How to Hire A-Players: Finding the Top People for ... - GIT home page

150 How to Hire A-Players
Ask for Referrals Constantly
I know a recruiter who asks every individual whom she places with
a new company for a phone directory from his or her former
employer. When she gets it, she immediately gets on the phone to
expand her own network of contacts. While you don’t have to be
quite as aggressive, you should be asking people for A-player referrals
all the time. Particularly when you hire new A-players, strategize
with them about connecting with other A-players in their
networks.
The Internet Is Not a Replacement for Networking
Karyn Rogers Verret, president of Verret & Associates, a wellregarded
executive search firm in the retail industry, strongly believes
that ‘‘the Internet is a supplement to—not a replacement
for—personal contact.’’ You should absolutely leverage social media
tools to make initial contacts, but you build those connections into
relationships via phone and face-to-face contact with people.
Cast a Wide Net
As an executive committed to hiring A-players, the more people
you meet, interview, and add to your farm team, the better your
chances of having A-players to hire when you want them. The best
outside searches for A-players start with hundreds of possible candidates
and narrow down to a handful of highly qualified people.
Doing this yields multiple candidates who have strong technical
qualifications. Then, the company doing the hiring can focus on selecting
the person who combines this technical ability with critical
leadership skills, communication skills, and potential for further
promotions.
The Process Is King
The best search firms emphasize the quality and thoroughness of
their recruiting process. They know that it is their ability to conduct
an exhaustive search every time that keeps their clients coming