Every business wants A-players, but few know how to find them. Even fewer know how to develop B-players into A-players, and hardly any are good at keeping A-players once they have them.

Elon Musk, in a short interview with Gwynne Shotwell, realized she was an exceptional talent he wanted on his team as he invested in SpaceX. During the interview, Gwynne advised him to create a vice president of sales position. In 2002, following her advice, he created a vice president of sales position and asked her to apply. Although it took her some time to accept, she eventually joined as the company’s 11th employee.

During her time at SpaceX, she secured a $1.6 billion contract with NASA, boosted revenue by several billion dollars, and played a crucial role in the development and success of the company’s spacecraft. Today, she is the president and COO of SpaceX.

Shotwell is a great example of how top talent can transform a company. With such exceptional people, amazing and almost impossible things become possible. Without them, businesses fall apart and fail. To succeed as a business owner, you must surround yourself with people you would want to work for.

Why most founders repel A-Players

One of the primary reasons founders struggle to attract A-players is their tendency to create a culture of mediocrity. This can be manifested in various ways, including:

Micromanagement: A-players thrive in environments that empower them to make decisions and take initiative. Micromanagement can stifle their creativity and productivity.

Lack of Clear Vision: Without a clear and compelling vision, A-players may struggle to see how their skills and talents can contribute to the company’s success.

Fear of Failure: Founders who are afraid to take risks may create a culture of fear, which can discourage A-players from taking on challenging projects.

Poor Communication: A lack of clear communication can lead to misunderstandings and frustration among employees, particularly A-players who value transparency and open dialogue.

Limited Growth Opportunities: A-players are constantly seeking new challenges and opportunities for growth. If a company cannot provide these, they may become disengaged and seek employment elsewhere.

To attract A-players, founders must create a culture that values innovation, empowerment, and growth. This involves setting a clear vision, fostering open communication, and providing opportunities for professional development.

 

How can you identify if someone is not an A-player?

Identifying someone who is not an A-player involves observing certain characteristics. They often lack initiative, showing minimal growth and performing inconsistently.

Their engagement is low, and they rarely take on new challenges or contribute beyond their basic responsibilities.Problem-solving and communication skills are weak, and they may exhibit a negative attitude or resist change.

Additionally, they tend to be unreliable, missing deadlines and requiring constant supervision. These signs indicate that the individual may not be an A-player in the organization.

How to identify if someone is a A-Player

We’ve collaborated with companies worldwide to refine their employee value proposition, talent sourcing strategies, employee retention plans, and other talent initiatives. Finding A-players is like hunting for gold: you need a hiring process that filters out the excess and reveals the true gems. Here are a few traits of A-players that can help you identify them:

Zero Follow-ups: A-players rarely need follow-ups. They take the initiative to update their progress and seek guidance when needed, rather than waiting for their employer to ask.

Zero Micromanagement: A-players do not require micromanagement. A-players thrive with the right support and resources from their employer, allowing them to perform at their best without constant oversight.

Exceptional Quality: A-players consistently produce exceptional work. They are not satisfied with mediocrity and put their heart, soul, and passion into every project. Their work stands out due to its superior quality, often exceeding the organization’s typical standards.

Mistakes and Failures: They take full responsibility for mistakes and failures, even if someone else caused the problem. A-players step up as leaders, owning the issue and working towards a solution.

Career Aligns with Goals: A-players have a clear vision for their future. They seek careers that align with their goals and dreams, and they do not settle for roles that do not fulfill this vision.

Hiring the right people

Remember, if you don’t find the right person, don’t hesitate to start over. This is crucial. It’s important to find the best fit, so don’t settle for someone who isn’t right just because you’re in a rush or don’t want to repeat the process. Embrace the idea of “hiring slow and firing fast.”

You can always set up contingencies and implement a three-to-six-month probation period. The purpose of this probation period, or “dating period” as we call it, is to allow both parties to see if the relationship is working. If it isn’t, then it wasn’t meant to be, and the focus should be on a clean and efficient separation.

Use talent incubators to help you hire the best talent.

To attract and hire the best talent, look for an “academy company” within your industry. These elite organizations are not just successful at attracting and developing top talent; they also produce more leaders than they can retain.

Known for their rigorous training programs and high-performance culture, academy companies are where future leaders are molded. Employees from these companies often move on to take significant roles in other organizations and even across different industries.

By engaging with or learning from these companies, you gain access to a pool of highly skilled and effective individuals who have been trained in an environment that values excellence and leadership. Essentially, academy companies act as talent incubators, consistently producing professionals who are in high demand elsewhere.

By recognizing and tapping into these companies, you can significantly improve your chances of attracting and hiring top talent that can drive your organization forward.

Rarely used recruitment strategies to attract top talent

Discover unique and underutilized recruitment strategies that can help your organization attract and secure top talent. These innovative approaches go beyond traditional methods, offering fresh ways to find and engage exceptional candidates who can drive your business forward.

Rare Recruitment Events: Host recruitment events in unique and unexpected locations, such as community centers, art galleries, or outdoor venues. These unconventional settings create a more relaxed and creative atmosphere, attracting a diverse range of candidates and making the recruitment process more engaging and memorable.

Reverse Recruitment: Take a proactive approach by contacting high-performing professionals who may not be actively job hunting. Instead of waiting for candidates to come to you, present them with personalized opportunities within your organization that align with their career goals, making your company an attractive option for top talent.

Paid Interviews: Offer candidates the chance to work with your organization for a few days or a week in a paid trial period. This allows you and the candidate to assess fit in a real-world setting. It’s a practical way to evaluate their skills and compatibility with your team before making a final hiring decision. It also makes you stand out and reduce the probability of a bad hire.

Employee Swap Programs: Partner with other organizations in your industry to implement an employee swap program. This approach allows employees to temporarily work at each other’s companies, gaining new perspectives and skills. It enriches employee experiences and opens up opportunities to identify potential talent for future hires.

Offer without Interview: Skip the traditional interview process for candidates you already know would be a great fit for your organization. This could be because they have worked with you in the past, or you’ve interacted with them as part of another team and noticed their potential.

During those interactions, you might have thought how valuable they would be on your team but hesitated to approach them, unsure if they were looking for a job or would even consider your offer. In such cases, offering a position without an interview can be an effective strategy.

This approach works well when the offer is framed as a friendly, informal gesture, expressing how much you appreciated working or interacting with them and how you would love to continue that collaboration more formally.

You can also reassure them that if the offer doesn’t align with their current goals, it won’t affect your relationship—better to extend the offer and get a clear answer than to never try at all.

Companies lose 89% of potential candidates due to slow hiring processes.

To prevent losing top candidates, streamline your hiring process by reducing decision-making time, improving communication, and automating repetitive tasks. This ensures a faster, more efficient recruitment process that keeps candidates engaged and interested. To achieve success, go to exceptional lengths to hire the best people for your organization.

Focus on bringing in individuals who are even better than you, and trust them to excel without constant oversight. Hire for attitude and mindset, knowing that skills can be taught but a positive outlook is invaluable. Understand that a great vision is only as powerful as the people who execute it. Always prioritize the smartest and most capable individuals to drive your organization forward.

“The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” – Steve Jobs

To achieve radical results, you must assemble a team of exceptional individuals. By going to extraordinary lengths to hire the best people in the world, you can create a high-performing organization that is capable of overcoming challenges, seizing opportunities, and achieving extraordinary success. Focus on attracting A-players who are not only skilled but also passionate about your company’s mission and committed to excellence. Remember, a great vision is only as powerful as the people who execute it.