How to hire faster without rushing the wrong decision

January creates pressure and teams feel gaps fast. Leaders want speed but speed is only useful when clarity leads it, panic is expensive. The fastest hires are rarely the ones who move quickest, they are the ones where the business is clear. This blog is a simple playbook you can save and use for permanent, temp and contract hires across Western Sydney.

Before you write an ad, answer this.

1. What is breaking right now
2. What must be true in 90 days
3. What happens if we do nothing

If you cannot answer those three, pause.
You are about to hire into confusion.

A scorecard is how you avoid vibe based hiring.
Keep it short.

Include:

1. The outcomes for 90 days.
2. Two must have skills.
3. Two must have behaviours.
4. One non negotiable about pace or quality.

Long processes kill great candidates.
Aim for this.

1. First interview for alignment and evidence
2. Second interview for depth and stakeholder fit

Add a work sample only if it is fair and fast.

Keep it under 45 minutes.

Candidates in Western Sydney will accept a stretch role.
They will not accept a messy role that was hidden.

In your brief and your interviews, be direct about.

1. What is changing in the business
2. What support exists
3. What the first month looks like

Trust moves faster than polish.

Most hiring delays come from misaligned salary. Set the band before the ad goes live.

If you are unsure, use live market feedback. The market will tell you in week one.

When you meet someone strong, move. Delays signal risk.
They also trigger counter offers.

Temp is not a last resort.
It is a strategy when the need is urgent and the scope is clear.

Temp works well when.

1. You need speed and coverage
2. You are bridging parental leave
3. You have a backlog that needs clearing
4. You are testing a new function

If the role is strategic and long term, go perm.
If the role is urgent and defined, temp can protect performance.

In Q1, great candidates compare experiences.
They notice.

1. How clear your brief is
2. How prepared the interviewer is
3. How quickly you follow up
4. Whether feedback is real

If you want to win people without overpaying, improve the process.

Ask questions that force evidence.

1. Tell me about a time you reduced risk or errors
2. Walk me through how you prioritise when everything is urgent
3. What is the toughest stakeholder situation you have handled
4. What would your last manager say you do when under pressure
5. What would your first 30 days plan look like here

Then listen for specifics.
Not confidence.