Here’s the truth…most women founders wait way too long to make their first hire. And when they finally do, they’re so overwhelmed they hand over the keys to the business (and their sanity) to the first person who seems remotely competent and is willing to take on the chaotic mess.
But the first hire? It’s not just about saving your time. It’s an investment in your business, your growth, and frankly, your ability to not lose your damn mind. So, let’s back it up and figure out – are you actually ready to hire?
There is only one way to find out. Write a job description.
How to Write a Job Description for Your First Hire
Step 1: Start With the Pain
Don’t start with the fantasy – “I need a COO who can run the business, do my social media, and also be my therapist.” No. Start with the actual pain. What is making you lose money, miss deadlines, or snap at your kids? What are you constantly behind on? What profitable work is slipping through your fingers because there just isn’t enough time in the day?
Make a list of everything you do. All day. Let’s start with work only for now, and trust us, its going to be long. Then, code it green: I have to do it, yellow: I could share it, or red: for God’s sake why am I still doing this.
Now, don’t miss this step. Look at the green ones. What percentage of the day does this take up?
Now make another list. If you were able to clear some of those out, what would you do with that time? How would it make you money? Or how would it save you money and make you more profits.
If the value of that green list outweighs the cost of the hire, move on to step two. And don’t be overly cautious here – dream a little. Think about the Return on Investment (ROI) over at least six months, not just the first few weeks.
Step 2: Define the Win
Here’s where most people screw it up. They write job descriptions like they’re copying and pasting from LinkedIn, “Must be detail-oriented. Must thrive in a fast-paced environment. Must love juggling 19,000 tasks with a smile.”
Stop. Just stop.
What you need to write is the outcome you want to see in 90 days.
For example:
- “Our marketing calendar is organized, content is going out on time, and I haven’t touched Canva in a month.”
- “Invoices go out, payments come in, and I’m no longer panicking every 30 days.”
- “Client onboarding feels like a seamless welcome party, not a chaotic mess with the client already a little miffed about missed expectations.”
- “I get to see TWO of my kids’ soccer games and arrive ON TIME.”
Be that specific. The clearer you are about the result, the easier it is to find the right person, or realize you’re asking for a unicorn and need to rethink.
Step 3: Write the Real Job (Not the Frankenstein One)
You know what we’ve seen too many times? Founders write one job description that’s secretly three jobs in a trench coat.
“I need a sales and marketing support person…who can also do sales forecasting…and build my Shopify store…and take over all sales calls.”
That’s not a support person. That’s a startup founder. Congratulations! You just described yourself.
Instead, write the job for what it actually is. One role. One primary function. Maybe 10-15 hours a week to start. Keep it clean, or you’ll hire someone mediocre who is okay at everything and great at nothing.
And let’s not pretend you are going to have a lot of upfront time to train them if the job is too big anyway. You’ll be drowning in onboarding, frustrated with their lack of telepathy, and silently blaming them for not fixing your chaos. Don’t set them – or you – up to fail.
Step 4: Put a Price on It
Here’s where it gets real. You’ve got the role. You know the pain. You’ve defined the win. Now…what does that win earn you?
Is freeing up your time worth an extra $1,500 a month if you can land three more clients with that time?
Would you sleep better, show up to your calls stronger, and stop snapping at your spouse if you weren’t doing late-night admin work? Would you not do a drive-by tuck in for your kids because you have to get back to the work that’s piled up?
If the answer is yes, then you can afford it, or truer still, you can’t afford not to hire.
If the answer is no – if you can’t identify where this hire will make you money, save you real time, or give you peace – then don’t hire yet. Fix your offer, your pricing, or your workflow. Then come back and write this job description again.
Final Gut Check
Read what you wrote. Does this job:
- Solve a real problem?
- Generate (or save) money?
- Free you up to do higher-value work?
- Sound realistic for one human to do?
If the answer is yes, it’s time to hire, and now you’ve got the clarity to do it right.
If no, pour yourself a glass of wine, breathe, and wait. Hiring too soon is expensive. Hiring the wrong person is worse. But hiring when you’re clear and ready? That’s a rocket fuel moment.
