I need to decide what AI should do before I hire for a role

What it is

A short audit to run before opening a role, or when someone leaves. It turns “should AI replace this job?” into a list of concrete outputs. Alex Hormozi describes the idea in a March 2026 video: write down the four to ten things a hire would actually do, and ask whether each could live inside a workflow instead of headcount.

How it works

1. List the outputs, not the duties: “weekly pipeline report”, “first reply to inbound leads”, “invoice follow-ups”.
2. Mark each one: automate, assist (AI drafts, a person approves) or human (judgment, relationships, accountability).
3. Check each AI step for data and access. Can the AI reach what it needs safely?
4. Pilot the automate and assist items for two weeks with a named reviewer.
5. Write the job description around what remains, and turn the rest into SOPs.

Benefits

• Clearer hiring. The role is defined by work AI can’t do well.
• Faster onboarding. The SOPs you wrote become the new hire’s manual and the AI’s instructions.

Limits and risks

• Pilots lie when baselines are guessed. Time the current way first; don’t estimate the “before” number.
• Hidden work. Roles include relationship and judgment work that doesn’t show on a task list. Ask the person doing it.
• Employment law. Restructuring or removing roles can carry legal duties. Get advice before acting on an audit.

This page is about planning work, not employment decisions. It isn’t legal or HR advice; changing or removing roles can carry legal duties, so check the rules that apply to you.