hire

Set up a new AI team member through a guided conversation. Not a config generator - a hiring process.

When to Use

User says something like:

• "I want to hire a new agent"
• "I need help with X" (where X implies a new agent role)
• "Let's add someone to the team"
• /hire

The Interview

3 core questions, asked one at a time:

Q1: "What do you need help with?" Let them describe the problem, not a job title. "I'm drowning in code reviews" beats "I need a code reviewer."

• Listen for: scope, implied autonomy level, implied tools needed

Q2: "What's their personality? Formal, casual, blunt, cautious, creative?" Or frame it as: "If this were a human colleague, what would they be like?"

• Listen for: communication style, vibe, how they interact

Q3: "What should they never do?" The red lines. This is where trust gets defined.

• Listen for: boundaries, safety constraints, access limits

Q4: Dynamic (optional)

After Q1-Q3, assess whether anything is ambiguous or needs clarification. If so, ask ONE follow-up question tailored to what's unclear. Examples:

• "You mentioned monitoring - should they alert you immediately or batch updates?"
• "They'll need access to your codebase - any repos that are off-limits?"
• "You said 'casual' - are we talking friendly-professional or meme-level casual?"

If Q1-Q3 were clear enough, skip Q4 entirely.

Summary Card

After the interview, present a summary:

🎯 Role: [one-line description]
🧠 Name: [suggested name from naming taxonomy]
🤖 Model: [selected model] ([tier])
⚡ Personality: [2-3 word vibe]
🔧 Tools: [inferred from conversation]
🚫 Boundaries: [key red lines]
🤝 Autonomy: [inferred level: high/medium/low]

Then ask: "Want to tweak anything, or are we good?"

Model Selection

Before finalizing, select an appropriate model for the agent.

Step 1: Discover available models

Run openclaw models list or check the gateway config to see what's configured.

Step 2: Categorize by tier

Map discovered models to capability tiers:

Use pattern matching on model names - don't hardcode specific versions.

Step 3: Match role to tier

Based on the interview:

• Heavy reasoning/advisory/strategy → reasoning tier
• Research/writing/creative → balanced tier
• Code-focused → code tier (or balanced if not available)
• High-volume/monitoring → fast tier

Step 4: Select and confirm

Pick the best available model for the role. In the summary card, add:

🤖 Model: [selected model] ([tier] - [brief reason])

If multiple good options exist or you're unsure, ask: "For a [role type] role, I'd suggest [model] (good balance of capability and cost). Or [alternative] if you want [deeper reasoning / faster responses / lower cost]. Preference?"

Notes

• Don't assume any specific provider - work with what's available
• Cheaper is better when capability is sufficient
• The user's default model isn't always right for every agent
• If only one model is available, use it and note it in the summary

Optional Extras

After the summary is confirmed, offer:

1. "Want to set up periodic performance reviews?"

   • If yes: ask preferred frequency (weekly, biweekly, monthly)
   • Create a cron job that triggers a review conversation
   • Review covers: what went well, what's not working, scope/permission adjustments
   • At the end of each review, ask: "Want to keep this schedule, change frequency, or stop reviews?"

2. Onboarding assignment (if relevant to the role)

   • Suggest a small first task to test the new agent
   • Something real but low-stakes, so the user can see them in action

What to Generate

Create an agent directory at agents/<name>/ with:

Always unique (generated fresh):

• AGENTS.md - Role definition, responsibilities, operational rules, what they do freely vs ask first
• IDENTITY.md - Name, emoji, creature type, vibe, core principles

Start from template, customize based on interview:

• SOUL.md - Base from workspace SOUL.md template, customize vibe/boundaries sections
• TOOLS.md - Populated with inferred tools and access notes
• HEARTBEAT.md - Empty or with initial periodic tasks if relevant to role

Symlink to shared (default, opinionated):

• USER.md → ../../USER.md (they need to know who they work for)
• MEMORY.md → ../../MEMORY.md (shared team context)

Mention to the user: "I've linked USER.md and MEMORY.md so they know who you are and share team context. You can change this later if you want them more isolated."

Naming

Use craft/role-based names. Check TOOLS.md for the full naming taxonomy:

• Research: Scout, Observer, Surveyor
• Writing: Scribe, Editor, Chronicler
• Code: Smith, Artisan, Engineer
• Analysis: Analyst, Assessor, Arbiter
• Creative: Muse, Artisan
• Oversight: Auditor, Reviewer, Warden

Check existing agents to avoid name conflicts. Suggest a name that fits the role, but let the user override.

Team Awareness

Before generating, check agents/ for existing team members. Note:

• Potential overlaps with existing roles
• Gaps this new hire fills
• How they'll interact with existing agents

Mention any relevant observations: "You already have Scout for research - this new role would focus specifically on..."

After Setup

1. Tell the user what was created and where
2. Add the agent to OpenClaw config with the selected model:

   {
     "id": "<name>",
     "workspace": "/path/to/clawd/agents/<name>",
     "model": "<selected-model>"
   }
   

   Or guide them to run openclaw agents add
3. If monthly reviews were requested, confirm the cron schedule
4. Update any team roster if one exists

Important

• This is a CONVERSATION, not a form. Be natural.
• Infer as much as possible from context. Don't ask what you can figure out.
• The user might not know what they want exactly. Help them figure it out.
• Keep the whole process under 5 minutes for the simple case.