Use the Topgrading corporate hiring and interviewing methodology …
Proven Success
Does swapping out your hiring and interviewing process to achieve drastically better results (and avoid costly mis-hires) sound too good to be true?
If so, review dozens of case studies and testimonials from CEOs who were in your shoes before implementing Topgrading and read about their success first-hand. Here are a couple of samples:
- E*TRADE went from hiring 25% A Players before implementing Topgrading strategies to hiring 75% A Players after Topgrading in its upper management. This prompted CEO Paul Idzik to say, “E*TRADE was struggling – it needed a turnaround. It was an existential crisis. Without Topgrading, E*TRADE would have gone under. Topgrading helped us survive and flourish.”
- Aaron Patzer, Mint.com’s founder and owner, remarked that “If I hadn’t Topgraded, Mint.com would have failed. With Topgrading, I sold the company to Intuit for $166 million.” The company credits Topgrading for being able to achieve a 90% A Player hire rate.
The Topgrading method was also evaluated by doctoral candidate Michael S. Lorence at Georgia State University. He found that the mis-hire rates for six companies that hired around 1,000 new employees during the study period dropped to 10.5% – from 69.3% after implementing the Topgrading process!
A Player Characteristics
The goal of Topgrading is to get more A Players on your team. A Players typically are:
- Resourceful
- Humble
- Effective leaders
- Very hard workers
- Passionate with a drive to succeed
- Smart in business and intellect
- Trustworthy
- Consistent
- Self-aware
Topgrading Methodology
Dr Bradford D. Smart coined the term Topgrading in a 1997 article in Directors & Boards magazine. Dr Smart is a management psychologist and consultant to many Global 500 companies (including General Electric) as well as small and mid-size growth companies.
He’s the author of the Wall Street Journal and New York Times best-seller Topgrading: The Proven Hiring and Promoting Method That Turbocharges Company Performance.
Dr Smart developed Topgrading to overcome the challenges of the typical interview process, whereby job candidates can be dishonest – from submitting fake resumes to manipulating interviews.
You’re not alone if your marginal players cause you the most stress and take up too much of your time.
Interested in knowing the secret to improving your hire rate to have more A Players on your team and reduce the number of mis-hires you have (that is costing your organisation time and money)?
That’s where the Topgrading hiring and interview process comes in.
It’s a 12-step process designed to weed out dishonest and unmotivated performers. It can be used for new hires as well as promotions of existing employees.
One of the key aspects of the Topgrading process that sets it apart from other methodologies is the practice of informing candidates at the beginning of the process that they will be required to arrange reference checks from former managers and colleagues.
This Threat of Reference Check can make those who are prone to embellishing their accomplishments back out before you waste your time going through the full evaluation process.
More differentiators of the 12-step Topgrading process from other hiring processes include:
- Threat of Reference Check at the beginning of the process to ensure honesty.
- A detailed job scorecard rather than a vague job description.
- Recruiting from established networks.
- Using Topgrading software for screening.
- Career history evaluated using the Topgrading Snapshot, a visual portrayal with full salary history and performance ratings.
- Multiple interviews including the Telephone Screening Interview, Topgrading Interview and Reference Call Interviews.
There’s a reason major corporations and organisations such as General Electric, the American Heart Association, Honeywell and more have used the Topgrading method – it’s allowed them to significantly improve their A Player hire rate and reduce costly mis-hires.
It might be worthwhile for you to look into Topgrading for your organisation.
If you would like to learn more about implementing Topgrading into your organisation, please reach out.
Take your business to the next level with a personalised report…
Take your business to the next level with a complete Business Action Plan in just 10 minutes or less… It’s a completely free tool.
You’ll receive a scorecard that’s been designed to show entrepreneurs, CEOs and Leadership Teams their blind spots and provide instant, actionable steps on how to improve.
Your Action Plan covers your Leadership Team, your People, your Strategy, your Customer, Execution, Cash and you as a CEO.
It’s proven to work and will provide key insights that you can action immediately. Take the survey and get your Action Plan instantly here.
Or, feel free to email us at jonathan@scaleupgrowth.co or call +61 (0) 408 748 980.
I hope you have enjoyed these insights. Have a great week and stay growth-focused!
Best Wishes,
Jonathan
