A Fundamental Truth About Top Performers

Great leaders and investors know the unique power of hiring exceptional talent—the proverbial “best of the best.” A few outstanding hires, particularly in leadership roles, can change the destiny of a company. But how do you differentially attract these top 5% performers?

I’ve had the privilege to talk to a large number of these individuals in my assessment work. They have walked me through the entire arc of their careers, including the motivations behind every job transition they ever made.

When they evaluate a new opportunity, there is one thing they care about much more than average performers: they want to work with OTHER high performers. When they sniff mediocrity, they typically head for the door.

Let’s assume you have the opportunity to interview someone who is likely to be one of these top 5% performers, perhaps based on a glowing referral from a trusted source in your networks. How should you manage those interviews, once they have agreed to enter your process? Sell them early and often, keep the hard questions to a minimum, right?

Wrong.

A lack of thorough vetting is a great way to turn off top performers. Why? Because top performers are judging the quality of your team based on the rigorousness of your selection process.

Put simply: top performers are deeply attracted to selective environments.

If you only give them sales pitches and soft-ball questions, they will assume this is how you interviewed everyone on your team. And they will therefore assume, at least subconsciously, that your team is weak.

If you want to impress them, DIG IN. Get into the details of their stories, ask great follow-up questions, and don’t be afraid to talk about their mistakes and weaknesses. Your thoroughness will elevate their opinion of you, and draw them to the opportunity.