The SNH Quality Framework
The definitive guide to our 12-step recruitment lifecycle — built for excellence at every stage.
We aim to achieve the perfect blend of creativity and accuracy. While we encourage creativity in all your dealings, it is important to recognize the value of laid-down procedures. You are the face, mind and the voice of SNH. Therefore, you decide where you have to be creative while being accurate, where you have to be purely creative and where you follow only procedures. And we stand behind you!!
— Pinkal Soni, Founder, Seven N Half
Update Tallite & platforms at all stages · Maintain communication with all parties at all times · Escalate immediately at any red flag · Ensure peers & leaders are briefed before any leave. Click to read the full rules →
Part of The SNH Way Academy · Recruitment SOP · Seven N Half
Receiving Mandate from Client
Gather every detail before a single CV is pulled. This is the foundation everything else rests on.
Use the JD as your base. Then verify and supplement with the full checklist below — ensure every item is confirmed, not assumed.
Draft an SRF (Search Requirement Form) using the full checklist below as your question set. Get it approved and signed off by the client before proceeding to Step 2.
Confirm every item with the client. Hover over each to mark as reviewed.
- Legal Entity for Payrolling and Employment
- Designation, Level, and Number of Openings
- Reporting Structure and Growth Path
- Stakeholders to be managed — internal and external
- Compensation and Compensation Structure
- Team Management / IC — if Team Management: how many direct reports? People Manager or Manager of Managers?
- Location — if remote or hybrid: confirm frequency of travel required
- Relocation Policy
- Target Companies and Target Industry
- Requisite Skills and Preferred Skills
- Education Criteria — Degree, Batch, and Pedigree
- Mandate Status — replacement or fresh hire
- Worked, churned, or new? Request list of interviewed / in-process / rejected candidates
- Hiring process, panel members, and tentative timeline
- Years of experience, age, gender, and demographic specifications
- Pitch pointers and USP of the firm and the role
- Take preferred interview slots from the client upfront
Every CV rejection, every misaligned candidate, every wasted screen call traces back to an incomplete intake. Invest the time here — it multiplies your efficiency across every step that follows.
Identify Best Recruiter
Match the right person to the mandate — both skills and availability must align.
Assign the mandate immediately. Proceed to Step 3.
Reassign some of their existing tasks to create bandwidth, then assign.
Find the best available recruiter whose skill set matches this mandate's profile. Do not force-fit — a wrong assignment costs far more than a brief delay.
If the mandate is urgent or exclusive, this step must be completed within hours — not days. Urgency changes the calculus: a slightly less-skilled recruiter who is immediately available may outperform the best recruiter who is stretched thin.
Sharing Mandate with Recruiter
Brief the recruiter completely — information gaps turn into CV gaps.
- If recruiter has concerns about CV count: Call the leader immediately — be very prompt. Not a message. A call.
- If no CVs found after 24 hours: Escalate immediately. DO NOT wait. Do not see if it improves on its own.
Research & Sourcing
Go wide, go deep — but follow the platform hierarchy and know your hunting grounds cold.
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1Internal Databases MANDATORY FIRSTMust be fully exhausted before touching any external platform — without exception.
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2LinkedIn · Naukri · Monster · IIMJobs · Job PostingsEngage after internal database is thoroughly searched.
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3Leader-Advised PlatformsLeader advises which platform best suits each specific mandate type. Follow the guidance.
Map target companies' internal levels, designations, bands, location, salary, and appraisal cycles before you start outreach. Understand the terrain before you hunt.
- Build Projects in LinkedIn / Naukri / Monster / IIMJobs — keep open to all candidates by adjusting platform settings
- Always check for the most updated employment status before adding any candidate to the project
Do NOT share single CVs on WhatsApp unless explicitly asked to by the leader. Source in volume, then share a sample batch for direction validation. One-off CV shares on WhatsApp create noise, miscommunication, and misaligned expectations.
