How to Hire A-Players E-Book

Eric Herrenkohl

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 288

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

How to find great employees, make great hires, and take your business to the next level It is always easy to find people who want a job, but it's never easy to find and hire A-players. In How to Hire A-Players, consultant Eric Herrenkohl shows owners, executives, and managers of small and medium-size businesses where and how to find A-player employees. It is these individuals who will help keep quality high and growth and profits strong. Herrenkohl explains how to use your existing marketing, sales, and networking efforts to find top candidates. He provides current examples of companies that consistently hire A-players without big recruiting departments as well as step-by-step explanations for making these strategies work in your own company. * Shows you how to find and hire top employees. * Ideal for owners of small businesses, executives and managers of large businesses, as well as corporate recruiters and HR specialists who need new ideas * Herrenkohl's client list includes privately held businesses in over 50 industries as well as big corporate names like Bank of America, Edward Jones, and Northwestern Mutual Life A-player employees are the life blood of any growing business. This handy hiring guide shows you where to look, what to ask, and who to hire to boost your business today

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Praise

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Introduction

Chapter 1 - The Value of A-Players

Thriving Businesses Are Built by Teams of A-Players

The Impact of Just One Great Hire

One A-Player Can Give You Your Life Back

One A-Player Can Keep You from Getting Divorced

One A-Player Can Help You to Sell Your Business

You Can’t Turn Midgets into Giants

The Best Coaches Are the Best Recruiters

Get Passionate about Finding and Hiring A-Players

Make Money Next Year from the A-Players You Hire This Year

Focus on the Value of A-Players

A-Players Beget A-Players

Isn’t This HR’s Job?

The 80/20 Principle Is Alive and Well

Where Are Your Talent Choke Points?

Challenge Your Leadership Team

Payoffs from This Management Discussion

The Team You Need versus the Team You Have

Chapter 2 - Would You Know an A-Player if You Met One?

Where Do I Start?

Interview More People!

Get Better Results from Job Advertisements

How to Define Your A-Player Profile

Documenting Your A-Player Profile

Using Your A-Player Profile to Improve Recruiting Results

Get Clear on Your “Knockout Factors”

Chapter 3 - Three Steps to Creating an A-Player Team

Create an A-Player Mind-Set

Interview All the Time

But What if I Don’t Have a Job to Fill?

Building Your Farm Team

Recruit Before You Need To

Should You Advertise for Your Farm Team?

Explain the Farm Team Approach to Job Candidates Up Front

The Power of Staying in Touch

The Secret to Dealing with Poor Performers

Employee Referrals

Referrals Wanted—Always

Develop an Internal Farm Team

Keep It On

Chapter 4 - Right under Your Nose: Leveraging People You Already Know

Friends and Family

Your Customers

Customers as Referral Sources

Your Vendors

Create an A-Player Target List

Don’t Make Up People’s Minds for Them

Remember that C-Players Often Sell Themselves Better than A-Players

Internal Hires

Tapping into the Contacts of New Hires

Taking Action to Tap into Your Network

Chapter 5 - Don’t Just Sit There. Reach Out!

Recruiter in Chief

Industry Conferences and Continuing Education

Stay until the Quesadillas Are Scorched

Don’t Wallow in the Shallow End of the Networking Pool

Quality Is More Important than Quantity

Develop Connections to Influencers

Become an Influencer Yourself

Cultivating Referral Sources

Do I Really Have Time for This?

Chapter 6 - Finding New Pools of A-Player Talent

Women Reentering the Workforce

Restaurant Personnel

Teachers

Starbucks and Other Well-Operated National Retailers

On-Campus Interviewing

Internships

Alumni Networks of Large Companies

Former Entrepreneurs

Find a Talent Pool and Go Deep

Chapter 7 - The Basics of Online Recruiting

Your Company’s Web Site

Online Job Boards

Social Media

What Is LinkedIn?

Facebook: Is a Candidate Giving You Reasons to Say No?

Twitter

Great, but How Do I Make This Work?

Chapter 8 - Using Recruiters Wisely

When to Use Recruiters

Finding the Right Recruiter

Criteria for Selecting a Recruiting Firm

Contingent versus Retained Recruiters

Specialists versus Generalists

Hire the Recruiter, Not the Firm

Checklist for Interviewing Recruiters

Check Recruiters’ References

Negotiating the Contract

Chapter 9 - Interviewing and the Economic Value of Good Looks

A-Players Are Attracted by High Standards

Create an Interview Process that Works

Always Start with Your A-Player Profile

Capture and Quantify Your A-Player Profile

Create an Interview Scorecard

Conduct Multiple Interviews

Use Multiple Interviewers

Create Interviewing Teams

Interview Candidates, Don’t Educate Them

Ask the Right Questions

Always Ask Follow-Up Questions

Don’t Be Afraid of Silence

Take Notes

Implement a Post-Interview Review

Avoid Hiring in Your Own Image

Leverage Reference Checks

Put People at Ease in a Casual Setting

Don’t Oversell

“Live-Fire” Interview Exercises

Take Candidates with You

Have Candidates Make a Sales Call

The Paid Interview

Have Them Create an Action Plan

Passion Is Demonstrated by Preparation

Chapter 10 - Popping the Hood on Candidates Using Assessment Tools

Solving the People Puzzle

Creating a Common Language

Avoid Hiring Landmines

Revealing the Gaps between People and Positions

The Sweet-and-Sour Effect

Who Will Be Motivated to Do the Job?

