Hiring Your First Editor: What to Set Up Before They Join
Your first hire is usually an editor, because editing is the most time-consuming part of the job that doesn't require you specifically. But handing off editing without any structure just moves the chaos from your desktop to theirs.
Set this up first
- A clear editing style guide — color tone, cropping preferences, delivery format
- A defined stage system so you both know what 'in progress' means
- Access limited to the shoots assigned to them, not every client's files
- A single place for you to leave feedback, not scattered WhatsApp voice notes
What changes once they're in
The real shift isn't the extra hands — it's that editing stops being something only you can track. Once it lives in a shared system instead of your head, a client asking 'when will it be ready?' becomes a question you can answer in seconds, from anywhere.
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