Speed wins. This day‑by‑day plan helps Oxford startups (from Jericho to Begbroke) hire a permanent salesperson in four weeks; without sacrificing quality.
Week 1 – Define & prepare
– Day 1: Kick‑off with stakeholders. Agree ICP, territory and success metrics.
– Day 2: Finalise JD with 3 outcomes (e.g., £200k pipeline in 90 days).
– Day 3: Create an interview scorecard (prospecting, discovery, objection‑handling).
– Day 4: Build a candidate brief and outreach messages.
– Day 5: Launch sourcing: referrals, passive outreach (Oxford/Milton Park), targeted boards.
Week 2 – Source & screen
– Day 6–7: 20 to 30 outreach messages/day to passive talent.
– Day 8–9: 20 minute phone screens using the scorecard.
– Day 10: Shortlist 4 to 6 for panel.
Week 3 – Assess
– Day 11–12: Structured interviews (hiring manager + sales leader).
– Day 13: Practical task (email sequence for Harwell prospects).
– Day 14–15: References on finalists; culture chat with founder.
Week 4 – Decide & close
– Day 16: Compensation benchmarking; prepare offer ranges.
– Day 17–18: Final interviews; decide using scorecard totals.
– Day 19: Verbal + written offer within 24 hours.
– Day 20: Pre‑boarding: toolkit, territory plan, 30/60/90.*
Tools to use: ATS (free/low‑cost), calendar links, structured scorecards, a central feedback doc.
Golden rules: Keep two interview stages; feedback in 24 hours; sell the mission.TY Recruitment can run this process end‑to‑end or plug in where you need speed.