Must-haves are the anchor of an inclusive hiring process. They shape your job announcement, your interview questions, your rubrics, and your hiring decision.
When you get really clear on the must-haves for the role, you mitigate bias and systemic barriers that keep great candidates from getting in the pool and in the door.
Inclusive Hiring Starts with Clear Must-Haves
We’ve compiled common must-haves we see across organizational roles. Refer to these as you use the Figuring Out the Role Worksheet to get crystal clear on the job duties and competencies.
You’ll notice these must-haves don’t include 10 years experience and a PhD. Sometimes that is required. Most of the time, it’s a proxy for something else. Pause and separate your preferences, traditions, and requirements (PTRs) for the role.
While we love giving managers easy grab-and-go tools, this is not one of those! Your must-haves should reflect your best thinking about what it takes to perform the role and its core responsibilities well. Get crystal clear about the qualifications—and revisit and revise from one hire to the next.
So, adapt these—or write your own—and use the Planning for Must-Haves at Every Stage Template to plan how you’ll test for these throughout your hiring process.
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