Eben Pagan interviews Brad Smart about hiring A-players and the costly impact of mishires on business growth. Smart reveals that the average mishire costs companies $1.5 million and wastes 150 hours annually, while explaining proven strategies for identifying and hiring top performers.
Eben Interviews Brad Smart Hiring
How to Conduct A-Player Interviews -- Brad Smart's proven methodology for identifying high performers through structured interviews
Hardest People Decisions Involve Early Team Members
The toughest people decisions entrepreneurs face involve those closest to them who helped start or build the company but now drag it down
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Top Grade from the Top Down in Hiring
Top grade from the top down because C player managers will be threatened by A player employees, leading to high turnover and frustrated high performers
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Why C Players Sabotage High Performers
C players are amazingly creative in undermining A players because high performers pose a threat by asking embarrassing questions in meetings and wanting to accomplish goals in half the time
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A Players Commit Where C Players Hedge
A players give you confidence about weekend deadlines by committing to do whatever it takes, while C players say they'll 'try their best' leaving you worried
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Cost of a Mishire 150 Hours and 1.5M
The average mishire wastes 150 hours annually and costs companies $1.5 million according to research from 52 companies with $100,000 average salaries
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How to Conduct A-Player Interviews -- Brad Smart's proven methodology for identifying high performers through structured interviews
Evaluate Key Team Members Twice a Year for Company Fit
Evaluate key team members honestly a couple times per year to determine if the company is outgrowing them, and narrow responsibilities so they can become A players again or help them transition out
Choosing vs Discovering Your Niche: A Critical Distinction
Companies that top grade and replace C players with A players become more successful, people have more fun, and everyone works fewer hours because they're not compensating for weak performers
Why C Players Sabotage High Performers
C players are amazingly creative in undermining A players because high performers pose a threat by asking embarrassing questions in meetings and wanting to accomplish goals in half the time
Chronological Interview Technique for Spotting A-Players
Team up with another A-player in your company to conduct chronological interviews asking specific questions about past successes and future plans to identify high performers
A Players Seek Challenge While C Players Avoid It
A players naturally gravitate toward other A players and challenging situations, while C players avoid discomfort and prefer hanging out with other low performers
A Players Commit Where C Players Hedge
A players give you confidence about weekend deadlines by committing to do whatever it takes, while C players say they'll 'try their best' leaving you worried
Top Grade from the Top Down in Hiring
Top grade from the top down because C player managers will be threatened by A player employees, leading to high turnover and frustrated high performers
Cost of a Mishire 150 Hours and 1.5M
The average mishire wastes 150 hours annually and costs companies $1.5 million according to research from 52 companies with $100,000 average salaries
Hardest People Decisions Involve Early Team Members
The toughest people decisions entrepreneurs face involve those closest to them who helped start or build the company but now drag it down
Sales Rep Mishires Cost Six Times Base Salary
Sales rep mishires cost an average of $583,000 or about 6 times base salary according to surveys of sales managers
A Players vs C Players Behavioral Differences
A players hang out with other A players, take responsibility, and seek challenging situations. C players avoid discomfort, prefer other C players, and actively undermine high performers because they feel threatened by their strategic thinking and ambitious goals.
When to Narrow or Remove Team Member Responsibilities
Evaluate key team members honestly a couple times per year to determine if the company is outgrowing them. If someone can't function at a high performer level, narrow their responsibilities so they can succeed or help them transition out.
Chronological Interview Questions Paired with A Player
Team up with another A player and conduct chronological interviews asking specific questions about past successes and future plans. Ask for specifics around achievements and use the patterns you discover to assess relevant competencies.
C Player Managers Drive Out A Player Talent
C player managers will be threatened by A player employees, leading to high turnover and frustrated high performers. You must have A players in management positions first, then they'll naturally hire other A players below them.
True Cost of a Bad Sales Hire
According to Brad Smart's research, the average mishire costs $1.5 million (15 times base salary) for positions with $100,000 average salaries, and wastes 150 hours annually in management time.
A Players Challenge Themselves C Players Avoid Discomfort
A players hang out with A players, and C players hang out with C players. A players take responsibility, like to be around people that challenge them, like to be around challenging situations. C players like to avoid anything that's going to make them uncomfortable or challenge them in any way.
C Players Exclude A Players From Their Circle
The C players not only like to hang out with C players go out and have a beer after work They don like those A players around They a pain in the neck
Weak Hires Give You Gray Hair and Cost a Fortune
if you start putting pencil to paper on the costs, the financial costs and the times of having weak people reporting to you, it gives you gray hair.
High Performers Make Teams More Fun and Productive
Whereas if you have a team of high performers, you're going to have a lot more fun because you can be a lot more productive.
Topgrade from the Top Down — First Principle
the first principle of top grading, you know, Evan, is top grade from the top down.
Three Modalities Reach 80 Percent Comprehension
What is the difference between A players and C players?
Team Evaluation Frequency and Cadence
How often should you evaluate your team members?
Identifying A Players During the Interview Process
How do you identify A players in interviews?
Cost of a Bad Hire
How much does a bad hire cost a company?
Why Hire from the Top Down
Why should you hire from the top down?
Concepts
Canonical Teachings
Brad Smart reveals the shocking financial impact of mishires through extensive research. His study of 52 companies shows the average bad hire costs $1.5 million and wastes 150 hours annually. These aren't just numbers - they represent real productivity losses that compound over time.
Smart explains why A players and C players naturally segregate and conflict with each other. High performers seek challenge and accountability, while low performers actively undermine A players who threaten them with strategic thinking and ambitious goals. This dynamic creates organizational toxicity that must be addressed from the top down.
Smart's proven approach involves two A players conducting chronological interviews that reveal patterns of competency. By asking specific questions about past achievements and future plans, this method provides confidence in identifying high performers before they're hired.
The fundamental principle of top grading requires starting with leadership positions and cascading down. C player managers will sabotage A player employees, creating turnover and frustration. Smart emphasizes the importance of regular team evaluations and making tough decisions about team members who no longer fit growing companies.
Claim: “You can train and develop any employee to become a high performer with enough time and effort”
Reframe: A players and C players have fundamentally different approaches to work and challenges - A players seek out difficulty and accountability while C players avoid discomfort and undermine high performers
Claim: “Bad hires are just a minor setback that you can work around or improve with coaching”
Reframe: The average mishire costs $1.5 million and wastes 150 hours annually, making hiring decisions among the most financially critical choices entrepreneurs make
How To Avoid Making A "Mis-Hire"
Discover the hiring methodology that helped Eben Pagan build a multi-million dollar virtual business and avoid costly mis-hires.
How To Avoid Potential "Blind Spots" When Interviewing
The interview technique that reveals what traditional interviews miss — using your network to uncover candidate blind spots.
Who To Hire For Critical Roles In Your Business
Discover why hiring just one C-player can destroy your entire team's performance and how A-players multiply each other's power exponentially.
Tips For Building A Team
The shocking truth: most people you hire will cost your business 20 times their annual salary when they fail.
Power People
Why the team members you hire will either make or break your business—and the counterintuitive hiring strategy that built Eben's multi-million dollar company.
Learning Learn
Discover why traditional learning fails entrepreneurs and how to transform your brain into a self-building computer that adapts to any situation.
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes
