Who

About the Author

Geoff Smart and Randy Street are esteemed experts in leadership and talent management. Geoff Smart, the founder of ghSmart, has built a reputation for his work in advising top executives on leadership and hiring practices. His career is marked by a commitment to improving organizational effectiveness through strategic hiring. Randy Street, also a principal at ghSmart, complements Smart's expertise with his background in consulting and strategic advice. Together, they have crafted a methodology that revolutionizes the hiring process, aiming to help organizations avoid costly hiring mistakes and build high-performing teams.

Main Idea

"Who: The A Method for Hiring" is a groundbreaking book that presents a systematic approach to hiring top talent. The central premise of the book is that successful hiring is crucial to organizational success and that the traditional methods of hiring—often reliant on gut feelings and informal processes—are flawed. The authors introduce the A Method, a structured approach designed to enhance the accuracy of hiring decisions and mitigate the risks associated with poor hires. This method emphasizes the importance of a well-defined process that includes creating a clear Scorecard, effective sourcing, rigorous selection, and persuasive selling of the role to candidates.

Table of Contents

• Introduction to the A Method
• Understanding the Importance of Hiring
• The Four-Step Process
• Detailed Analysis of Each Step
• Common Hiring Mistakes to Avoid
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Introduction to the A Method

The A Method is a comprehensive framework developed to revolutionize how organizations approach hiring. The method's foundation lies in replacing subjective hiring practices with a structured process that improves the likelihood of hiring success. The authors argue that traditional hiring methods often lead to inconsistent results due to their reliance on intuition and unstructured evaluations. The A Method addresses these issues by providing a clear, step-by-step process designed to identify, attract, and secure top talent.

The introduction to the A Method underscores the need for a systematic approach in hiring, explaining how organizations can benefit from a structured process that minimizes biases and enhances decision-making accuracy. By following the A Method, organizations can significantly improve their hiring outcomes, reduce turnover, and build a stronger, more capable workforce.

Understanding the Importance of Hiring

The authors stress that hiring is not just about filling positions—it's about securing individuals who will drive the organization's success. The book highlights the significant costs associated with poor hiring decisions, which can impact not only financial performance but also team dynamics and morale. According to Smart and Street, "A single bad hire can cost about $1.5 million, considering lost productivity, training costs, and the disruption caused." This figure emphasizes the financial and operational risks of inadequate hiring practices.

Effective hiring practices are crucial because they directly influence the organization's ability to achieve its strategic goals. The authors argue that investing in a robust hiring process is essential for long-term success. Organizations that fail to prioritize effective hiring risk facing higher turnover rates, reduced employee engagement, and lower overall performance.