Introduction
When it comes to having a high-quality workforce, it is your responsibility to ensure that it will stay that way. Not only will it be easier for you to run the business, but your employees will be very happy and will run into fewer problems that may affect the overall morale. Topgrading might be just the tool you need in your efforts to hire the right kind of people regardless of what position is open. You could hire those who are qualified to take on management-level positions or regular level employees who will come in with a positive mental attitude and help you achieve the desired goals of your business.
Topgrading Defined
Topgrading is something that is more creative in the interview process compared to the same old tired techniques you see with most hiring managers. The intention of topgrading is to help hiring managers and other decision-makers determine which job applicant is the best possible hire based on how well they answered the questions (including being able to solve problems in a mock scenario).
One of the goals that a hiring manager or someone performing the interview must accomplish is getting a good idea of that job applicant’s personality and their professional background that might be considered relevant enough to the position they are looking to fill. In fact, if you want a more thorough, deep-diving method for interviewing candidates, topgrading will be a much better approach compared to asking the traditional line of questioning. Not to mention, the interview process using topgrading is more structured.
With topgrading, the interview process does become more of a challenge. And it’s one of the more creative ways to determine who is a worthy candidate and also determine those who have not done enough to move on to the next round.
How Topgrading Is Done
The topgrading method is rigorous. Each step is performed with thoroughness and set with guidelines that must be followed at the discretion of a hiring manager or anyone who may be in charge of the hiring process. The following is an example of how topgrading could be performed:
Work history screening: This is where you can screen those who have the relevant experience so you can be able to tell the ones who know what they are doing and what the job entails from those that don’t. It is also a terrific way to identify high performing employees.
Phone Interviews: Applicants who have passed through the screening will now undergo a telephone interview. This will be more useful as opposed to in-person interviews that may wind up being a waste of time for a hiring manager and the now rejected applicant. In other words, things can go south quickly. At this stage, this will give the hiring manager a chance for the applicant to discuss their job history and also talk about their experiences with the company, their successes, failures, and whatever pertinent information that a hiring manager may need.
Test their competency: Now, you can be able to do another interview with an applicant so you can determine whether or not they have the competence to perform the tasks and responsibilities of the position. The process will typically last an hour depending on the candidate.
Topgrading interview: This is where the fun begins. This interview can be done by someone who is at a much higher level than the hiring manager. At this point, you will probably need to know about a job applicant’s past experience that may be relevant to the job. And you will also be able to get them to open up about their successes, failures, goals, and even key achievements.
Most interviews are chronological starting with the applicant’s high school years and all the way up to the present. The interviewer can focus questions surrounding achievements to see if the candidate understands tasks effectively.
They can also question strategies used to achieve goals and the resources candidates are happy to leverage to ensure that the job is executed accurately. This is valuable information for identifying employees with good leadership skills or those with terrific social skills. WIth this information, employees can be leveraged in work areas where they will have the biggest impact.
Reference calls: At this point, this will give employers an idea of how the applicant stacks up. While you may be impressed with what they have to say, learning about them through other references will be key. Someone who has a past history or being a high performer and a good worker will not have any issue giving you the information about their past employers as references. Once you have enough information you can place each candidate within a certain tier (i.e. — top 10%, etc.). The higher the tier, the better the chance an applicant could be hired.
Post-Interview and Hiring
Keep in mind that once you have selected the candidate, the process continues. This will include onboarding the new hire. Plus, you’ll get a good idea of what their strengths are and determine which areas are considered points of weakness so you can be able to help them improve and perform their job with better efficiency. It is important to make sure that the new hires are also trained and ready to use what they’ve learned. It’s not wise to throw them to the wolves and leave them not knowing what to do.
Final Thoughts
Topgrading is one of the best ways to find the best-qualified candidates possible for whatever position you want to be filled in your company. Whether it’s for lower-level employees or for someone with enough managerial experience, using topgrading is more important today in order to put together a business that is staffed with employees who are knowledgeable, willing to work on solving problems, and be able to deliver more than expected results that will lead to achieving your business goals. If you are a hiring manager looking to change the hiring process, consider topgrading as something to try out. You may be surprised by the results it can produce.
