The 1992 Dream Team was without a doubt the highest “Topgraded” group of basketball players ever put together. A big difference from the restrictions that the NBA Commissioner puts on Olympic Athletes nowadays, the 1992 Dream Team was an absolute steamroller.

But what exactly is topgrading?

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TOPGRADING

According to Bradford Smart in his famous book, Topgrading, there are three levels of contributors within an organization, ranked A (the top 10%), B, and C…

“Simply put, topgrading is the practice of packing the team with A players and clearing out the C players. With this radical definition, you are not a topgrader until your team consists of all A players. Period.”

This isn’t always easy, as some managers may not have a single associate they consider a true A-Player, as it’s especially difficult for organizations competing in the candidate-driven building materials market.

How do I know? Well, it’s what I do for a living…

In my years as a headhunter, I’ve personally interviewed thousands of candidates for all levels from a sales rep up through the C-Suite.

Believe me when I tell you, I know what a elite talent looks like.

They work hard, volunteer for additional projects, consistently go over and above what’s expected, and typically rise through the ranks quickly.

Bottom line, they make your leaders look good, but more importantly…

They make YOU look good.

The B Players? They’re the 9 to 5’ers, who do well within the confines of their jobs, but are averse to taking on new challenges and rise through the ranks slowly.

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CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING. . .

Consider this (from Bradford Smart):
– 50% of hires end up being a mis-hire.
– Even of the ones not considered mis-hires, 75% turn out just average

What’s even more shocking is the cost…
– 4 times the annual salary for supervisors
– 6 times the annual salary for sales representatives
– 8 times the annual salary for mid-level managers
– 15 times the annual salary for vice presidents

Want to figure out how to focus on ONLY recruiting the A-Players?

You need a system in place.

Your candidate selection will make more impact on retention than any other decision.

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MOVING FORWARD

Learn more about how to attract higher-quality candidates to your firm and the entire recruiting process by downloading our free guide. . .

Follow this link to request a copy of Elite LBM Talent: The Blueprint (link) – – I think you’ll really enjoy some of the tips and processes that you can implement immediately to drastically change your approach to recruiting.