Avoiding an Organ Rejection: The Importance of Cultural Fit

Are People Driven to Achieve?

The Difference between Drive and Self-Esteem

Integrating Assessments into the Interview Process

Proven Tips for Using Assessments Effectively

Conclusion: Keeping the A-Players You Hire

Web Sites for Free Additional Resources

Notes

Index

Praise for How to Hire A-Players

“The definitive book on talent acquisition, How To Hire A-Players pulls no punches. From the get-go, Eric Herrenkohl strongly recommends that organizations stop trying to turn poor performers into top performers. The goal is to commit more time to finding and hiring the best talent. This initiative begins by recruiting the team you need rather than settling for the team you have. In a well-written masterpiece, Eric emphatically concludes that what organizations need is a perfect storm: hire individuals with terrific communication skills, great project management skills, detail orientation, intelligence, and responsibility. This kind of talent will create shock value for an organization. Organizations are very much like most living organisms, they are likely to expire quickly if the vital organs are not taken care of. This book offers precise, almost surgical, advice on how to ensure that the vital organs of any organization, its people, are the strongest possible. These valuable assets will enable its existence and assure that it continually thrives.

This book is full of anecdotes that truly reflect the importance of due diligence in finding and retaining A-players. This is an important read that will pay huge dividends for your organization. I believe it is the definitive book on talent acquisition in recent memory and a cogent blueprint for all organizations.”

—Benjamin Ola Akande, PhD Dean, School of Business and Technology Webster University

“This is a book about business and how recruiting relates to winning. Eric has brought to life how hiring A-players can make you an A-player as a leader or business owner. His system is simple to understand and natural to utilize. With it, you have an immediate leg up on the competition.”

—Chris Burkhard President CBI Group

“Consistently hiring A-players takes a lot more than just a good job description. You have to have a system for finding, hiring, and keeping great people, and Eric Herrenkohl’s process sets the foundation for hiring only the best candidates.”

—Diane Butrus Chief Operating Officer Bronx/Diba/Luichiny Shoes

“As an information technology executive in the food services industry, I am convinced that A-Players are critical to compete and to deliver high quality outcomes to our clients. Eric Herrenkohl has managed to create a ‘cook book’ for creating A-player teams. This book offers a step-by-step ‘recipes’-style approach that helps non-HR leaders create high performing teams, while encouraging improvement through clarity of roles throughout the entire organization.”

—Lawrence Dillon VP/CIO ARAMARK Healthcare

“Herrenkohl provides an entertaining and comprehensive approach to building the backbone of every company. Through real life stories, Herrenkohl masterfully uncovers the approach and the mind-set required to deliver sustainable performance improvements in your organization through recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent. Integrate this advice into your management systems and unleash the true potential of your business!”

—Al D’Iorio Chief Financial Officer Swiss Farms Stores Acquisition, LLC

“Building successful start-ups is all about winning the war for ‘A’ talent. The concept is simple. ‘A’ players attract other ‘A’ players while ‘B’ players attract ‘C’ players. You’d be well advised to put into practice Eric’s philosophy and approach on attracting ‘A’ talent which mirrors many of the practices I have seen work in the leading Silicon Valley companies.”

—Jason Green General Partner Emergence Capital

“Great stuff—especially right now. This is not just another fluff business book telling us what we already know but can’t execute. Eric has pulled together a comprehensive, practical but more importantly implementable process that every CEO or owner of a growing business should use. If you’re interested in not just growing, but growing smartly and profitably, and building a fabulous team that will get you there, Eric’s book is a must-read.”

—Cheryl Beth Kuchler Founder and Managing Principal CEO Think Tank

“Before I started my business, a businessman I greatly respect counseled me that I would never be able to attract A-players. It made sense to him because third-tier subcontractors don’t usually attract the best and the brightest. Yet working with Eric and his principles, and believing in what we offer to the best people, has led to an entire team of A-players and more success than we could have imagined.”

—Rich Ledbetter President Castle Contracting

“How to Hire A-Players is a must for anyone in the business world who is looking for a recruiting system which addresses the fundamental concepts of how to recognize and acquire top talent in the workforce. This practical how-to guide is for business leaders who are seeking high caliber players to take them to the next level.”

