From the Desk of Brad Smart: How to Hire High Performers, A Players

I recently hosted a webinar on one of the toughest challenges leaders face: how to hire A Players. This blog summarizes the key points from that session, and I’ve included a link to the full recording below.

Why Most Companies Struggle

The reality is sobering: on average, companies only hire 25% A Players, while the rest are average or worse. That means you usually churn through three people before finding one who truly performs.

And the cost? A sales rep hiring mistake drains 5× salary. A manager hiring mistake can run 15× salary. One executive hiring mistake can cost millions. Bad hires don’t just dent your budget - they eat away at culture, execution, and momentum.

What Makes an A Player

Through more than 6,500 executive assessments, I’ve seen the same traits again and again. A Players are:

• Grounded and humble (not egomaniacs).
• Driven and resourceful - finding ways over, around, or through obstacles.
• Consistent high performers, trusted by peers and bosses.
• Surrounded by other high performers (because A Players attract A Players).

That’s the benchmark. And yes - you can hire them consistently.

Six Keys to Hiring A Players

1. Build Job Scorecards, Not Job Descriptions.
   Generic job descriptions set you up for generic hires. Job Scorecards define measurable accountabilities, values, and competencies so you know exactly what success looks like.
2. Source Like It Matters.
   Great hires rarely fall into your lap. Strong referrals, re-recruited stars, and targeted outreach consistently outperform job boards. Create a system where your best people help you find more of the same.
3. Use the PreScreen Snapshot.
   Resumes are just marketing brochures. The PreScreen Snapshot is a quick, 5-minute online step that weeds out low performers - two-thirds of weak candidates drop out immediately. That leaves you with a sharper pool.
4. Conduct Topgrading Interviews.
   The Topgrading Interview is structured, chronological, and brutally revealing. Instead of slick rehearsed answers, you uncover patterns across a candidate’s entire career.
5. Apply the Topgrading Truth Motivator.
   Finalists arrange reference calls with the managers they actually reported to. A Players are happy to, and low performers drop out. Good! You finally get candid insight from the people who know their real track record - and stop wasting time on low performers.
6. Track the Right Hiring KPIs.
   If you’re not measuring it, you’re not improving it. Three key measurements are:

• Hiring Success Rate - % of hires who are A Players after 12 months.
• Promotion Success Rate - % of promotions that prove to be A Players.
• Undesirable Turnover - % of A Players who quit.

The Payoff

When companies fully adopt Topgrading, they typically raise their A Player hiring success rate from 25% to 85 - 90%. That’s not luck - it’s discipline. And when your teams are filled with A Players, your strategy has the horsepower to succeed.

Watch the Full Recording

This blog is just a snapshot. In the full webinar, I dive deeper into each step with examples and case studies you can learn from.

🎥 [Watch the full recording here]

We regularly host thought leadership presentations just like this one.
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Because your strategy deserves A Players, not costly mistakes.

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.

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