The 72-hour shortlist: how to write a tech brief recruiters can act on

Why the brief decides the shortlist

Recruiters can only find what they understand. A vague brief produces a broad, noisy shortlist; a precise one produces three or four people you actually want to meet. Our sourcing process starts with a focused intake call for exactly this reason.

The brief checklist

1. 1The problem. What will this person fix, build or run in their first six months?
2. 2Must-have skills. Three to five things they genuinely need on day one — tools, platforms, certifications or clearance.
3. 3Nice-to-haves. Useful extras that shouldn't rule anyone out.
4. 4Team and stakeholders. Who they'll work with and report to, and how the team works.
5. 5Engagement. Permanent, contract or contract-to-perm; start date; contract length.
6. 6Location and flexibility. Office, hybrid or remote — and how many days on site.
7. 7Salary or day rate. A realistic range, including super for contractors.
8. 8Process. Interview stages, who's on the panel, and when they're available.

Describe outcomes, not keywords

"5+ years of Kubernetes" tells a recruiter far less than "move our 40 services from VMs to EKS by June and set up the platform team to run it". Outcomes help recruiters judge real experience, and they make your role more compelling to passive candidates.

Be upfront about salary or rate

Specialists in shortage areas know their worth. Sharing a realistic range early stops you losing a great candidate at offer stage — and if the market rate is higher than your budget, a good recruiter will tell you before the search starts, not after.

Lock in the interview plan

The fastest searches are the ones where interview slots are already booked when the shortlist arrives. Agree the stages and panel before you brief, and commit to feedback within 24 hours.

Ready to brief us? Share your role and a specialist recruiter will be in touch within one business day.