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182 How to Hire A-Players
assessment instruments are invaluable in uncovering these kinds of
weaknesses early—before they cost you a lot of money.
Who Will Be Motivated to Do the Job?
Whether people have the skills to do a job or not, they will not be
long-term successes if they lack the appropriate motivation for a
role. In contrast, a great motivational profile can turn a borderline
candidate into an A-player. I once assessed a salesperson named
Brian whose profile was not ideal for an outside sales role. He was
less assertive and more analytical than many top salespeople, a profile
that could hinder him from effectively prospecting for new business.
However, he was strongly motivated by money but still
concerned with serving people. He was also motivated just enough
by independence and autonomy to thrive in a position that required
a lot of self-direction. Yet he was not so autonomous that he rebelled
against the authority structure of this sales organization. He also
had extremely high scores in understanding people, practical thinking,
and personal drive.
When you looked at Brian’s overall profile and took into account
his solid sales experience (he had a record of accomplishment selling
office equipment), you saw an A-player. Sure enough, he has
become one of the company’s top producers.
Compare this to Janet, a sales candidate I assessed for another
wholesaler. This woman had a perfect sales profile in the sense that
she was assertive, outgoing, fast-paced, and didn’t get bogged down
in details. She, like Brian, had very high personal effectiveness
scores. However, her motivational profile was the exact opposite of
the ideal for the position. She was not motivated by making money.
A-Player Principle: People can have all the skills in the
world, but if they lack the right motivators, they won’t stick
around. Assessment tools let you assess if a job candidate is
motivated by what your position has to offer.