The Vacancy Review: Five Questions to Ask Before Briefing a Recruiter

When someone leaves a business, the natural response is to move quickly.

There is work to cover, pressure on the team, and often a sense that the easiest path is to replace the person as soon as possible. Same title. Similar duties. Same reporting line. Same position description, perhaps with a few small updates.

But a vacancy can also be one of the most useful moments for a business to pause.

Not long enough that it puts the rest of the team under pressure. And not through a complicated restructure. Just long enough to ask whether the role you are about to recruit for is still the role your business actually needs.

For small and medium-sized businesses, roles rarely stay still. Instead, they stretch, shift and absorb extra responsibilities over time. A role that started as administration might now include customer service, reporting, supplier coordination and systems support. A marketing role may have expanded into content, events, digital campaigns, CRM management and internal communications. A manager may be carrying work that once sat with the founder, simply because the business grew and someone had to pick it up.

By the time someone resigns, the role on paper may no longer match the role in practice.

That is why a vacancy review is so valuable.

Before briefing a recruiter, advertising the role, or looking for a like-for-like replacement, it is worth asking these five questions.

1. Has the business changed since this role was first created?

Many roles are created for a particular stage of business. They solve a need at the time.

But SMEs change quickly. Customer expectations shift. Technology changes. Teams grow. Processes become more complex. Founders step back from some areas and lean further into others. What the business needed from a role two or three years ago may not be what it needs now.

So before replacing someone, look at what has changed around the role.

Has the team grown?
Has the customer base changed?
Are there new systems, tools or processes in place?
Has the volume or complexity of work increased?
Is the role now supporting different people, priorities or outcomes?

This does not mean the role needs to be completely reinvented. But it may need to be reshaped.

A vacancy gives you the opportunity to recruit for where the business is going, not only where it has been.

2. What outcomes do we now need from this position?

Job descriptions often focus heavily on tasks.

Answer emails. Prepare reports. Coordinate schedules. Manage enquiries. Support campaigns. Process invoices. Update systems.

Tasks matter, but they do not always tell the full story.

A stronger starting point is to ask: what should this role help the business achieve?

For example, instead of simply replacing a “customer service coordinator”, you might realise the real outcome is to improve response times, create a better customer experience, reduce repeat enquiries and give the sales team clearer information.

Instead of hiring another “marketing assistant”, the outcome might be to generate more consistent content, improve campaign coordination, keep the CRM clean and give the business better visibility over what is working.

When you are clear on outcomes, the recruitment brief becomes stronger, and in turn, who you need to attract becomes clearer.

You can then assess candidates against what the role needs to deliver, not just whether they have performed a similar list of duties before.

3. What has been added to the role over time?

Role creep is common in SMEs.

It often happens gradually and with good intent. Someone is capable, so they take on more. A gap appears, so they fill it. A new system is introduced, and they become the default owner. A process breaks, and they become the person who knows how to fix it.

Over time, the role becomes bigger, broader and less clearly defined.

Before replacing someone, ask the outgoing team member what has been added to the role since it was first created, as they will know these details intimately.

Some of that work may still belong there. Some may need to be moved elsewhere. Some may no longer be needed at all. Some may be better handled through technology, outsourcing, or a different role entirely.

This step is especially important if the previous employee was highly capable or had been with the business for a long time. They may have been carrying knowledge, relationships and responsibilities that were never formally recognised.

If you simply recruit a replacement without reviewing that hidden work, you may unintentionally create a role that is too broad, too senior, too junior, or too dependent on one person.

4. What skills will matter more in the next 12 to 24 months?

A vacancy is not only about replacing what has been lost. It is also an opportunity to think about what the business will need next.

The person leaving may have been perfect for the role as it existed. But the next version of the role may require different strengths.

For some businesses, that may mean stronger digital capability. For others, it may mean better communication skills, more commercial thinking, customer relationship management, data confidence, project coordination, or the ability to work across teams.

This is particularly important as technology and AI tools change how work is done. The title of the role may stay the same, while the tasks, expectations and value of the role shift significantly.

Ask yourself:

What skills are becoming more important in this area of the business?
What work is becoming less manual?
What judgement, communication or problem-solving will the person need?
What would help this role stay relevant as the business grows?

Hiring for today’s vacancy is important, but hiring for tomorrow’s capability is even better.

5. What would make this role attractive and sustainable for the right person?

Recruitment is not only about what the business needs. It is also about whether the role makes sense for the candidate you want to attract.

SMEs often need people who are adaptable, hands-on and comfortable working across different areas. That can be a genuine advantage. Many candidates are drawn to roles where they can see their impact, work closely with decision-makers and contribute beyond a narrow job description.

But there is a difference between a varied role and an unrealistic one.

If a role is too broad, unclear or under-resourced, it can become difficult to attract and retain the right person. Candidates may sense that the expectations do not match the salary, level, support or authority attached to the position.

Before going to market, consider the role from the candidate’s point of view.

Is the scope clear?
Are the priorities realistic?
Does the salary reflect the level of responsibility?
Is there enough support for the person to succeed?
Can the role grow in a way that benefits both the employee and the business?

A vacancy can feel urgent, especially in a smaller team. But taking time to review the role before recruitment begins can lead to a better hire, a stronger brief and a more sustainable outcome.

It can help you avoid hiring into outdated expectations, overloading a new employee, or searching for a candidate who may not exist.

Because the best recruitment outcomes start well before posting a job ad. They start with a clear understanding of the work the business needs done, the value the role should create, and the kind of person who can help move the business forward.

Ready for your next hire? Get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.