Free, no sign-up to start: the plan opens as a live, editable Gantt chart. 14 tasks across 4 phases, about 12 weeks if every task runs in sequence.
What's in the template
Role definition and scorecard
Budget and headcount approval
Job description
Post job and announce
Sourcing and referrals
Application screening
Phone screens
Skills interview
Team interviews
Debrief and decision
Reference checks
Offer and negotiation
Notice period
Start date
| Phase | Task | Example duration |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Role definition and scorecard | 3 days |
| Prepare | Budget and headcount approval | 5 days |
| Prepare | Job description | 2 days |
| Source | Post job and announce | 1 day |
| Source | Sourcing and referrals | 14 days |
| Source | Application screening | 10 days |
| Interview | Phone screens | 7 days |
| Interview | Skills interview | 7 days |
| Interview | Team interviews | 7 days |
| Interview | Debrief and decision | 2 days |
| Close | Reference checks | 3 days |
| Close | Offer and negotiation | 5 days |
| Close | Notice period | 14 days |
| Close | Start date | 1 day |
Durations are examples to replace with your own estimates, not benchmarks.
About this recruitment and hiring plan
Time-to-hire stretches in the gaps: waiting for budget approval, waiting for interviewers' calendars, waiting for a decision. This plan puts those waits on the chart.
Use one copy per open role, or add rows to plan several hires at once.
Who it's for: Recruiters, hiring managers and founders running their own hiring.
How to use it
- Open the plan. Click Open in the editor.
- Overlap sourcing and screening. Unlink screening so it starts as applications arrive. In the task panel, remove the predecessor, then set the new start date. Then check that the task that came next still lists the earlier work as a predecessor, so delays keep cascading.
- Name the interviewers. Use the owner field so the interview panel knows its window.
- Share the timeline. Share a read-only link with the hiring manager and panel.
Planning tips
- Book interviewer time when the job posts, not when candidates are ready.
- Hold the debrief within a day or two of the last interview.
- Include the notice period so start dates aren't promised too early.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the stages of a hiring plan?
- Define the role, get approval, post and source, screen, interview, decide, check references, make the offer and onboard.
- Can I plan several roles at once?
- Yes. Add rows per role and give each its own lane.
- Is there an onboarding template too?
- Yes. The employee onboarding template picks up from the start date.
Related templates
The free plan saves one project. Downloads (PDF, CSV) and more projects are on Solo, $12/month.