LESSON 1 OF 6 · INTERMEDIATE
Translate promises into a handoff
Before acceptance becomes onboarding, create a commitments log. Include the promise, approved source, accountable owner, due date and evidence of completion. Ask the candidate to confirm which expectations matter most. The recruiter remains responsible for making the handoff clear, even when another team owns delivery. An unconfirmed expectation should not quietly become a promise.
Convert a sample recruiting conversation into five commitments with owners.
About 2 minutes reading + 12 minutes practice. Take longer when needed.
Apply the method
Translate a recruiting conversation into a commitments log before sending a handoff. For each material expectation, record whether it is approved, requested or illustrative. Identify the source, owner, due date and evidence that would show delivery. Review the log with the candidate and the receiving team so each understands the same scope. If a promise cannot be confirmed, correct it before the person relies on it. Use the log in early check-ins. A handoff is successful when the next team can act and the employee knows what will happen, not simply when the recruiter has sent an email.
A worked application
Fictional worked example: A recruit expects individual marketing help because the conversation used the word dedicated. The approved service is a shared queue with defined templates. The recruiter corrects the description and arranges a discussion with marketing. The candidate accepts that scope, and the commitments log names the queue owner and first training date. Later, onboarding does not need to guess what was sold. If the candidate had required individual service, that would have remained a fit gap rather than being hidden in a handoff note.
Common mistake to avoid
Avoid silently replacing an unapproved promise with a different service. Clarification should happen before the decision, with the candidate’s understanding confirmed.
Work through the case
FICTIONAL SCENARIO
A recruit expects dedicated marketing support, while onboarding assumes shared support. Identifying that difference before the start date is easier than repairing trust later.
Make it practical
Convert a sample recruiting conversation into five commitments with owners.
Compare your reasoning with a worked response
Separate approved commitments from requests. Verify service scope and introduce the actual delivery owner before representing the issue as resolved.
Takeaway
Use the method to explain your decision, identify what you still need to verify and choose an accountable next step.
Treat the response as a model for reasoning, not the only possible wording. Adapt it to the role, evidence and appropriate organizational guidance.