Topgrading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching and Keeping the Best People - Hardcover

Smart Ph.D., Bradford D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0735200491 ISBN 13: 9780735200494

Publisher: Prentice Hall Press, 1999

Synopsis

World renowned consultant and industrial psychologist shares his proven strategy for hiring "A" players, building dream teams, and achieving excellence--a fool-proof system now in place at today's leading companies.

Great companies are made, not born. The secret is hiring the right people--the "A" players. This is, of course, easier said than done. Statistically, half of all employment situations result in a mis-hire; the wrong person for the wrong job. And with the cost of a mis-hire at twenty-four times salary, the financial drain can be staggering! Compare that with Brad Smart's 90% success rate and understand why topgraded organizations such as General Electric and Allied Signal consistently beat the competition.

In this unparalleled work, Dr. Smart introduces readers to the tograding concept--how and why it works. The author sets forth principles which hold true for Fortune 500 companies as well as small emerging companies. Topgrading is a silver bullet--the corporate initiative that empowers all other corporate initiatives. The author spells out his practical hands-on approach and provides intriguing case studies culled from his file of more than 4,000 in-depth interviews.

Topgrading's expert coaching techniques are also revealed and readers learn how managers who topgrade become leaders, achieving success and excellence not only for their companies, but also for themselves.

This book is not without controversy, however, as Brad discusses how those who don't pull their own weight, the chronic "C" players, must step aside, be redeployed, or terminated.

About this title

Review:

The key to building a superior company, an increasing number of observers now agree, is the ongoing ability to recruit and retain superior personnel. In Topgrading, industrial psychologist and global consultant Bradford Smart expands upon this idea by examining in great detail exactly how today's premier organizations have assembled such top-level employees, and then showing precisely how others can do it, too. "Simply put, topgrading is the practice of packing the team with A players and clearing out the C players," Smart writes. "'A players' is defined as the top 10 percent of talent available at all salary levels--best of class. With this radical definition, you are not a topgrader until your team consists of all A players. Period." Essentially a best-practices manual for developing this outstanding personnel pool, the book is based on more than 4,000 interviews and case studies conducted by Smart at major corporations like General Electric as well as fast-growing high-tech companies and small family-owned firms. He further bolsters its effectiveness by including his extensive "Chronological In-Depth Structured Interview Guide," along with other assessment tools and hands-on strategies for assembling an ideal work team. --Howard Rothman

From the Back Cover:

"Topgrading is a proven strategy for hiring 'A' Players, building 'dream teams.' Companies and individuals who topgrade gain a talent advantage -- they consistently outperform the competition and reap the rewards of excellence." Robert H. Bohannon, Chairman, President and CEO Viad Corp.

"Topgrading is making us a stronger company everyday. Its tenets align perfectly with Gateway's unending commitment to improving our ability to serve our customers' needs." Ted Waitt, Chairman of the Board, Gateway

"I've had firsthand experience with Brad, and his approach to finding talent and fitting the talent to the job's requirements works. Brad's book demystifies the concept of Topgrading, and as he draws from thousands of real experiences, he provides a road map for building successful management teams. I wish he'd put this on paper a long time ago." Joe Lawler, President, Merchandise Media, RR Donnelley & Sons Co.

"Topgrading will become a continuous process of raising the bar in the identification of top and bottom players to enhance overall organizational vitality." Bill Conaty, Sr. V.P. Human Resources, General Electric Company

"Brad's pursuit of excellence in selection and development is critical in a global business where individual success is significantly leveraged in a team of "A Players." Lewis N. Sears, V.P. Organization Effectiveness, Citibank

About this edition

• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0735200491
• ISBN 13: 9780735200494
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416