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

Would You Know an A-Player if You Met One? 25
The lower compensation and relative lack of prestige was
enough to persuade them to leave for other jobs or for graduate
school after only a few years of employment. However, graduates
of the next-tier schools did not feel this same pressure. In
their and their peers’ opinions, becoming a partner at this firm
was highly prestigious, and the money was excellent compared
to what most of their contemporaries were making.
This firm was smart and flexible enough to switch its recruiting
efforts. The results were powerful and long-lasting. It started
hiring aggressively out of these second-tier schools and saw a
big jump in retention of A-players. Knowing its A-Player Profile
made the difference between hiring recent college grads who
left in three years versus hiring those who stayed with the firm,
became partners, and generated millions of dollars of fees over
the course of their careers.
A-Player Principle: Just because people went to the
‘‘right’’ schools or worked for big companies in your industry
does not make them A-players. Don’t follow the herd when
it comes to recruiting. Instead, define the profile that works
in your unique environment.
Case Study: The Single-Mother Waitress
Doorway Rug in Buffalo, New York, makes a very good business
out of cleaning the mats that lie at the doors of almost every
commercial building. (The company was recently acquired by
Cintas, the major player in this business.) Salespeople go doorto-door
to businesses selling this service. When Doorway Rug
looked at its best salespeople, it recognized one common
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