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Three Steps to Creating an A-Player Team 43
4. If you meet them and like them, but don’t have a role for them,
you are happy to refer them to others in your network who
might be helpful in their job search.
I would argue that it is actually preferable to interview when you
don’t have a position open. It makes you more confident and selective
in the hiring process. To save time, you can always offer a
phone interview to a candidate first and spend 15 minutes reviewing
his goals and accomplishments. If you are not impressed, end the
call and move on. If you are, bring him in for a face-to-face interview.
Again, you can limit the time you invest to 20 to 30 minutes
and politely end the interview. This approach works because many
strong, growing companies hire great A-players when they meet
them, whether they have a spot available or not. A-players often
have highly transferable skills and can excel in more than one role.
Carl Gersbach, introduced in Chapter 1, is managing director of
Brokerage Services for CB Richard Ellis, Inc. in Philadelphia. Carl is
a strong recruiter. He understands that finding A-players means
interviewing whether he has a position to fill or not. Carl explains,
‘‘We try never to turn down an interview, and during those interviews
we educate people about our business. We’ll even help them
network and reach out to competitors if we have no available positions.
We do this because, if and when they become successful, we
want them to remember that we treated them well.’’ Even the most
talented performers experience a high amount of stress during the
job-seeking process. Your willingness to educate them about your
industry and introduce them to other company’s decision makers
will pay off. Anytime you help people get jobs, they remember you
with appreciation. These relationships will generate new hires and
referrals down the road.
A-Player Principle: You have to interview all the time, not
hire all the time. With every interview, you develop one
more contact who can benefit your company.