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

by Smart, Bradford D.

• ISBN13: 9780735200494
• ISBN10: 0735200491
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-02-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press

Summary

Introduces the topgrading concept - how & why it works. Spells out the author's practical hands-on approach & provides intriguing case studies culled from his file of more than 4,000 in-depth interviews. DLC: Industrial management.

Author Biography

Bradford D. Smart, Ph.D., is the president of Smart & Associates, Inc., based in the Chicago area. A well-known industrial psychologist and consultant with nearly thirty-five years in practice, he has worked with dozens of major companies, including General Electric, Bank of America, and John Deere.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Talent Wins	1	(8)
PART ONE Topgrading for Companies	9	(114)
1. Topgrading: Every Manager's #1 Priority	11	(23)
2. Obstacles to Topgrading: How to Overcome Them	34	(11)
3. The Astronomical Costs of Mis-Hires: Company Killers and Career Derailers	45	(15)
4. Firing C Players: Is It Immoral?	60	(17)
5. Recruitment Best Practices: How to Avoid Mis-Hires	77	(28)
6. Case Studies: How to Topgrade	105	(18)
PART TWO Topgrading for Individuals	123	(100)
7. Becoming an A Player: Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too	125	(21)
8. Fixing Your Weaknesses: The Straightest Path to Success	146	(34)
9. Coaching 101: The CIDS-Based Model	180	(17)
10. Case Studies: Coaching to Fix Weaknesses	197	(26)
PART THREE CIDS Interviewing	223	(94)
11. Your Most Powerful Tool: The CIDS Interview Guide	225	(25)
12. Mastering CIDS Interviewing: Advanced Interviewing Tactics	250	(27)
13. Avoiding Legal Problems: A "Bulletproof" Approach	277	(33)
Epilogue: Topgrading in the Future	310	(7)
APPENDICES	317	(72)
A. Chronological In-Depth Structured (CIDS) Interview Guide	319	(40)
B. Career History Form	359	(5)
C. In-Depth Reference-Check Guide	364	(6)
D. Interviewer Feedback Form	370	(5)
E. Sample Competencies--Management	375	(9)
F. Sample Competencies--Wm. M. Mercer	384	(5)
Index	389