Source & Screen (Continued)
Notes, trackers, screening calls, and candidate engagement — done with precision and care.
- Follow leader's procedure for email formatting and tracker formatting — no improvisation on format
- Ensure all submitted CVs are the latest version — never submit an outdated CV
- Capture internal rejection reason in Tallite under Notes for every rejected profile — without fail
- Team Manager to share most suitable AND rejected CVs with remarks — this reduces future rejections significantly
- CV Sourcing Date = Client Submission Date = CV Tagged / Upload Date in Tallite — these three must always match
Leader's Review of Submission
The quality gate — every CV must pass before it reaches the client. No shortcuts.
- CV is the most updated version and in PDF format
- Experience is mentioned correctly — tenure, role, company
- Education details are correct and complete
- Current role is accurately represented
- Employment gaps are explained (if any exist)
- CV is aligned with the JD requirements
- Screening grid is fully completed — no blanks
- CVs are stacked in the correct order, following client preference where specified
- Candidate has confirmed they are sure about being processed for this role
- Compensation — calculation verified, format confirmed
- Gaps are explained and justification is captured
- Short tenures and quick switches are justified and documented
- Offers in hand? If yes: capture comp, role, and company details fully
- Reason for exploring captured — especially if candidate already holds an offer
- Applied to this company or group in the last year? If yes: was the source SNH or not?
Every candidate that passes through this gate carries the SNH brand with them. A poorly screened or inaccurate CV submission reflects on us — not just the recruiter. This step is the quality seal. Treat it with the seriousness it deserves.
Review (Continued)
Deeper diligence on the candidate — the final check before the client sees them.
- Is the notice period negotiable? Capture the answer explicitly.
- Preferred location — confirm if applicable to the mandate
- Are compensation documents available and ready to share?
- Details on last increment and upcoming increment (if applicable)
- Candidate's final, explicit confirmation on being processed for this specific role
- Give the candidate a general idea of the interview process if it is predefined and they ask
- Three-way discussion — Recruiter + Leader + Candidate — to align on preferred interview slots
- Every leader must maintain a ready reckoner of team assignments — know who handles what mandate at all times
Submission to Client
Every submission carries the SNH standard. Handle each one with precision and speed.
Whether shortlisted or rejected — the candidate must hear from us promptly. A delayed rejection is almost as damaging as no response at all. Speed and transparency are non-negotiable at every outcome.
Scheduling Interviews
Seamless coordination — both the candidate and client deserve a frictionless experience.
- Work to ensure comfortable slots for both client and candidate — never force a slot that doesn't work
- Advise the candidate of the panel members they will be meeting
- Follow up on the calendar invite — confirm it was received and the link is working
- If invite was not received: ask candidate to check spam folder before resending
- Consistent follow-up throughout — keep the leader informed of every development
- Inform candidate that video must be on throughout
- Working headsets are mandatory — not optional
- Pencil and notepad should be ready
- Candidate must join from a laptop (especially for tech interviews — may include a live coding test)
- Send a calendar invite even for telephonic rounds — confirms the commitment
- Provide the contact person's full name
- Full address of the venue with clear directions
A well-coordinated interview that the leader doesn't know about is a risk. Communication flows up and sideways — always. No surprises.
Interview Process
Show up before, during, and after — the recruiter's presence is felt throughout every round.
- First follow-up: day before (for morning slots) or morning of the day (for evening slots)
- Second follow-up: exactly 30 minutes before the interview time
- Inform the candidate they can reach the recruiter directly if the interviewer doesn't join on time
- Recruiter must be available at interview time — no excuses, no exceptions
- Inform client, candidate, and leader of your availability and how to reach you
- Call the candidate: Did the interview go fine? Any challenges? Any feedback for SNH or the client?
- Leader speaks to the client: get detailed feedback; ask what can be done better for next candidates
- If selected for R2: prepare candidate — over call only. No pictures, documents, or messages.
