TIH white paper · 29 September 2026 · 3 pages in PDF. Frameworks and examples are editorial recommendations, not original survey findings or measured client results.
The decision this paper supports
Does the business need a new hire, a clearer process, targeted development or specialist project support? A founder's overloaded calendar is a signal to investigate, but it does not by itself define a role. Start with the work and outcomes the business needs.
The current context
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 examines employers' expectations about changing jobs and skills. It is a broad labor-market reference, not a forecast of hiring needs for an individual company. [1] TIH's practical response is to connect capability decisions to the operating plan and review them as the work changes.
TIH perspective: define the result before the title
Write the outcomes the role should deliver in its first three months, the decisions it can make and the support it requires. Distinguish essential skills from skills that can be learned. A vague title can attract suitable people while leaving everyone with a different understanding of success.
Review alternatives fairly
Compare hiring, developing an existing employee, redesigning the process and using time-bound specialist support. Consider continuity, workload, quality, cost and management capacity. These options can be combined. Clarify local employment and contracting requirements through the relevant official sources and professional advice when needed.
1. Map the work
List recurring tasks, important decisions and current bottlenecks. Identify work only the founder can do and work someone else could own with a clear brief. Document the time involved and the consequence of mistakes. Check whether existing employees already perform related work and what support would allow them to progress.
2. Build an outcome scorecard
Choose a small set of observable outcomes. For a hypothetical operations coordinator, these might include maintaining a reliable delivery schedule, resolving routine handoff issues and keeping agreed records current. Define how quality will be reviewed. Do not select a metric simply because the software can count it.
3. Assess relevant evidence
Use consistent, job-relevant questions and a proportionate work sample where appropriate. Explain the task and how it will be evaluated. Avoid requesting unpaid commercial work disguised as an assessment. Check that hiring criteria relate to the role and that the process follows applicable rules and company commitments.
4. Plan the first ninety days
During the first month, provide access, context, examples and supervised practice. During the next phase, transfer ownership of a bounded result. Then review independent performance, remaining development needs and the working relationship. Dates and expectations should reflect the complexity of the role, rather than a fixed template for every person.
Role and capability worksheet
Business outcome requiring support: ____________________
Work to own and decisions to make: ____________________
Essential skills and learnable skills: ____________________
Options considered: hire / develop / redesign / specialist support
Manager and support available: ____________________
First-month result: ____________________
Three-month result and review method: ____________________
Capability gaps and learning actions: ____________________
Make onboarding a shared responsibility
Give the new team member a named manager and a way to ask questions. Show good examples of the work and explain how decisions are made. Set regular conversations that address obstacles as well as performance. Record process improvements discovered during onboarding so the next person benefits.
Review the system as well as the person
If results fall short, check scope, access, training, dependencies and workload before drawing conclusions. A capable employee cannot compensate indefinitely for conflicting priorities. Link individual development to practical work so learning leads to an observable change in capability and business performance.
Sources
Sources accessed 29 September 2026. Prepared by Talent Intelligence Hub.