Hiring chaos isn’t a staffing strategy. I prefer to have a clear, consistent, repeatable - and short - hiring cadence. For example, a 6-week cadence creates predictable momentum from REQ to Day-1 of training—especially in remote teams where tech issues and shipping delays can derail timelines.

Why Cadence Matters

Too many teams only recruit when they’re desperate. That leads to rushed interviews, poor fits, and a stressed onboarding team. A 6-week cadence creates steady momentum—keeping your pipeline warm, giving hiring managers time to assess thoughtfully, and reducing “boom and bust” cycles.

Week-by-Week Snapshot

• Week 1: REQ approved, job posted, laptop / inventory check
• Week 2: Structured interviews + send bandwidth test guidance
• Week 3: Offers extended to top candidates
• Week 4: Background checks and onboarding tasks completed 
• Week 5: Equipment provisioned and shipped to new employees 
• Week 6: Training start; Day-1 login verification + security modules

Defining and following a timeline like this changes everything. When you have a hiring need, you don't have time waiting around and hoping the process will fall into place. You need to manage the process or you will be a victim of it. 

If it takes 6 weeks for the above process + 4 weeks to complete training, you are 10 weeks from help at any given moment. While we're not going to deep dive into forecasting here, it's important to note that proactive staffing strategies rely on accurate forecasting that looks several months ahead. Ideally, you're forecasting volume, attrition, and hiring needs on a rolling 9 - 12 month timeframe. 

Try This Next Week

Action: time-stamp your last hiring class, publish the real timeline, and pick two SLAs you need to establish and enforce.

Want More?

Discuss the hiring frameworks, workforce planning, and talent strategy with your peers at the Denver Leadership Summit, Nov 5–6. Join peers for real-world stories and actionable takeaways. 

👉 See full event details here.