Eben Pagan reveals why 75% of all hires are costly mistakes that can cost 20 times their annual salary, and shares proven techniques from Brad Smart's Top Grading methodology for identifying A-players. He explains how to build elite teams that accelerate business growth rather than drain resources.
Tips For Building A Team
How to Conduct a Top Grading Interview -- A systematic approach to identifying A-players through comprehensive work history interviews
C-Players Build Black Boxes for Job Security
C-players create job security by setting up 'black boxes' - systems that only they understand, making them difficult to remove
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A-Players Perform Twice as Well and Grow into Bigger Roles
A-players are not just a little better than average - they perform twice as well and naturally grow into higher roles within the organization
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Recruit Ahead of Need to Properly Evaluate Candidates
The worst time to hire is when you need someone immediately; start recruiting 3 months ahead when you have time to properly evaluate candidates
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Expect Team Members to Achieve 60-80 Percent of Your Results
Only expect other people to achieve 60-80% of your results, and accept this as excellent performance for delegation
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Serial Interview Technique Reveals Excuse Patterns vs Results
Conduct serial interviews covering every job a candidate has ever had to identify patterns of excuses versus results-driven behavior
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How to Conduct a Top Grading Interview -- A systematic approach to identifying A-players through comprehensive work history interviews
A-Players Maintain Relationships With All Former Bosses
A-players maintain positive relationships with all their former bosses and can immediately provide references, while C-players avoid or fear reference checks
The True Cost of a Mis-Hire: 20 Times Annual Salary
Mis-hires cost approximately 20 times their annual salary when accounting for lost productivity, training costs, damaged relationships, and cleanup efforts
Recruit Ahead of Need to Properly Evaluate Candidates
The worst time to hire is when you need someone immediately; start recruiting 3 months ahead when you have time to properly evaluate candidates
A-Players Perform Twice as Well and Grow into Bigger Roles
A-players are not just a little better than average - they perform twice as well and naturally grow into higher roles within the organization
First Hires Should Free Your Entrepreneurial Time
The first people you hire should take work off your plate so you can focus more time on products and marketing as the chief entrepreneur
Serial Interview Technique Reveals Excuse Patterns vs Results
Conduct serial interviews covering every job a candidate has ever had to identify patterns of excuses versus results-driven behavior
C-Players Build Black Boxes for Job Security
C-players create job security by setting up 'black boxes' - systems that only they understand, making them difficult to remove
Expect Team Members to Achieve 60-80 Percent of Your Results
Only expect other people to achieve 60-80% of your results, and accept this as excellent performance for delegation
Reference Check Question That Reveals A-Players
Ask candidates: 'When I talk to your boss from that job, what will they say about your strengths and weaknesses?' A-players maintain good relationships with former bosses and welcome reference checks, while C-players get nervous because they know their former bosses won't give good references.
A-Players Solve Obstacles — C-Players Blame Everyone Else
Conduct serial interviews covering their entire work history. A-players focus on delivering results despite obstacles ('we got creative and figured out how to get the job done'), while C-players make excuses ('my boss was dumb', 'the company cut corners').
A Mis-Hire Costs 20 Times Their Annual Salary
According to research, a mis-hire costs approximately 20 times their annual salary. So a $50,000 employee who doesn't work out will cost your business around $1 million when you factor in hiring time, poor performance, problems created, and cleanup costs.
Why Hiring Friends and Family Destroys Businesses
No, hiring friends and family is a great way to destroy a business. It creates weird relationship dynamics, makes performance management difficult, and often results in people who rely on you for employment rather than contributing to growth.
Start Recruiting Three Months Before You Need Anyone
Start recruiting 3 months before you actually need someone. Look ahead at business growth, identify future hiring needs, then spend months talking to 1-2 candidates per week. The worst time to hire is when you need someone immediately.
Five Animal Drives — Survival Status Sex Security and Love
Expect others to achieve 60-80% of your results, and consider this excellent performance. They won't be as good as you at what you're uniquely excellent at, but this level allows effective delegation and business growth.
Bad Hires Cost Up to 20 Times Annual Salary
when someone is a mishire, as phenomenal as this is and as hard as it is to believe, they typically cost something like 20 times their annual salary when it's all said and done
A-Players Pull Success Out of the Jaws of Defeat
the a player is always figuring out how to pull success out of the jaws of defeat
Worst Hiring Moment Is When You Need Someone Immediately
The worst time to hire someone is when you need them right now
No Great Success Is Possible Without Other People
no great success or growth is possible without other people
Performance Expectations When Delegating Tasks
What performance level should I expect from people I delegate to?
Hiring Friends or Family Members Risk
How can I tell if someone is results-driven during interviews?
Best Interview Question to Identify A-Players
What's the best interview question to identify A-players?
When to Start Recruiting for Future Hires
When is the best time to start recruiting for new hires?
Getting in Front of Prospects and Asking Questions
Should I hire friends or family members for my business?
The True Financial Cost of a Single Bad Hire
How much does a bad hire actually cost a business?
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Eben reveals the shocking truth that 75% of all hires are costly mistakes, with each mis-hire costing approximately 20 times their annual salary. He explains why most entrepreneurs underestimate the true damage of bad hiring decisions.
Learn why A-players don't just perform slightly better than average employees - they deliver twice the results and naturally grow into revenue-generating roles. Eben explains how to spot these top performers during the interview process.
Discover Brad Smart's proven methodology for identifying elite talent through comprehensive work history interviews. Learn the specific questions that reveal whether candidates are results-driven or excuse-makers.
Eben shares practical advice on when to hire, how to set realistic performance expectations, and why proactive recruiting beats desperate hiring. He emphasizes the importance of systems and standard operating procedures for long-term success.
Claim: “Hire anyone who applies when you need help right away”
Reframe: Only hire A-players after thorough evaluation, even if it takes months
Claim: “It's fine to hire friends and family for business roles”
Reframe: Hiring friends and family is a great way to destroy a business
Claim: “A bad hire just wastes a little time and money”
Reframe: Mis-hires cost 20 times their annual salary in total business damage
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.
Eben Interviews Brad Smart Hiring
Discover why the average bad hire costs your company $1.5 million and learn the proven interview techniques that guarantee you'll identify A-players every time.
Mindsets For Taking Action In Your Business
Stop planning and start doing - Eben reveals why most entrepreneurs never execute and the mindset shifts that separate action-takers from dreamers.
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.
Coaching Strategies
Business Frameworks
Common Mistakes
