Hire Smart from the Start

•   CHAPTER 4   •

Evangelical Zeal and a SEAL Team’s Focus

One of the books I most admire about executive search is Topgrading by Bradford Smart. I respect it because Smart demonstrates why talent selection is a business priority rather than “only” an HR function. Smart’s emphasis on hiring A players for key positions and eliminating C players is powerful; he makes a convincing case for a company’s success being linked with its ability to find and hire A players as much (or more than) creating great products and business strategies.

This book, though, was written in 1999 and came out in 2000 when the economy was in a trough and many qualified candidates existed for every position. Back then, selection was crucial. Today, when the vast majority ...