Hiring guide
Should I Hire or Automate?
Do not start with software or a job post.
Help owners decide whether work needs a person, tool, simpler process, contractor, or deletion.
Compare paths
Hire vs Automate
Delete first
Work Deletion
The mistake
Automation is not magic, and hiring into a broken workflow can make the workflow more expensive.
The better move
Ask whether the work should exist, whether it can be simplified, whether it needs judgment, and whether the need is recurring enough for payroll.
A practical way to use this guide
Pick one role, task group, or automation idea and describe the work in plain language before using a calculator. Include the repeatable work, the exception handling, the review time, and the decisions the owner still has to make. Hiring looks better on paper when those hidden pieces are left out.
The result can mislead you if revenue is seasonal, the process is undocumented, the owner is the only reviewer, or the new person would inherit unclear priorities. Use the linked tools to decide whether to hire, automate, simplify, or delete work. The best next step is often a smaller role, clearer standards, or removing low-value work before adding headcount.