Who: The A Method for Hiring

by Geoff Smart

For example, let’s say you are hiring a VP of sales. The scorecard you created has four outcomes on it: 1. Grow domestic sales from $500 million to $600 million by December 31, and continue growing them by 20 percent per year for the next five years. 2. Maintain at least a 45 percent gross margin across the portfolio of products annually. 3. Who the sales organization, ensuring 90 percent or more of all new hires are A Players as defined by the sales scorecards. Achieve a 90 percent or better ratio of A Players across the team within three years through hiring and coaching. Remove all chronic C Players within ninety days of identification. 4. Create a sales strategy that the CEO approves during the annual planning cycle. In addition, let’s say you have identified six competencies that define success in the job: 1. Aggressive 2. Persistent 3. Hires A Players 4. Holds people accountable 5. Follows through on commitments 6. Open to criticism and feedback Try assigning three members of your team to perform focused interviews based on this scorecard. The first interviewer takes the first two outcomes and the first two competencies because they all have to do with growing sales and managing costs, and the behaviors that support both. The second interviewer has responsibility for the outcome related to Who and the two competencies having to do with how the candidate builds the team. That leaves everything else for the third interviewer. Each interview should take forty-five minut...