—Mark Neal Managing Partner Milhouse & Neal, LLP

“Whether you lead a small team or large organization, you know that great teams consist of great people, but do you know how to find them? How to Hire A-Players shows you how to build your talent pipeline and recruit the A-players you need to deliver the results you want. Eric Herrenkohl delivers a straightforward and powerful message drawing on his experience coaching and consulting A-players. He’s nailed it.”

—Mark Peterman Vice President, Performance Solutions Staples Promotional Products

“Under the hood of every company that has excelled and risen to dominate in its industry, you will find a team of A-players. How to Hire A-Players is a definitive and tactical arsenal of tools and strategies that a business needs to assemble and retain such a team and take itself to these levels.”

—Josh Peterson Founder, Adteractive Active Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Start-up Advisor

“Not only does Eric remind you that recruiting is an A-1 important function in your business, he has written a book that gives you the ‘how to’ for building a team of A-players. Read this book—you will learn how to build a successful organization.”

—Maryann Vitale Managing Broker/Owner Prudential Select Properties

“Everyone talks talent, but very few know where to find it. Eric Herrenkohl has created the ultimate executive playbook for how to recruit and build the team you need. How to Hire A-Players is just like Eric’s coaching . . . comprehensive yet succinct, practical, and immediately actionable. I wish I’d had this book five years ago.”

—Michael J. Weinberg Senior Vice President, Sales The Gabriel Group

Copyright # 2010 by Eric Herrenkohl & Herrenkohl Consulting. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Herrenkohl, Eric, 1967-

How to hire A-players: finding the top people for your team—even if you don’t have a recruiting department/Eric Herrenkohl. p. cm.

eISBN : 978-0-470-61867-7

1. Employee selection. 2. Employees-Recruiting. I. Title.

HF5549.5.S38H478 2010

658.3’ 11—dc22

2009046302

To my parents, Roy Herrenkohl and Ellen Herrenkohl

Thank you for loving your sons and teaching us to love learning

Acknowledgments

A number of people have been of great help to me in writing this book. It would be impossible to thank everyone who has done so, but I would like to highlight a few folks for special commendation.

First of all, I wouldn’t have anything to say if I didn’t have the privilege of working with great clients who lead terrific businesses. I appreciate the chance to add value to your organizations and to get to know you in the process. Thank you for sharing your stories with my readers—we can all learn from your experiences.

Paul Van De Putte introduced me to my agent Kirk Schroder, Managing Partner of Schroder Fidlow & Titley, PLC in Richmond, Va. Paul, I appreciate the introduction. Thanks for being the kind of person that everyone wants to know and for your friendship. Kirk, this book would not have happened without your work on my behalf. Thank you.

I want to thank my friend Bob Perkins for his wisdom on “leading leaders,” which has shaped my own thinking about how to attract and keep A-players. Thanks also to my friend and mentor Walter Green for your time, your interest in me, and for teaching me always to ask and answer the question, “What does success look like?”

Dan Ambrosio, my editor at John Wiley & Sons, Inc., was the person who gave me a shot to publish this book commercially. Thank you, Dan! Thanks also to Christine Moore, Kate Lindsay, and Ashley Allison at Wiley, who did a terrific job of tightening up the writing in this book and making it commercial grade.

Thanks to the many people who took time out of their busy schedules to provide me with their perspective on how to hire A-players, including: Megan Bittle, Tim Bradley, Chris Burkhard, Vita Burdi, Diane Butrus, Colin Drummond, Carl Gersbach, Jay Gettis, Todd Gibson, Rob Gilfillan, Lulu Gonella, Ed and Ellen Griffin, Vic Haas, Verne Harnish, Dave Hartman, Jody and Heather Herzog, Rob Holiday, Elaine Hughes, Greg Hutchings, Barney Kister, Rich Ledbetter, Brad Lyons, Tom McKendry, Tom McShane, Tracy Moore, Mark Peterman, Jeff Phillips, Tyler Ridgeway, Shirley Ann Rizi, Rich Ryffel, Steve Schultz, Barbie Spear, David Spetnagel, Suzanne Taylor, Sam Toumayan, Paul Van De Putte, Mike Vaughan, Karyn Verrett, Tony Vice, Maryann Vitale, and Mike Weiss. Special thanks to Fred Christen for his perspective on building a farm team; to Justin Smith for multiple cell-phone calls about using recruiters wisely; to Matt Todt for his insight on managing recruiters; to Ryan Lafferty for his time, expertise, and for breakfast; and to Tracy Cote and Traci Armstrong for sharing their experiences with recruiting via Twitter.

Thank you very much to Joe Kearfott and Ellen Herrenkohl for reviewing and editing the page proofs of this book—I appreciated it.

Finally, I have an unfair advantage in all of life, including writing a book, because of the woman to whom I am married. Kelly read, edited, and greatly improved everything about this book, from the initial proposal to the final manuscript. Smart, fun, and good looking is a great combination in someone with whom you get to spend your life. Thanks for everything.

—Eric Herrenkohl Philadelphia, PA