Recruitment Checklist

Verify the req is approved in the HRIS / ATS (Greenhouse, Lever, Workday) with funded headcount, level, and target comp band. Unfunded reqs are the most common reason offers get pulled at the last minute.

Align on must-haves vs nice-to-haves, target profile, scorecard attributes, panel composition, and time-to-fill expectation. Document the scorecard in the ATS so debriefs anchor on the same criteria.

Confirm exempt vs non-exempt against the current federal and state salary threshold and duties test. A role labeled "manager" without genuine supervisory duties is the classic FLSA misclassification.

CO, WA, NY, CA, IL, MD, RI, MA, MN, and NJ require a salary range in any job posting visible to candidates in those states. Reposting the same role re-triggers the obligation; pull the band from comp before publishing.

Push to careers page and syndicated boards (LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, niche boards). Confirm EEO self-ID and OFCCP voluntary disclosures are enabled if the company is a federal contractor.

Brief sourcers, post in employee-referral program, and queue LinkedIn Recruiter project. Track source-of-hire from the start so the funnel data is usable at debrief time.

Score against the must-haves agreed at intake, not against an evolving gut feel. Disposition rejected candidates in the ATS with a consistent reason code — disposition data feeds EEO-1 and adverse-impact analysis later.

30-minute screen covering motivation, comp expectations vs band, work authorization, location and remote eligibility. Avoid prohibited questions — salary history (banned in CA, NY, CO, WA, MA, and others) and protected-class topics.

Send 3-5 shortlisted candidates with screen notes and scorecard. Hiring manager confirms which advance to the loop within 2 business days to keep candidate experience tight.

Confirm panel coverage of each scorecard attribute and at least one trained interviewer per loop. Send candidate the agenda, interviewer bios, and prep materials 48 hours in advance.

Behavioral and situational questions tied to the scorecard, not freelance trivia. Interviewers submit written feedback in the ATS before the debrief — feedback after debrief is anchored to others' opinions and biases the calibration.

Debrief within 48 hours of the loop. Each interviewer states hire / no-hire and rationale against the scorecard before discussion. Document the decision and dissents in the ATS.

Validate base, bonus target, equity, and sign-on against the band midpoint and internal-equity report. Compression against incumbents is the most common reason a verbal offer needs to be re-cut.

Send the FCRA standalone disclosure and authorization for e-signature before initiating the report. Honor ban-the-box / fair-chance rules — many jurisdictions (NY, CA, CO, MA, IL, NJ, MD) restrict timing of criminal-history inquiry and require an individualized assessment.

Two professional references, ideally including a recent direct manager. Capture notes in the ATS; do not rely on verbal-only memory of the call.

Required only when a background-check finding may drive an adverse decision. Send the pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, then wait at least 5 business days for dispute before issuing the final adverse-action notice. Skipping the two-step is a textbook FCRA class-action trigger.

Recruiter or hiring manager calls the candidate with comp, start date, and contingencies. Capture verbal acceptance, target start date, and any negotiation asks before sending paper.

Generate the offer letter from the approved template, including at-will language, contingencies (background, I-9, drug screen if applicable), and any state-required disclosures. Confirm any non-compete or non-solicit language is enforceable in the candidate's state — CA, MN, ND, OK ban most non-competes outright.

Trigger the new-hire onboarding checklist: I-9 Section 1 link with end-of-Day-1 deadline, W-4 and state withholding, direct deposit, handbook acknowledgments, and any state-mandated harassment training (CA, NY, IL, CT, DE, ME). Close the req in the ATS and disposition all remaining candidates.