Topgrading

I had the chance to talk to a fantastic Topgrader last week, Travis Isaacson of Access Development Corporation. We were talking about Job Scorecards, and Travis had some fantastic advice about them. Here are five points worth considering:

1. To relieve stress, tell people, especially the Hiring Managers who are responsible for creating them, that the Job Scorecard is a living document that will change. You don’t have to get it perfect the first time. When you realize that it’s not quite right, you can change it. Hiring Managers are more willing to do a first draft if they know they can change it later if situations change.

2. Look at what you already have in your systems, culture, and processes. You have people who are receiving bonuses, you have lists of responsibilities. Start from where you are. How do you get bonuses? That should be on the scorecard. Turn responsibilities into accountabilities.

3. You can build scorecards the way you build budgets. If a company wants to make $50M, you have to figure out how much revenue is going to come from each department. The same sort of process can work all the way down to individual contributors. A Sales Manager has to generate a certain amount of revenue, and then that’s broken down to individual sales people.

4. Start at the top. Build the CEO/President scorecard and work your way down.

5. Scorecards aren’t just used for hiring. They are central to our entire talent management process because they are the center piece of our performance management system.

Note:  A (free) download comes with this article!

Here is the simplest, clearest outline of all 12 Topgrading hiring steps, including what problem they solve, what skill must be learned, and the results that are typically achieved with using each Topgrading tool.

Thirty (plus) years of experience have clearly demonstrated that each and every one of these 12 Topgrading hiring steps is not just desirable, but necessary, in order to achieve 90% hiring success.  Cut corners by ignoring any one of the steps and it’s been well documented that costly mis-hires go up, and up, and up!

The download, the Topgrading Vision document, came from, of all places, a request from Tony Robbins.  He’s asked me two years in a row to be the “hiring guru” at his Summit for entrepreneurs, and while preparing for it Tony asked for a template, dashboard, something to clearly show how, where, and why all the Topgrading hiring parts fit together.  Good idea, Tony, thanks for the suggestion.  Hundreds of beginning Topgraders have bookmarked the Topgrading Vision, so all the steps are clear.

Enough introduction.  Just click here and immediately download the Topgrading Vision!

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: The new Topgrading Workbook, the one used in all our workshops, is organized around the Topgrading Vision.  Each of the 12 steps is explained, the problem it solves is clarified, and then fun exercises teach the Topgrading skill.  You have to actually use it to get the favorable results!  For more information and to invest in the Topgrading Workbook, click here.

The New Topgrading Workbook!

Hi Topgraders,

You have asked for a simple, straightforward Topgrading Workbook, with all the latest Topgrading tools, and here it is!

The Topgrading Workbook is THE manual we use in our Topgrading Workshops.  It clearly explains all 12 Topgrading hiring steps and then there are the same fun, practical exercises we use in workshops.

Click here for a free chapter and the Introduction, for more information, and to purchase the Topgrading Workbook.  Click now to get a tool that will be your personal tutor or the only handout you’ll need for your internal Topgrading workshops.

A lot of companies are getting killed in the recession, but this article shows how Topgrading can produce record sales and profits even in a recession.  The company happens to own restaurants, but the Topgrading principles apply to all industries.

K & N Management, owned by Ken Schiller and Brian Nolen, owns Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q franchises in Texas.  As Marlis Oliver, Chief Operating Officer put it, “We were continually losing A players and retaining C players way too long.  As a company, we were frequently understaffed and we often re-hired C players.  Continuing to mis-hire and hold on to “dead weight” resulted in inconsistent products and service, accounting and theft issues, and personnel policy violations.”

While traveling, Ken saw an article about Topgrading in a business magazine, and was intrigued.  They were looking for a turn-key plan to hire better; Topgrading offered a turn-key method to get all managers in the company interviewing, evaluating, and coaching the same way.

Ken said, “We love that Topgrading is a systematized and thorough process.  The book is not just theory, it outlines a step-by-step approach to make it happen.”  The decision was made to make Topgrading their company focus in 2006.  The initiative was kicked off with a workshop for all managers.  The managers read the bestseller, Topgrading, together over a span of twelve weeks, and then as teams they determined how the key elements of Topgrading would be implemented.  Every manager helped tailor Topgrading to the company, and once a system was decided upon, it was mandated.  Ken Schiller said, “You will mis-hire people if you don’t follow the system, because it is so easy to cut corners.  Create the system with input from your team, put metrics in place to motivate people to follow the rules, and consistently monitor progress.”

The Topgrading system that was implemented included creating Job Scorecards for all positions, conducting Tandem Topgrading Interviews for all management hires and promotions, conducting Topgrading-based interviews for all hourly employees, checking references (arranged by candidates), and conducting biannual Talent Reviews.

Ken, Brian, and Marlis estimate that prior to Topgrading approximately 25% of their managers and hourly employees turned out to be A players.  Now, 92% of managers and 80% of employees are rated A players. Business results have been equally impressive.

Oliver said, “We have experienced phenomenal sales growth.  Our Rudy’s restaurants have the highest sales of restaurants in the Austin area when comparing food-only sales volume and our stores also outperform others in the Rudy’s system.  As a result of implementing Topgrading, we are experiencing sales growth, profitability, and nation-wide recognition for our products and services.”

Another key to the success of Topgrading at K & N Management was the creation of a new position, Topgrading Director.  Danielle Robinson was hired to do that job, and her main responsibility is managing talent for the company.  She has been using the Topgrading Career History Form to screen management candidates for about a year, and said, “I love the Topgrading Career History Form.  I get so much more detail about a person than what is included on most resumes, so I know if they will be a fit for our company before even talking with them.  I get insights into the candidate before interviewing them, so interviews are shorter and more productive.”

K & N Management has continued to grow by creating a new restaurant concept, Mighty Fine Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. (www.mightyfineburgers.com).  The first location was opened in 2008, and locations have opened in 2009.  All new restaurants have exceeded expectations, and the management team attributes much of the success to Topgrading. Robinson said, “We already had great people management systems in place at our Rudy’s stores, so we just had to implement them in the Mighty Fine restaurants.”

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Consider attending our Topgrading Workshop September 1 – 2.   Click here for details.