Topgrading: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Topgrading, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
Fill roles with A players
Smart defines an A player as someone in the top ten percent of talent available for a role at the pay offered.
He argues that companies full of A players consistently outperform those that settle for less.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
Mis-hires cost far more than salary
Smart argues that hiring the wrong person costs much more than their pay, through lost opportunities, poor decisions and damage to teams.
Avoiding mis-hires, he says, should be a top priority for every manager.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Collect the full career history
Smart recommends asking candidates to fill out a detailed career history form, covering every job, salary and reason for leaving.
This information makes patterns in a person's past much easier to see.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Interview chronologically and deeply
The Topgrading interview walks through a candidate's career in order, asking about successes, failures and relationships in each role.
Smart argues that this long, structured conversation reveals far more than short interviews.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Reference checks keep candidates honest
Smart suggests telling candidates that their former bosses will be contacted, and that they will arrange those calls.
Knowing this, candidates tend to be more honest about their weaknesses during interviews.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Ask what bosses would say
Smart's interviews ask candidates how each former boss would rate their performance.
These questions encourage people to describe themselves more realistically and reveal how they handle feedback. Answers are later checked against the actual references.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Deal fairly with C players
Smart argues that managers should not ignore people who are not performing well in a role.
He suggests helping them improve, moving them to better-suited roles, or letting them go with respect.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Leaders must model the process
Smart stresses that topgrading works only if senior leaders commit to it and apply it to their own teams.
Building a strong team, he argues, is one of a leader's most important jobs.
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