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

46 How to Hire A-Players
Of course, A-players who were available four to six weeks ago
might not be available right now. So Hallmark Stone’s managers
stay in touch with candidates every few weeks or so, keep them
informed about the company and receive an update on their status.
If people take another position or become otherwise unavailable,
the managers must add new people to their farm team. To keep
their farm team updated, Hallmark Stone’s managers interview one
or two candidates each month. These interviews are not an overwhelming
time commitment, just a constant part of their schedule.
A-Player Principle: By developing a farm team of
A-players, you require the leaders of your company to
refresh their pool of qualified talent continually. This
prevents your company from hiring out of desperation.
Should You Advertise for Your Farm Team?
How in the world do you advertise for job candidates if you don’t
have a job to fill? For the most part, you don’t. Companies find people
for their farm teams through referrals, not job postings.
Employees and others involved with the company have an A-player
mind-set and provide a constant flow of referrals. That eliminates
problems that would arise from running a job announcement without
a position to fill. At the same time, if a department’s farm team is
small and there is an upcoming need for new employees, the company
will post the job online. Doing this creates a spike in the
amount of time that must be dedicated to reviewing resumes and
interviewing candidates. However, the basic interviewing process
remains the same.
Every Manager Has a Farm Team
One of the simple yet brilliant elements of the farm team approach
is that recruiting becomes the job of every leader in your company.