By , Zach Cutler
Published May 03, 2016
When I started Cutler PR six years ago, focusing on client success and perfecting the craft were at the forefront of my mind. Now, as we’ve grown to become a global company with clients and staff throughout the world, and as we continue to hire, focusing on onboarding “A players” has shifted to the forefront of my responsibilities.
Having or lacking great talent will determine whether a company continues to grow and succeed.
Related: 4 Ways to Tell If Job Candidates Are Telling the Truth
In Who: The A Method for Hiring, authors Geoff Smart and Randy Street detail a systematic method for hiring the right talent -- they call it “The A Method for Hiring.” This approach, which can assist a company to create a team of “A players,” can help make or break long-term success. Here are the elements of Smart and Street’s “A Method for Hiring”:
The scorecard is the blueprint for success in the “A Hiring Method.” It outlines the purpose of the job, what is expected from the employee and what characteristics are needed. Create a scorecard for each open position, and fill each one with the following components:
Don’t expect the right candidate for the job to apply -- actively search for candidates. This is crucial. Look to source candidates through asking network connections if they know talented individuals that may fit the bill. Encourage current employees to use their networks and refer anyone they think would be a good fit for the job.
After referrals, recruiters are the next best source for candidates. Use external recruiters or develop internal recruiting capabilities to find the best candidates, or explore both.
Related: A Short Guide to Offering 'A' Players No-Interest Loans to Purchase Equity
Five interviews may seem excessive, but each serves a specific purpose and brings value to the “A Hiring Method”:
Use the scorecard to grade each candidate. Conduct interviews in a systematic way to get the same data from each candidate. Based on this data, assign an A, B or C grade to each candidate. Select the candidate with the highest grade.
Basing hiring decisions on the scorecards helps to eliminate bias and makes it more likely that the best person is chosen for the job.
Five frogs sit on a lily pad. One decides to jump off. How many frogs are left on the lily pad? Five frogs are left -- just because the frog decided to jump doesn’t mean he or she did.
This riddle highlights the importance of selling to candidates throughout the entire process. A candidate may like the job and the company, but may not take the risk of leaving his or her current job for a new one, or may opt for a different opportunity.
Sell to candidates throughout the entire process, not just at the end, to convince them to make the leap to a new opportunity.
What do you think? What is the most important element of an effective hiring process? Sound off in the comments section below.
Related: How to Poach Talent Politely
https://www.foxnews.com/us/to-recruit-a-players-try-this-5-step-method