# Intake meeting — the twelve questions
*Module 2, Lesson 1. Allow 25–30 minutes.*

## The problem
1. What will this person have done in six months that nobody is doing today?
2. Of those things, which matters most in the first ninety days?
3. What happens if the role stays open another quarter?

## The bar
4. Who is the best person you have seen do this job? What specifically made them good?
5. **What was the last hire into a role like this that did not work out? What went wrong?**
6. **Which parts of this job can be learned here, and which must arrive intact?**

## The market
7. Where do people who can do this currently work?
8. What will they be earning there?
9. Why would someone leave that to come here?

## The process
10. Who else has to say yes, and what will each of them be assessing?
11. How fast could we move if everyone agreed on a candidate?
12. **Of everything you have just told me, what would you give up to fill this in three weeks?**

Questions 5, 6 and 12 do the most work. Do not skip 12 because it feels confrontational.

## The unstated must-have
Before closing, ask a hypothetical:

> "Suppose I bring you someone who meets everything we have discussed, but they need
> close direction for the first six months. Still a yes?"

## The one-sentence test
Say the role back in one sentence: *"You need someone who can do X, who arrives already
able to Y, and we will trade Z to get them quickly."*
If the manager hesitates, you are not finished.

## Capture (this feeds the rest of the pipeline)
| Capture | Feeds |
|---|---|
| Outcomes for the first six months | Job description, scorecard |
| Must arrive intact vs can be learned | Must-haves and weighted signals |
| Failed-hire specifics | Screening criteria, interview probes |
| Where these people work now | Sourcing plan |
| Compensation range | Job ad, outreach, offer |
| Decision makers and what each assesses | Interview loop design |
| The stated trade-off | Your authority when the pool is thin |