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Tips For Hiring And Cultivating 'A Players'

Forbes Business Development Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Charles Duarte

Steve Jobs famously said the key to his success at Apple was hiring extraordinarily talented people he called “A players.” These employees were not necessarily seasoned professionals, but they understood his vision and excelled at self-management.

Any business owner or manager will tell you that the hiring and development of talent is one of their most important yet most difficult tasks. Having worked at Apple, and now as a senior business development professional in the educational technology industry, I follow many of the best practices espoused by Jobs to help my company build out and cultivate its bench of talent.

Cast a wide net. One mistake managers often make is hiring someone who is just like the rest of the team. However, a diversity of experiences can bring texture to a team that enables breakout thinking and fills in skills gaps. At Apple, Jobs hired and fired two professional managers for the Mac computer line before bringing in a young financial manager with no experience in technology or manufacturing. Her organizational effectiveness and management skill set helped propel the growth of the company. When hiring, remember that employees’ talents and skills should complement the team.

Network relentlessly. Leverage people you know and respect to recommend talented professionals. This can save a lot of time because these individuals have already passed a vetting process you trust.

Pay attention to cultural fit. We probably all know someone who is tremendously intelligent and capable, but who failed miserably at a job because the culture wasn’t a good fit. While skills gaps often can be coached, cultural miscues are more difficult to overcome. Interviewees at Apple often spent eight-plus hours interviewing with the entire team just to assess cultural fit before skills and interest level were even discussed. In my experience, it’s better to leave a role unfilled than to fill it with someone who won’t click with the team.

Assess the interest level. Once you know someone fits culturally and presumably has the skills needed for the job, pay close attention to the interest level. At the very least, I want a candidate to come to an interview with a strong knowledge of our industry and our company. Even more telling is how the candidate reacts when I fill in details of the job. I can usually gauge excitement within the first 10 minutes of a discussion by the way a candidate reacts and the questions they ask. How the candidate follows up can be indicative of interest as well. I personally love getting handwritten notes following an interview. This gesture speaks volumes to me about the character of this individual.

Look for coachable individuals. Company vision can change along with the skills needed to succeed, so it’s important to find team members who are coachable. Likewise, someone who lacks some needed skills but is a good cultural fit and demonstrates a willingness to learn can become a valued team member with the right coaching.

With the right individuals in place, the hard work of cultivating the team begins. I have four tips for building A-class teams:

Remove internal silos. In order to develop talent, it’s crucial to expose team members to different areas of the company. We all seem to get hyper-focused on our jobs alone and become stagnant. I’ve found that when team members understand the tasks and challenges of others in the company, everyone learns, and great ideas bubble up.

Encourage challenge. If your culture doesn’t already encourage employees to challenge the status quo, make that a priority. Employees who are bold and not afraid to propose solutions to complex problems will become loyal employees who are excited about growing your company.

Coach in segments. As you bring talent along, deliver coaching advice in small steps with measurable outcomes. Gauge progress along the way, and build from there. If possible, demonstrate desired behaviors by shadowing employees and providing on-the-spot advice.

Cut non-performers loose. Despite best efforts, not every employee will work out. If you find yourself with an employee who’s struggling to fit in or perform despite coaching, it’s best to sever the relationship as soon as possible. Keeping subpar employees around can cause a lot of upheaval in a team and does a disservice to the company. Chances are, a parting of the ways will be a relief to the employee as well.

Finally, always be on the lookout for your next hire, and don’t be afraid to refine the position. With this mindset, you’ll constantly be building your bench of A players while improving the performance of your team.

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