Hiring and Firing

Managing Research Software Projects

Greg Wilson

2026

Learning Objectives

  • Describe the most common mistakes in hiring for a research software position.
  • Understand why and how to create a structured onboarding plan.
  • Know how to protect yourself if you are the one being let go.

Hiring Basics

  • Talk to Human Resources before doing anything else.
  • Always post positions publicly, even if you think you know who you want.
  • Publish a salary band before applications open.
  • Describe the actual job so both sides understand it.

Interviewing

  • Interviewers overrate performance under artificial pressure.
  • They underrate communication skills and documentation habits.
  • Social legibility favors candidates from networks the interviewer recognizes.
  • Prefer work samples over whiteboard problems, and pay candidates for their time.
  • Good work samples mirror what the job actually involves.

Onboarding

  • A new hire who leaves after three months costs more than hiring saved.
  • Week one: get, build, and run all of the software.
  • Week two: complete one small task with close supervision.
  • Month one: first significant pull request reviewed and merged.
  • Newcomers are good at updating documentation and refreshing examples.

Firing

  • Talk to HR before telling anyone on your team.
  • Check with someone outside the project who has no stake in the outcome.
  • Create a transition plan with immediate steps like passwords and permissions.
  • No surprises: give clear warnings and a genuine chance to improve.
  • Keep the delivery short and stick to practical matters.
  • Tell the team briefly and factually, and keep a written record.

Being Fired

  • You are not a lawyer: do not cite specific laws unless a lawyer tells you to.
  • Keep public statements brief and factual.
  • Correct mistakes publicly with a timestamped correction, not an edit.
  • Be honest about your own failings.
  • Do not sign away your right to speak about moral or legal concerns.
  • Do not expect the organization to admit it was wrong.

What about AI?

  • LLMs can check job posting requirements for internal consistency
  • LLM cover letters make polished applications cheap, lowering their signal value
  • LLM resume screening can introduce and amplify bias
  • LLM-prepared candidates often do well on expected questions and poorly on follow-ups

The Hiring Brief (10 min)

Write the job description for the next hire on your team, thene check it against these questions:

  • Does it describe the actual work, or the ideal candidate?
  • Does it include a salary range?
  • Does it describe how candidates will be evaluated?

Use an LLM to critique what you wrote:

I’m hiring a research software engineer for a small academic project. Here is my draft job description. Identify any language that might discourage qualified candidates from applying or that signals poor hiring practices.

Transition Plan (8 min)

Write a transition plan for the most critical role on your current team. The plan should include:

  • What knowledge or access only they currently hold
  • The steps needed to transfer or document that knowledge
  • The immediate actions required on their last day