Hiring plan template
Hiring plan timeline
Hiring plans usually track the interview stage and forget the two long gaps around it: how long the role sat unwritten, and the notice period between offer and start. Both are where the quarter goes. This template dates all of it.
Use this template
Opens in the editor. Free, no signup.
The milestones
Roughly 16 weeks end to end. Weeks are relative to the first milestone — set your own dates once it's open in the editor.
| When | Milestone | Phase |
|---|---|---|
| Week 0 | Headcount approved | Open |
| Week 2 | Job description live | Open |
| Week 4 | First screens | Interview |
| Week 7 | Onsite loops | Interview |
| Week 9 | Offer out | Close |
| Week 16 | Start date | Close |
What to put on it
- Headcount approved — the real start of the clock.
- Job description live, which is often two weeks later than anyone admits.
- First screens and the onsite loop window.
- Offer out, and the decision deadline you gave.
- Start date, including notice period. Three months is normal in some markets.
Questions
- How long does it take to hire someone?
- For a senior individual contributor, six to twelve weeks from role live to offer accepted is typical, plus the candidate's notice period. Counting from headcount approval rather than from job posting gives you a much more honest number.
- Why put a hiring plan on a timeline?
- Because the people who need the hire are planning around a start date, not an interview schedule. A shared timeline makes the notice period visible to everyone who's counting on the new person.
- Can I share it with the hiring panel?
- Yes. Publishing gives you a link with no signup, so panel members can see when loops are scheduled and when a decision is expected.
Make it yours in about a minute.
The template opens as a draft in your browser. Edit the dates, publish when it's right, and share the link — it unfurls as a preview of the actual timeline in Slack, Teams, Discord, and iMessage.
Use this template