Key takeaways
- Without fixed HR rhythm the urgent always wins over the important.
- One list and one fixed weekly moment give overview and speed.
- Work with simple templates so you have to think less.
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Measure three things: initial response, turnaround time and attendance at calls.
What goes wrong
The phone rings. A customer calls. A team is stuck. You solve it. HR shifts to tomorrow. Vacancies remain unfilled. Onboarding is loose ends. Candidates wait too long. You get tired. That's because there is no HR rhythm is.
So you see it quickly
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Vacancies are live without a plan for follow-up.
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Candidates will receive a reply only after days.
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Onboarding starts without a clear checklist.
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1-on-1 conversations are status only, not decisions.
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Tasks are scattered in mail and chat. No one sees the whole thing.
One list. One moment. Every week.
Create one HR list that everyone can see. Put everything on it: vacancies, onboarding, scheduled interviews, open questions. Schedule one fixed hour per week in the diary. This is your HR moment. The right people are at the table with you so you can make decisions on the spot. The aim is not to talk but to cut knots and share tasks.
Why this works: you extract work from separate conversations and put it into a visible system. As a result, you need to remember less and you can move faster.
The 72-hour rule
Deciding within 72 hours prevents work from sticking. You follow four short steps and write them in full sentences so everyone knows what to do.
See. Someone notes in one sentence what is going on with brief context.
Choosing. You say whether it is a one-off or recurring.
Decide. You choose now, later or stop and you record that.
Do and feed back. You give an owner and end date and write one sentence with the result in the list.
Keep it small with three bins
Your list will stay light if you don't want to do everything at once. Therefore, work with three bins.
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Now: maximum 10 items. These will get action this week.
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Within 2 weeks: is ready for the next turn.
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Later: parking space with a date. Full is full. Old stuff goes out.
Why this works: you type less and stay consistent for candidates and colleagues.
Templates that save time
Write five short texts that you keep reusing.
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First answer to candidates so no one waits too long.
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Invitation with three fixed time slots so plans don't stall.
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Onboarding checklist for week 1 and week 4 so that the start is solid.
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Rejection with one-sentence feedback so that respect remains palpable.
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Internal update on open roles and status so everyone is on board.
Why this works: you type less and stay consistent for candidates and colleagues.
Who gets to decide what
Write down who decides on: job start, budget, exceptions and offer. Keep it on one page. Clear decision rights make your 72-hour rule achievable.
Measure three simple things
You measure three things and discuss them briefly.
The first thing you measure is his initial reactions. What proportion of candidates get answers within 72 hours. Then see what the lead time per step. How many days from response to call and from call to offer. Finally, measure the attendance. What proportion of scheduled talks actually go ahead.
Why this works: figures show where it is stuck. You pick one adjustment each month and you see the effect.
Plan for the first 10 days
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Day 1-2: Put all HR tasks in one list. Choose one owner.
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Day 3: Block the weekly HR rhythm in the calendar.
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Day 4-5: write your 5 templates.
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Day 6-7: Make the three bins. At Now may max 10 items.
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Day 8-10: turn your first rhythm. Decide within 72 hours. Link back in the list.
What you notice quickly
Your head gets calmer. Candidates get answers faster. Conversations go on. Onboarding feels solid. HR no longer disappears under fires, because you HR rhythm pulls work forward.
Book a meeting with Tarquin, founder of MediaGuru, to solve your challenges.
