Free Interactive Tool · 2 minutes
Most senior commercial hires fail because the business was not ready to make the hire, not because the candidate was wrong. Score your readiness across the six things that actually matter, and see exactly what to fix before you go to market.
Section 1 of 6
Have you defined the role properly, or are you about to recruit a job description?
0/4 answered
We have a written purpose statement for this role (one sentence, not a list of duties).
Why does this seat exist? If you cannot answer in a sentence, the role is not yet ready to recruit.
We have agreed three to five measurable outcomes for the first 12 months.
Outcomes are commercial, observable, and time-bound. Not 'be a great leader' but 'rebuild the SDR engine to deliver £X qualified pipeline a quarter by month nine'.
We agree on what good looks like at 90 days, in writing.
If your interviewers cannot agree on the 90-day picture, candidates will get inconsistent signals and the wrong person will get hired.
We have written down the must-haves vs nice-to-haves and stress-tested them against the market.
Most failed hires come from a brief that lists a unicorn. Separate non-negotiables from preferences before you go to market.
Need to close gaps in role & outcomes?
Use the Role Profile Designer →Section 2 of 6
Is the commercial envelope agreed and benchmarked, or will it be re-litigated when an offer goes out?
0/4 answered
Base, OTE, and equity range are agreed and signed off by the budget holder.
Sign-off in writing, not in a Slack thread. The single most common reason offers collapse is comp re-opening at the eleventh hour.
Our package has been benchmarked against current market rates in the relevant region.
Use real local benchmarks (regional markets differ from London by role and seniority). Old benchmarks lose offers.
The variable comp plan rewards the outcomes we actually want.
If you reward activity but need outcomes, you will get activity. Model the plan at 70%, 100% and 130% attainment before you offer.
We can articulate total reward (benefits, flexibility, equity, growth) clearly to a candidate.
Senior commercial candidates compare total reward, not just base. If you cannot articulate the full picture, you will lose to firms that can.
Need to close gaps in comp & commercials?
Open the Compensation Designer →Section 3 of 6
Have you designed an interview loop that tests the role, or is it a calendar of unrelated chats?
0/4 answered
The interview loop is designed (stages, owners, what each stage tests, scoring rubric).
Each stage should test something specific (commercial chops, leadership, culture, deal review). No duplicates. No vibes-only conversations.
Every interviewer has been briefed on what they are testing and how to score.
An unbriefed panel is a risk, not a check. Brief once, score consistently, debrief honestly.
We can run the full loop within two to three working weeks once the role opens.
Slow loops lose strong candidates. Strong people are usually in two to three other processes. Speed is a credibility signal.
We have agreed how the final hiring decision is made and by whom.
Consensus by exhaustion is the worst outcome. Either one decision-maker with input, or a structured scorecard average. Decide before you start.
Need to close gaps in process & panel?
See the CRO Interview Loop playbook →Section 4 of 6
If a strong passive candidate looks at your business today, will they see a reason to engage?
0/4 answered
We have an EVP (employer value proposition) that goes beyond 'great culture'.
What is genuinely differentiated about working here for this role? Be specific about the seat, the team, the runway, and the ceiling.
Our public-facing content (website, founders' LinkedIn, careers page) reflects the EVP.
A senior commercial candidate will check the founders' LinkedIn within 30 minutes. Make sure what they find matches what you tell them.
We know the realistic candidate pool size in our region for this role.
If the pool is 40 people and 30 are happily employed, the search is a referral and outreach motion, not an inbound advert.
We have a sourcing plan (referrals, network, search) ready before posting an advert.
An advert alone rarely fills senior commercial seats. Plan the outbound motion before the job goes live.
Need to close gaps in market & attraction?
Use the EVP & Employer Brand Designer →Section 5 of 6
If your hire starts on Monday, what does week one look like? Most failed hires fail in onboarding.
0/4 answered
We have a written 30-60-90 day plan with milestones and an owner.
The plan should match the outcomes you hired against. If they do not match, the role definition is off.
Internal stakeholders know who is joining and what their remit is.
A senior commercial hire who has to introduce themselves to every department on day one is already losing momentum.
Tools, systems, data access and reporting are ready to go on day one.
Two weeks of waiting for laptop, CRM access and pipeline visibility costs you the first quarter of impact.
We have agreed a check-in cadence with the hiring manager for the first 90 days.
Weekly 1:1 in month one, fortnightly thereafter, with a structured 90-day review. No surprises on either side.
Need to close gaps in onboarding & 90-day?
Open the 90-Day Plan Builder →Section 6 of 6
Do you genuinely have the authority, the runway, and the urgency to recruit this seat now?
0/4 answered
Budget is approved and the seat is signed off, not 'pending board sign-off'.
Opening a search before sign-off destroys candidate trust when the offer is delayed or pulled.
The hiring manager has the authority to make the final offer decision.
If three more people need to weigh in after the panel, name them now and bring them into the loop early.
We have a clear commercial reason this hire needs to start in the next 60-90 days.
If there is no urgency, the process will drift, the panel will lose engagement, and strong candidates will go elsewhere.
We have aligned internally on what we will not compromise on.
Define the deal-breakers before you meet candidates, not while you are trying to justify saying yes to a tempting profile.
Need to close gaps in decision authority & timing?
Read the operator hiring playbook →Want a second pair of eyes?
If you would like Rachel to walk through your scorecard with you, talk through the gaps, and pressure-test your hiring brief before you go to market, get in touch.
Email RachelSales recruitment, GTM recruitment and revenue advisory for SMEs UK-wide. We reply within one working day.
Email Rachel Lunn