizing time-to-hire. ## Purpose This skill creates data-driven recruiting strategies for engineering roles. A strong strategy defines clear must-haves (non-negotiable) vs nice-to-haves (differentiators), identifies optimal sourcing channels, and establishes a realistic execution plan. ## When to Use Invoke this skill when: - Hiring intake is approved and ready for execution - Need to define role scorecard for recruiters and hiring managers - Planning multi-channel sourcing approach - Establishing pass/fail criteria for candidates - Creating recruiting team briefing document ## Core Process ### 1. Build Role Scorecard Transform intake requirements into prioritized scorecard: **Must-Have Criteria (Pass/Fail):** - Extract from intake "must_have" requirements - Make each criterion measurable and observable - Define minimum acceptable evidence for each - Ensure criteria are job-related (legal compliance) **Nice-to-Have Criteria (Differentiators):** - Extract from intake "nice_to_have" requirements - Assign point values or tier ranking - Use for candidate comparison, not screening **Scoring Framework:** ``` Must-Haves: Binary (Yes/No) - candidate must pass ALL Nice-to-Haves: Weighted (0-5 points each) - 5: Exceptional strength - 3-4: Clear evidence - 1-2: Some evidence - 0: No evidence ``` **Example Scorecard:** | Criterion | Type | Evidence Required | Points | |-----------|------|-------------------|--------| | 5+ years backend experience | Must-have | Resume + references | Pass/Fail | | Python production expertise | Must-have | Code review or take-home | Pass/Fail | | Distributed systems | Must-have | System design interview | Pass/Fail | | Kubernetes experience | Nice-to-have | Resume + discussion | 0-5 | | Open source contributions | Nice-to-have | GitHub profile | 0-5 | ### 2. Define Sourcing Channels Identify optimal channels based on role, urgency, and budget: **Active Sourcing (Proactive Outreach):** - LinkedIn Recruiter (best for senior+ engineers) - GitHub (for open source contributors, technical roles) - Stack Overflow Jobs/Talent (technical credibility signal) - Conferences and meetups (niche specializations) - Employee referrals (highest conversion, cultural fit) **Passive Sourcing (Job Postings):** - Company careers page (employer brand showcase) - LinkedIn Jobs (broad reach, professional network) - AngelList/Wellfound (startup ecosystem) - Hacker News Who's Hiring (engineering-focused audience) - Specialized job boards (e.g., RemoteOK for remote roles) **Channel Selection Matrix:** | Role Level | Urgency | Recommended Channels | Expected Conversion | |------------|---------|---------------------|---------------------| | Junior-Mid | Medium | Job postings, referrals, LinkedIn | 15-20% screen → offer | | Senior | High | Active sourcing, referrals, GitHub | 10-15% screen → offer | | Staff+ | Critical | Executive recruiting, warm intros | 5-10% screen → offer | **Budget Considerations:** - Employee referral bonus: $1,000-$5,000 (highest ROI) - LinkedIn Recruiter: $8,000-$12,000/year - External recruiter: 20-30% of first-year salary - Job board postings: $200-$1,000 per posting ### 3. Craft Compelling Role Pitch Create messaging that attracts target candidates: **Value Proposition Elements:** - **Technical Challenge:** What interesting problems will they solve? - **Impact:** How does their work affect customers/business? - **Growth:** Career development opportunities - **Team:** Who will they work with? (highlight strong team members) - **Tech Stack:** Modern, exciting technologies - **Culture:** Remote flexibility, work-life balance, learning culture - **Compensation:** Competitive range (required in many states) **Messaging Framework:** ```markdown ## The Opportunity [Company] is solving [important problem] for [customer type]. As [Role Title], you'll [key responsibility] to [business outcome]. ## What You'll Do - [Impactful project 1] - [Technical challenge 2] - [Leadership opportunity 3] ## What You'll Bring - [Must-have 1] - [Must-have 2] - [Must-have 3] Nice to have: [Differentiators] ## Why Join Us - Work on [interesting technical challenge] - [Growth opportunity] - [Company momentum/traction] - Compensation: [Range] + equity [Apply link] ``` **Avoid Common Mistakes:** - "Rockstar/Ninja/Guru" titles (unprofessional) - Laundry list of 20+ requirements - Vague responsibilities ("build cool stuff") - No compensation information (illegal in many states) ### 4. Plan Execution Timeline Create realistic timeline with milestones: **Typical Engineering Hiring Timeline:** | Stage | Duration | Cumulative | Activities | |-------|----------|------------|------------| | Sourcing | 1-2 weeks | Week 2 | Post jobs, active outreach, referrals | | Phone screens | 1-2 weeks | Week 4 | Initial qualification calls | | Technical screens | 1-2 weeks | Week 6 | Coding challenges, tech conversations | | Onsite/Virtual onsites | 1-2 weeks | Week 8 | Full interview loops | | Offer & negotiation | 0.5-1 week | Week 9 | Extend offer, negotiate, close | | **Total** | **6-9 weeks** | | Screen to signed offer | **Accelerated Timeline (Critical Roles):** - Collapse sourcing + screening: Week 1-2 - Fast-track promising candidates - Reduce to 4-6 weeks total - Risk: May sacrifice candidate quality **Extended Timeline (Pipeline Building):** - Ongoing sourcing (no urgency) - More thorough evaluation - 10-12 weeks acceptable - Benefit: Higher quality bar **Capacity Planning:** ``` Required: [X] interview slots/week Available: [Y] interviewers × [Z] hours/week Bottleneck: [Identify constraint] Mitigation: [Add interviewers or reduce loop] ``` ### 5. Define Success Metrics Establish measurable goals for recruiting process: **Funnel Metrics:** - Sourced candidates → Applications: X candidates - Applications → Phone screen: Y% pass rate - Phone screen → Technical: Y% pass rate - Technical → Onsite: Y% pass rate - Onsite → Offer: Y% pass rate - Offer → Accept: Y% acceptance rate **Quality Metrics:** - Average interview scorecard rating: ≥ 3.5/5 - Must-have pass rate: 100% - Diversity of candidate pipeline: X% underrepresented groups - Referral rate: X% of hires from referrals **Time Metrics:** - Time to first interview: ≤ 1 week - Time to offer: ≤ 6-8 weeks - Offer acceptance time: ≤ 1 week **Cost Metrics:** - Cost per hire: $X,000 - Recruiter hours per hire: X hours - ROI by channel: $ spent / hire made ### 6. Generate Strategy Document Produce comprehensive recruiting strategy: **Output Structure:** ```json { "role_summary": { "title": "string", "level": "string", "team": "string", "target_start_date": "YYYY-MM-DD" }, "scorecard": { "must_haves": [ { "criterion": "string", "evidence_required": "string", "assessment_stage": "resume|screen|technical|onsite" } ], "nice_to_haves": [ { "criterion": "string", "points": 5, "assessment_stage": "string" } ] }, "sourcing_strategy": { "primary_channels": ["array"], "secondary_channels": ["array"], "estimated_outreach": { "linkedin_messages": 100, "referral_asks": 20, "job_posting_reach": 5000 }, "budget": { "total": "$X,000", "breakdown": {} } }, "value_proposition": { "technical_challenge": "string", "impact": "string", "growth_opportunity": "string", "team_strength": "string" }, "timeline": { "milestones": [ { "stage": "string", "target_date": "YYYY-MM-DD", "deliverable": "string" } ], "estimated_weeks_to_hire": 8 }, "success_metrics": { "target_applications": 50, "target_phone_screens": 20, "target_onsites": 8, "target_offers": 2, "acceptance_rate_target": "50%" } } ``` Save to `strategy-{role}-{date}.json`. ### 7. Brief Recruiting Team Create recruiter briefing document: **Briefing Contents:** - Role overview (from intake) - Scorecard (must-haves, nice-to-haves) - Ideal candidate profile - Sourcing channels and messaging - Disqualification criteria (red flags) - Selling points (why join) - Interview process overview - Timeline and urgency Use template at `templates/recruiter-brief.md`. ## Using Supporting Resources ### Templates - **`templates/scorecard-template.json`** - Role scorecard schema - **`templates/sourcing-plan.md`** - Channel strategy template - **`templates/recruiter-brief.md`** - Recruiter onboarding doc ### References - **`references/sourcing-channels.md`** - Detailed channel comparison, conversion rates - **`references/messaging-best-practices.md`** - Job description writing, outreach templates - **`references/diversity-sourcing.md`** - Strategies for diverse candidate pipelines ### Scripts - **`scripts/validate-scorecard.py`** - Check scorecard completeness - **`scripts/estimate-funnel.py`** - Model hiring funnel metrics - **`scripts/channel-roi.py`** - Calculate ROI by sourcing channel ## Example Workflow User: "Create recruiting strategy for the senior backend role we just defined" Steps: 1. Load hiring intake JSON 2. Extract must-haves → Build scorecard criteria 3. Assess role level + urgency → Select sourcing channels 4. Draft value proposition highlighting technical challenges 5. Plan 8-week timeline with capacity constraints 6. Define success metrics (50 applies → 2 offers) 7. Generate strategy JSON + recruiter brief 8. Validate with scorecard script Output: Complete recruiting strategy ready for execution ## Next Steps After strategy is complete: 1. Use `developer-interview-loop-design` to build interview process 2. Share strategy with recruiting team 3. Launch sourcing campaigns 4. Track metrics weekly 5. Adjust strategy based on early funnel performance --- **Progressive Disclosure:** Detailed sourcing channel data, messaging templates, and diversity recruiting strategies are in references/. Core strategy framework above handles standard use cases.