- If rejected: send rejection email immediately + save profile in rejection bank and Tallite
- If candidate calls for feedback: provide it — tactfully, honestly, helpfully
- Request compensation documents as appropriate (timing varies — sometimes only after selection confirmation)
All Round 2 preparation is conducted verbally, over a call, by the leader. Never share preparation material via message, document, screenshot, or any other medium. This protects the candidate, the client, and SNH from any perception of coaching or unfair advantage.
Post Interview Process
The path diverges — handle both outcomes with equal care, equal speed.
Follow the rejection procedure from the Client Feedback section (Step 10). Send rejection email to the candidate immediately. Save profile to rejection bank and Tallite with full notes. Provide tactful feedback if the candidate reaches out.
Move quickly. The post-selection window is critical — a slow response here risks losing the candidate to counter-offers or competing processes. See protocol below.
- Request ALL documents as advised by the client — must include ESOP and RSU comp docs where applicable
- Send a formal email first to request documents, then follow up with a call
- Ensure all documents are legible, neat, and saved with the correct file names
- Store documents in chronological order — not randomly
- Ensure availability for final discussion — both client and candidate must be aligned on timing
- If any HR round or ad-hoc discussion is needed: communicate to all relevant stakeholders well in advance
- Maintain active, detailed notes on all discussions with both parties throughout this phase
Blurry scans, incomplete documents, or mis-named files delay offer releases and create friction with clients. Every document request should be treated as mission-critical — because it is.
Offer & Joining
The finish line — but crossing it requires the same attention and care as every step before.
- Ensure offer is released on time — proactively follow up with client HR if needed
- Confirm the candidate has received the offer letter
- If not received: ask candidate to check spam; follow invite-not-received procedure if still missing
- Review the offer letter yourself if a copy is made available — before the candidate does
- Ensure the candidate reviews thoroughly — especially role title, reporting, and full comp structure
- Answer all questions and apprehensions the candidate raises — fully, promptly
- Ensure all formalities are completed: signed offer copy via email, tentative date of joining confirmed
- Confirm client and candidate are aligned on the joining date — no ambiguity
- Ensure notice period is correctly factored into the offer letter
- Request resignation acceptance copy as the immediate next step post-acceptance
If any red flags indicate counter-offer risk, approach the candidate proactively with alternate role scenarios before the counter-offer materializes. Waiting for the counter-offer to happen is too late. Read the signals early and act.
- Bi-monthly check-in messages to ensure the candidate is on track throughout their notice period
- Watch actively for any parallel hiring processes the candidate might be running
- Make a resignation letter template available to the candidate if needed
- Assist client HR in collecting Personal Addresses, reference check forms, and other onboarding documents
- Proactively communicate to try and negotiate a shorter notice period where possible
- Call the candidate 2 days before the joining date — confirm everything is on track and all docs are ready
- Call on the joining day itself — subtly check in, wish them luck, and confirm they have joined
- Ensure the candidate carries all requested documents to joining
A successful joining is the outcome of 12 steps executed with precision, care, and relentless communication. Every placement is a statement about who we are. Well done.
🚨 Non-Negotiables — The Rules That Never Break
These apply at every step, every mandate, every day. No exceptions. No circumstances. No excuses.
The moment you encounter any of the following, escalate to your leader immediately — do not observe and wait, do not hope it resolves, do not try to handle it alone:
- No CVs found during sourcing after the stipulated time period
- Candidate behaviour issues of any kind
- Unfair demands from any party — client, candidate, or otherwise
- Out-of-proportion expectations that cannot be managed
- Incorrect or inconsistent information discovered in a CV
- Unexplained employment gaps that the candidate cannot justify
- Candidate demands to speak directly with the leader
- Any other worrying concern — when in doubt, escalate. Always.
"Remember: Communication is the key... keep it flowing at all levels."
Part of The SNH Way Academy · Recruitment SOP · Seven N Half