Templates · Free
UAE Hiring Toolkit
Five fill-in templates for UAE hiring: role brief, must-have worksheet, interview scorecard, hiring timeline and offer checklist.
Includes: Role brief · Must-have / nice-to-have worksheet · Structured interview scorecard · Hiring timeline · Offer checklist (UAE)
Preview
Role brief
Agree the role before anyone writes a job ad. Fill this in with the hiring manager and keep it as the reference for every later decision.
- Role title
- [role title] — use the title candidates search for, not an internal grade.
- Team and reporting line
- [team] reporting to [manager name and title].
- Location and work pattern
- [emirate or city], [on-site / hybrid / remote], [working days and hours].
- Why the role exists now
- New role, replacement or growth? What happens if it stays empty?
- Outcomes in the first year
- Three to five results this person must deliver. Write outcomes, not duties.
- Key relationships
- Who they work with daily, inside and outside the company.
- Salary range and package
- [AED range] basic, plus [housing / transport / other allowances]. Agree this before sourcing starts.
- Visa and sponsorship position
- Will you sponsor a visa? Can you hire someone on another sponsor’s visa? Note any nationality or Emiratisation considerations.
- Target start date
- [date]. Note any notice periods you are prepared to wait for.
- Decision makers
- Who interviews, who signs off the offer, who has a veto.
- Hiring manager has read and agreed the brief.
- Budget owner has approved the salary range.
- Brief is shared with everyone who will interview.
Must-have / nice-to-have worksheet
Split every requirement into what is truly essential and what is a bonus. Short must-have lists widen the pool and make screening fairer.
A must-have is something you would reject a candidate for lacking, even if they were strong everywhere else. If you would still interview them, it is a nice-to-have.
For each requirement, write how you will check it. If you cannot check it, question whether it belongs on the list.
| Requirement | Must-have or nice-to-have | Why it matters for the role | How we will check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| [skill or experience] | [must / nice] | [link to a first-year outcome] | [CV / screening call / work sample / interview question] |
| [skill or experience] | [must / nice] | [link to a first-year outcome] | [method] |
| [skill or experience] | [must / nice] | [link to a first-year outcome] | [method] |
| [language requirement] | [must / nice] | [who they need to communicate with] | [method] |
| [qualification or licence] | [must / nice] | [legal or client requirement, if any] | [document check] |
| [sector or market experience] | [must / nice] | [reason] | [method] |
- No more than a handful of must-haves.
- Years of experience are only a must-have where you can explain why.
- Every must-have links to an outcome in the role brief.
- Nothing on the list screens out candidates for reasons unrelated to the job.
Get the full UAE Hiring Toolkit
3 more parts: Structured interview scorecard, Hiring timeline, Offer checklist (UAE). It opens on this page straight away, ready to print or save as PDF.
Structured interview scorecard
Score each candidate against the same criteria, using the same scale, with evidence written down. One scorecard per interviewer, completed before any group discussion.
- Candidate
- [candidate name]
- Role
- [role title]
- Interviewer
- [interviewer name]
- Interview stage and date
- [stage], [date]
- 1 · Does not meetNo relevant evidence, or the evidence shows a clear gap against the requirement.
- 2 · Partly meetsSome relevant evidence, but thin, theoretical or dependent on others. Would need significant support.
- 3 · MeetsClear, specific examples of doing this well at the level the role needs.
- 4 · ExceedsStrong, repeated evidence above the level the role needs, with measurable results the candidate owned.
| Criterion | Question asked | Evidence heard (what they did, not your impression) | Score 1–4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| [must-have 1] | [question] | ||
| [must-have 2] | [question] | ||
| [must-have 3] | [question] | ||
| [must-have 4] | [question] | ||
| [values or ways of working] | [question] |
- Concerns to test at the next stage
- Specific gaps or doubts, with the reason.
- Overall recommendation
- [strong yes / yes / no / strong no] — and the one piece of evidence that drove it.
- Scorecard completed before talking to other interviewers.
- Every score has written evidence beside it.
- Questions match those asked of other candidates for this role.
Hiring timeline
Map each stage, who owns it and how long you are allowing for it. Set your own targets and agree them with everyone involved before the role goes live.
| Stage | Owner | Target duration | Target finish date | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Role brief and approval | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Job ad written and published | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Sourcing and applications | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Screening and shortlist | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| First interviews | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Work sample or assessment | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Final interviews | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| References and checks | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Offer and negotiation | [name] | [set your target] | [date] | |
| Notice period | [candidate] | [per candidate’s current contract] | [date] | |
| Visa, contract and onboarding steps | [HR / PRO name] | [confirm with your PRO or typing centre] | [date] | |
| Start date | [hiring manager] | — | [date] |
- Interview slots are blocked in diaries before the ad goes live.
- Every stage has one named owner.
- Candidates are told the timeline at the first contact.
- Someone is responsible for chasing a stage that runs late.
Offer checklist (UAE)
Work through these checks from verbal offer to first day. Rules and fees change, so confirm current requirements with MOHRE, your free zone authority or your PRO before you act.
- Salary, allowances and benefits confirmed against the approved range.
- Verbal offer made and candidate’s questions answered.
- Written offer letter issued, with job title, package, start date and conditions.
- Offer letter terms match what will appear in the employment contract.
- Probation terms set out in writing. Check the current rules with MOHRE (or your free zone authority).
- Notice period for both sides set out in writing. Check the current rules with MOHRE (or your free zone authority).
- Candidate’s current notice period and any restrictions in their existing contract understood.
- Employment contract prepared in the required format: MOHRE contract for mainland employers, or the free zone authority’s process.
- Work permit application submitted through the correct channel.
- Entry permit or visa status change arranged, if the hire needs sponsorship.
- Medical fitness test booked.
- Emirates ID application and biometrics booked.
- Residence visa stamping or issuance completed.
- Health insurance arranged in line with the emirate’s requirements.
- Employee added to WPS payroll through your bank or exchange house.
- Bank account details collected for salary payment.
- Signed copies of offer letter and contract filed.
- Onboarding plan and first-week schedule shared with the new hire.
- Equipment, system access and workspace ready for day one.
- Unsuccessful finalists told the outcome.
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