What is topgrading?

The topgrading process was created to hone in on quality candidates for hiring or promotion by exploring each person’s detailed work history and skillset and getting to know them on a more personal level. This extensive process doesn’t guarantee your final selection will work out, but it significantly reduces the chance of making a poor decision.

The process categorizes applicants into A, B and C players. Your A players are those at the top of their field, while B and C players have the potential to do well with a little development. The point of the topgrading process is to identify the A players in the group to narrow down your selection pool. This is done through a strategic 12-step process that can be reordered and modified to meet your unique needs. When implementing topgrading, interviews come after some important prep work.

Preparation

The first four steps of the topgrading method involve laying the groundwork for the process. This is when you decide what you’re looking for.

Step 1: Vision development

Before you even announce the open position, you need to do some reflection on all the skills and personal traits it requires. This will vary between job descriptions and could change between the same position in two different departments. For topgrading to be effective, it’s important to have a clear vision of the general profile you want in a candidate.

Step 2: Job scorecard

Once you’ve developed your candidate vision, identify all the quantifiable skills and competencies needed for the role and assign a point range to each. This should represent what an A player for this position looks like and will serve as a way to measure candidates against each other.

Step 3: Network recruiting

Look for talent within your network first. Former interviewees, current and past employees, professional referrals and connections are all great places to start. Create a job description that gives details on the skills, experience and personal traits needed to perform the job effectively and communicate the opening to your talent pool.

Step 4: Work history form

Create a detailed work history form for every applicant to complete. Information to request on this form includes:

• Work history
• Job transition
• Likes and dislikes about previous jobs
• Self-assessment

When completed, these forms can be compared to create your interview shortlist.

The topgrading interview process

Now that you’ve identified your most likely candidates, it’s time to start scheduling your topgrading interviews.

Step 5: Telephone interview

Set up phone interviews with everyone on your shortlist and reference their completed work history forms during the call. This is your opportunity to weed out any candidates that may have embellished their forms or misrepresented themselves. Ask them to expand on the provided information and discontinue the process with any candidate who shows discrepancies in their answers.

This is also a good opportunity to pick up on any soft skill issues that may conflict with company culture or the social dynamic of relevant team members.

Step 6: Competency-based interview

The competency interview is conducted in person and should last about an hour, with a quarter of that time dedicated to any questions from the candidate. Use the job scorecard to develop questions that measure the relevant skills of each candidate.

Step 7: Topgrading interviewing

The topgrading interview is the longest portion of the process and involves detailed discussions of their education history and every job the candidate has held. On average, it should take around four hours. Questions you can ask include:

• What were your aspirations after completing school?
• Why did you take the job?
• Tell me about successes and failures at this job
• What did you like and dislike?
• Who was your supervisor, and what were their strengths and weaknesses?
• What would that supervisor say about you?
• Why did you leave?
• Tell me more about your strengths and weaknesses
• Tell me about your goals

Step 8: Interviewer feedback

If the topgrading interview was conducted with more than one interviewer, this is the point where you discuss the interview techniques of each individual. Share feedback to identify areas that work and those that need improvement.

Step 9: Executive summary

This is when you analyze all the data you have collected to draft a summary of the candidate. Summaries of different interviewers can be compared to find similarities. Skills and traits that may be lacking should be categorized as those that can be easily fixed and those that are difficult to change to help score the viability of each candidate.

Step 10: Reference calls

Ask your candidates to set up reference calls with previous supervisors and coworkers. A player will handle this portion easily, while those who lack motivation or have poor professional relationships may choose to end the process at this point. This is the stage where you offer the position to your top A player.

Step 11: New hire coaching

Use your executive summary to identify development opportunities for your chosen candidate. Provide coaching within the first three weeks of employment to help the new hire meet skill expectations and settle into their new position.

Step 12: Outcome measurement

Review the topgrading results annually and discuss the experience with your new hire after they’ve settled in. This gives you the chance to make improvements and measure the success of finding and retaining top-performing employees.

Additional topgrading tips

• Early in the process, initiate the Threat of Reference Check (TORC) by disclosing to each candidate they will be responsible for arranging their reference calls at a later stage. This is a great way to maintain transparency while also weeding out any candidates that may not be comfortable with this step.
• Using the Tandem Topgrading technique during the interview process will give you better information to assess. Choose an A player from your current colleagues to add insight and a different perspective to the interview. This will allow you to find out what worked and what didn’t, as well as offer a second evaluator to remember details you may have missed.
• Be sure to provide feedback and advice to candidates at every stage of this process. They are also investing significant time, and your involvement in their development can help them form a favorable opinion of your business even if they don’t get the job. This leaves the door open for future positions that might be a better fit.