I’ve written seven best-selling books on hiring, and I’ve spent my entire career helping leaders minimize hiring mistakes. Topgrading’s Case Studies tell the story best - dozens of CEOs, from small businesses to global corporations, have said Topgrading has made their companies dramatically more profitable.
So, in this short blog, I want to share the single most useful “secret” I’ve learned about hiring - the one that works every time.
If you’ve been managing people for more than a couple of years, you’ve almost certainly made at least one hiring mistake. You’ve seen firsthand how one bad apple can sour the bunch - how one wrong hire doesn’t just underperform but drags others down too. Even after that person is gone, their lingering mistakes keep causing problems. It’s like a virus that spreads, even after the source is removed.
The truth is that most companies struggle to eliminate hiring mistakes because the so-called “solutions” are too complicated or too hard to implement. Almost every bad hire involves candidates overselling their strengths, hiding their weaknesses, and giving you references who are clearly their friends. And before you know it, you’ve been fooled. Again.
Topgrading has the solution - the Topgrading Truth Motivator.
Tell every applicant that the final step in your hiring process will be for them - not you - to arrange reference calls with the people who know their work best: their former bosses.
Bingo!
No longer will you be conned by candidates telling fibs. Suddenly, you’re left with a pool of honest, capable, high performers. You’ll notice the difference in your very next hire.
I go into much more depth on this - including how to conduct revealing interviews that uncover the whole truth - in my books and webinars. But for now, start by using the Topgrading Truth Motivator. Try it, and enjoy the experience of finally interviewing candidates who are open, genuine, and truthful.
Even though I’m retired, I love to chat with CEOs and HR managers. If you’re interested, please contact my executive assistant, Ange James, to arrange a time to meet.
Topgrading can help you hire honest, high performers. Contact us.
Dr. Brad Smart is Founder and CEO of Topgrading, Inc. Topgrading is dedicated to helping companies of all sizes maximize the hiring of high performers. Topgrading assesses candidates for senior positions (where the costs of hiring mistakes are high) and trains all managers to create teams of almost all high performers. Brad has seven published books on hiring; the most recent three (the first, second, and third editions of Topgrading) were all best sellers.
To learn more, download our free eGuide.
Improve your hiring success with Topgrading. Our proven hiring process will transform your selection methodology so that you get better hiring results across all industries, including hiring HR professionals. Our leadership and candidate assessment tools will help you assess, hire, retain, and grow outstanding team members. Contact us to learn more!
