Interviewers stop improvising
Everyone looks for evidence against the same named deliverables.
Decide what “great” means before you meet anyone
Before anyone books an interview, write down what success in this role looks like. The Cipher® is where that goes, and every interviewer rates candidates against it.
- 1
Charge
Why the role exists.
- 2
Outcome
What has changed a year in.
- 3
Deliverables
What the person produces.
- 4
Efforts
The behaviours and work rate required.
Charge, Outcome, Deliverables, Efforts
Four parts turn a broad job description into something an interviewer can ask about and a hiring team can rate.
- 1
The Charge
One sentence naming why you are spending the money on this role at all.
- 2
The Outcome
What has visibly changed twelve months in if the hire goes well.
- 3
The Deliverables
The concrete things the person produces on the way to that outcome.
- 4
The Efforts
The behaviours and work rate those deliverables demand.
From job description to Cipher, in one pass
Paste in the job description you already have and the Cipher wizard drafts all four parts for you to argue with. You edit a real first draft instead of staring at an empty template. Then reviewers give independent feedback before the Cipher is finalised and attached to the job.
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(opens a larger view)Why it changes the interview
Disagreements surface early
You have the argument about the role before four people interview a candidate.
Decisions get a paper trail
A rating against a written deliverable, with a rationale, stays reviewable later.
“Ciphers have not only given us focus on the job deliverables from an internal perspective while writing them, they also provide focus and clarity to the interview team on what’s ‘really’ important.”
Frequently asked questions
What is a Cipher?
A Cipher is a short structured definition of what success in a role looks like, written before interviewing starts. It has four parts: the Charge, Outcome, Deliverables and Efforts. Every candidate rating is made against it.
What do Charge, Outcome, Deliverables and Efforts mean?
The Charge is the one-sentence reason the role exists. The Outcome is the visible change you expect twelve months in. The Deliverables are the concrete things the person produces. The Efforts are the behaviours and work rate those deliverables demand.
Can I turn an existing job description into a Cipher?
Yes. Paste the job description you already have and the Cipher wizard drafts all four parts for you to review and edit.
How is a Cipher different from an interview scorecard?
It does the job of a scorecard, and more. The Cipher defines the role, the interview guides are built from it, and every candidate rating is made against it.
Is there a free way to try it?
Yes. The free Cipher tool lets you build a Cipher for a real role without a sales conversation.
Try it on a real role
Build a Cipher for a role you are hiring right now. The free tool needs no sales call and no card.