who
by geoff smart and randy street
This is a great book for anyone who has to hire people, and for that matter, for people who want to get hired. It’s a great book for everyone.
For Geoff Smart and Randy Street of ghSMART, “who” is your number one problem. Forget what, why, how and when, it’s who. But it isn’t just the problem, WHO is “where the magic begins” and this book is written with the key purpose of giving you the solution to this problem, and unleashing the magic and possibility of getting the right people on your team. This is a great read for those seeking to make better “who decisions”.
Smart and Street are in leadership at ghSMART, and build businesses harness the power of Who. They see again and again that we all “let our who guard down sometimes,” and they’re here to help.
The key question they will address is not just how to get the who, but how do we run better hiring processes?
Their recommendation to find the right A players is to build a “clear path to the right superstar.”
But a lot gets in the way: where to find them? how to ensure they are a fit? are they coachable? To clear that path, to get the “A” team, you need to use the “A” method: Source, Scorecard, Select.
- Source: generate a flow of A players. Step one is sourcing people. The authors here discuss the importance of constant sourcing. You should always be asking the question, to just about anyone you meet: who is the most talented person you know in your network? Keep these names on a list, reach out and stay in touch. You turn employees, friends, colleagues, into “talent spotters” and view the business “through a who lens, not just a what one.”
- Scorecard: The card contains three focus areas: Mission, Outcomes, Competencies. Define a mission statement for the role so that you understand not just the jobs core purposes, but the problem that you hope they’ll solve and the outcomes you hope they’ll achieve. You don’t need a generalist superstar for every role: think of it like building a team – who is quarterbacking? who do you need on center? Then define and recognize the core competencies that you think the person should possess in order to accomplish the outcomes, achieve the mission of the role, and most of all, fit within the culture of the organization.
- Select: the four-part interview. This is a comprehensive process. One might say, intense.
- 1. The Screening Interview: 30 minutes learn a bit about them, ask them to help put their strengths into context.
- 2. The Who Interview: The authors outline five questions to ask for each role they have ever held! (Wow). This is incredible, and the authors admit you will get “an immense amount of decision data points.” The key here is see if they can link their outcomes to expectations, rather than just talk generally about events. They stress moving chronologically through each role.
- 3. The Focused Interview: The purpose here is to see if they are a cultural fit. Can they both get the job done and fit into the company culture? Finally: don’t skip the references!
Once you’ve completed this incredibly purposeful and powerful interview process, what is next? SELL. You’ve gotta sell the candidate. Ultimately this means: “put yourself in their shoes and care what they care about.”
You need to sell fit (you fit here! we love you!); family (show them around! sightseeing! get them excited to move!); freedom (A Players do not like to be micromanaged; freedom matters and you need to show that you will support their autonomy in the role.); fortune (how will you reward them if the join and stay in the company? (Pay people what they are worth and give them a strong pathway to understand salary growth, or you will lose them); fun (we might as well have fun while we are working! Show how your company has fun!).
The reality is, you have to SELL the whole time. From the first time you call them up because someone said they were the smartest person they knew, through the screening and Who interview, and beyond: at every step, you have to sell. They are an A player and you need them!
The “A” Method provides a powerful, if not exhaustive, approach to hiring. Essentially this book is the guide to show you how to find people and how to ensure you place WHO at the center – people are the top priority. You have to view your work not just thinking about WHAT but thinking about WHO.
This systematic approach is powerful and gives everyone time to think, learn about each other, and ensure fit. I think what I actually really loved the most about the process was taking time to go through their career chronologically. This gives you a chance to dig into the moves someone has made and helps them tie those together. It gives everyone a moment to discuss “gaps” (for women, these gaps can sometimes mean time to have children and I do not see this as a gap but a powerful shift and time that should be discussed not discounted). I think giving time to someones journey is powerful and honors their experiences and helps everyone understand if this new role and company is a fit.
This is a great read if you are in a season of hiring or searching for a role. I loved it, and I think you will to.