Explain why the role exists.
Start with the business reason for hiring. Is the team growing, replacing a specialist, entering a market or fixing a capability gap? The answer gives the recruiter context that a job title cannot provide.
Describe what success should look like in the first 90 days. A recruiter can then test whether a candidate has solved a similar problem, rather than matching keywords from a generic CV.
“We are hiring this person to…” is usually more useful than a page of responsibilities without priorities.
Show the real scope.
Give the recruiter the smallest set of facts that explains what the person will actually do. Focus on the work that will take most of the week, not every task the person may touch.
List the four to six responsibilities that genuinely define the role.
Explain who manages the role, who the person works with and where decisions sit.
Describe the team size, stakeholders and the capability the new hire will add.
Name only the tools that are truly required on day one. Separate them from tools that can be learned.
Separate essential from teachable.
Long wish lists shrink the search before the employer has decided what actually matters. Draw a clear line between a non-negotiable requirement and a preference that can be learned in the first few months.
Must-haves
Keep this to three to five requirements directly connected to the outcomes: a specific licence, technical capability, language, sector experience or level of responsibility.
Nice-to-haves
Use this for useful but teachable skills, adjacent sector experience or tools the right person can learn with support.
Do not hide the trade-off
If the employer will accept less sector experience for stronger technical depth, say so. That is valuable search direction.
Define the disqualifier
Be clear about the few conditions that genuinely rule a candidate out, rather than letting every preference become a rejection reason.
Set the level and salary honestly.
A search becomes unstable when the employer wants a manager, budgets for an individual contributor and describes the role as “flexible”. Confirm the level, reporting responsibility and salary range before the first shortlist.
IC or manager?
State whether the role owns delivery, people, budget, clients or a combination.
Real range
Give the expected base range and explain where flexibility exists.
Total context
Clarify bonus, allowances, equity, benefits and any important conditions.
For roles that may involve a work pass, salary is also part of feasibility. Review the EP employer guide and EP vs S Pass comparison early rather than after the candidate has been selected.
Agree how the decision will be made.
A recruiter needs to know how candidates move through the process and who owns the decision. This keeps good candidates from stalling while feedback is collected.
Screen
Agree the first questions and the facts that must be tested.
Interview
Define who meets the candidate and what each person is assessing.
Assess
Decide whether a case, task, portfolio or technical exercise is genuinely needed.
Decide
Set the feedback owner, response time and final decision criteria.
Offer
Agree the approval route, target timing and who communicates the offer.
Flag work-pass questions early.
If the employer is open to foreign candidates, say so in the briefing. The recruiter should know whether the role is intended for a local hire, an overseas search or both, and whether the employer has already considered the likely pass route.
Candidate location
Is the search local, overseas or open to either? Where will the person be based when the process starts?
Pass route
Is the employer considering an Employment Pass or another route? Do not promise approval before the case is assessed.
Advertising
Check whether fair-consideration requirements apply and keep the job description aligned with the live role.
Timing
Allow time for eligibility review, documents, submission and any MOM request after selection.
For the advertising requirement, see AIS's Fair Consideration Framework guide. Recruitment planning and immigration feasibility should support each other, not run as separate conversations.
The briefing template.
- Role: title, team and reporting line.
- Purpose: why the role exists and what must improve.
- 90-day outcomes: the results that show the hire is on track.
- Scope: the four to six responsibilities that take most of the time.
- Must-haves: three to five non-negotiable requirements.
- Nice-to-haves: useful experience that can be learned or traded off.
- Level and package: seniority, base range, bonus and benefits.
- Work-pass context: local or overseas, route considered and timing.
- Process: stages, assessors, decision owner and target dates.
- Decision criteria: what earns an offer and what rules a candidate out.
FAQ
How long should a recruiter brief be?
Long enough to explain the role, outcomes, level, salary, must-haves and process. A focused two-page brief is usually more useful than a long job description that does not show priorities.
Should we include salary in the brief?
Yes. A realistic range keeps the search aligned and prevents candidates being assessed for a role the employer cannot approve.
How many must-have requirements should we list?
Usually three to five requirements that are genuinely non-negotiable. Move teachable or preference-based skills into the nice-to-have section.
Should work-pass requirements be discussed before the search?
Yes. If overseas candidates are in scope, discuss location, likely route, salary, advertising and timing early. A work pass is assessed against the actual role and candidate; it should not be promised in the brief.
Useful next reads.
A strong brief is the beginning of a clear hiring process. Use the related AIS guides to connect recruitment decisions with work-pass preparation.