Top Grading

Just because you're working from home doesn't mean you can skip hiring stars and running your business professionally

Eben warns that the virtual environment can create a casual mindset that causes people to not take their business seriou

Smooth talkers are typically poor executors despite their impressive communication abilities and system design skills

Pagan coined the phrase 'smooth talkers usually aren't smooth doers' and describes how they excel at drawing beautiful a

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

Brad Smart's top grading interview guide methodology, which involves two A-players interviewing finalists together using

A players naturally gravitate toward other A players and challenging situations, while C players avoid discomfort and prefer hanging out with other low performers

Brad Smart's observation from working with companies including a former secretary of the treasury who confirmed that sen

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

Brad Smart's direct observation that C players find A players to be 'a pain in the neck' because they ask strategic ques

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

Brad Smart's first principle of top grading based on his research showing that A players reporting to C players creates

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

Brad Smart's specific example of breaking up marketing and sales roles when someone excels at sales but lacks strategic

The average mishire wastes 150 hours annually and costs companies $1.5 million according to research from 52 companies with $100,000 average salaries

Brad Smart's survey of 500 people and study of 52 companies showing mishires cost 15 times base salary, updated from ear

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

Brad Smart's specific example contrasting Joe the C player who says 'I'll certainly try' versus Pete the A player who co

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

Brad Smart's observations from visiting client companies over years showing reduction from 70-80 hour weeks to more norm

What is a tandem top grading interview

It's an interview technique where two people interview one candidate simultaneously - one person asks questions while the other takes notes. This allows the questioner to focus on responses and probe deeper while ensuring detailed documentation.

From: How To Avoid Making A "Mis-Hire"

What percentage of hires are unsuccessful according to hiring experts?

75% of all hires are mis-hires according to Brad Smart, author of Top Grading. This means only 1 in 4 hires are actually successful.

From: The Most Dangerous Mistake You Can Make When Hiring

How do I hire and retain top talent for virtual teams?

Focuses specifically on virtual team building and remote talent management strategies.