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Key Lessons from "Who: The A Method for Hiring" by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

1. Focus on Who, Not What

• Who is the top priority, encompassing the individuals who will drive decisions and strategies.
• What refers to the strategies, products, services, and processes used in the company.
• Hiring mistakes are costly, often resulting in expenses 15 times an employee’s base salary due to productivity losses and hard costs.

2. Avoid Voodoo Hiring Methods

• The Art Critic: Avoid making snap judgments about candidates.
• The Sponge: Do not rely on collective but shallow assessments from multiple interviewers.
• The Prosecutor: Trick questions and aggressive interviewing don’t reveal true job performance capability.
• The Suitor: Focus on assessing the candidate instead of trying to impress them.
• The Trickster: Gimmicks are ineffective for evaluating a candidate’s real abilities.
• The Animal Lover: Avoid pet questions that lack relevance to the job.
• The Chatterbox: Ensure interviews focus on evaluating the candidate’s fit for the role.
• The Psychological and Personality Tester: Personality tests are easily manipulated and not always predictive of job performance.
• The Aptitude Tester: Aptitude tests should not be the sole determinant in hiring.
• The Fortune-Teller: Hypothetical questions don’t predict future job performance accurately.

3. Implement the Four Steps of the A Method

1. Scorecard
   • Define clear job outcomes and competencies.
   • Ensure the scorecard focuses on results and cultural fit.
2. Source
   • Systematically source candidates to build a pipeline of high-quality candidates.
   • Use personal and professional networks to find top talent.
3. Select
   • Conduct structured interviews including screening, Topgrading, focused, and reference interviews.
4. Sell
   • Effectively sell the job and company to the candidate, addressing their key motivations.

4. Conduct Effective Interviews

• Screening Interview: Short, phone-based to eliminate B and C players quickly.
• Topgrading Interview: Detailed chronological career walk-through to identify patterns of success and failure.
• Focused Interview: Behavioral interview focusing on specific outcomes and competencies.
• Reference Interview: Verify the candidate’s claims and gather insights from previous employers.

5. Topgrading Interview Techniques

• Interrupting: Politely interrupt to keep the interview on track.
• The Three P’s: Clarify the value of accomplishments by comparing performance year-over-year, against the plan, and against peers.
• Push Versus Pull: Identify whether the candidate was pushed out or pulled to greater opportunities.
• Painting a Picture: Get detailed descriptions to visualize the candidate’s claims.
• Stopping at the Stop Signs: Probe deeper when candidates show signs of discomfort or hesitation.

6. Building and Using Scorecards

• Mission: Clear summary of the job’s core purpose.
• Outcomes: Specific, measurable goals for the role.
• Competencies: Behavioral expectations that align with the company culture and job requirements.

7. Sourcing A Players

• Referrals: Use personal and professional networks for high-quality referrals.
• Internal Referrals: Encourage employees to refer candidates.
• Recruiters and Researchers: Hire external experts to find top talent.

8. Sell the Opportunity

• Address the candidate’s concerns regarding fit, family, freedom, fortune, and fun.
• Continue selling throughout the hiring process, including after the candidate has accepted the offer.

9. Avoid Legal Pitfalls

• Ensure relevance in questions and assessments.
• Standardize the hiring process to ensure fairness.
• Use non-discriminatory language and avoid illegal questions.

10. Building an A Team