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

40 How to Hire A-Players
uncomfortable position of having to lay off employees because of a
difficult economy. After years of double-digit growth and accolades
from the business community, this was an especially painful experience.
One day, after CBI Group had just laid off several people, another
employee told him about a friend of his who was looking for a
job. ‘‘I know you tell us that we’re always looking for good people,
but I’m sure it’s not appropriate for us to interview anyone right
now,’’ the employee said. Chris looked at the friend’s resume,
thought for a moment, and said, ‘‘I was always taught that you ‘keep
your couch full’ of potential employees. We have to always know
where our next hire is coming from. Let’s interview your friend.’’
Had Chris created a company-wide mind-set that you always,
always look for A-player talent? Clearly, he had; otherwise, this
employee would never have mentioned his friend’s resume. Did
Chris really want to interview prospective employees immediately
following a layoff? No. But he did it anyway, because he understood
that finding A-players is a discipline to which companies
must be committed in both good times and bad. If this interviewee
turned out to be a dead hit for one of the company’s A-Player Profiles,
at least he would be a valuable addition to the company’s
farm team.
Everyone with whom you and your colleagues come in contact
must know that you are always interested in meeting talented people.
You want your company’s name to flash in the minds of your
employees, customers, vendors—and everyone else you know—
when they come across a great person looking to make a career
move. To accomplish this, you must develop a reputation as the
company to which people always refer top talent.
Creating an A-player mind-set motivates everyone in your network
to scout for quality employees for your company. So few organizations
deliver on this commitment to find and hire A-players
that when you actually do so, your entire network starts paying attention
and providing help. All of Chris Burkhard’s associates knew
that CBI Group was committed to looking for talent because Chris
repeated this message and modeled the corresponding behavior.
He and his senior managers were always interviewing people and
rewarding those who provided the referrals. Chris’s mantra was