Hiring — A-Player Method

The A-Player Method

Most hiring fails because teams skip the fundamentals: defining what success looks like before recruiting, using unstructured interviews that test for vibes instead of outcomes, and skipping references. The A Method fixes this with four steps:

• Scorecard — Define the mission, outcomes, and competencies before you source a single candidate
• Source — Build a pipeline through referrals, recruiters, and systematic outreach
• Select — Four structured interviews: screening, topgrading, focused, and reference
• Sell — Close A-players by understanding their motivations (Fit, Family, Freedom, Fortune, Fun)

Page Structure

👥 Hiring
│
├── 📋 Open Roles
│   ├── DataTable: roles/ (all open positions)
│   │   Columns: title, department, level, status, hiringManager, candidateCount, priority
│   └── Kanban: roles/ grouped by status
│       Stages: drafting → approved → sourcing → interviewing → offer → filled
│
├── 👤 Candidates
│   ├── Kanban: candidates/ grouped by stage
│   │   screening → topgrading → focused → reference → offer → hired / rejected
│   ├── DataTable: candidates/ (searchable list)
│   │   Columns: name, role, stage, source, score, interviewer, lastActivity
│   └── Rejected Candidates (DataTable filtered, for future roles)
│
├── 📝 Scorecards (one sub-page per role)
│   ├── [Role Name] Scorecard
│   │   ├── Mission Statement
│   │   │   "The mission for this role is to..."
│   │   │
│   │   ├── Outcomes (3-8 measurable results)
│   │   │   ▶ Outcome 1: "Ship v2 of the product within 6 months"
│   │   │   ▶ Outcome 2: "Grow team from 3 to 6 engineers"
│   │   │   ▶ Outcome 3: "Reduce P95 latency to <200ms"
│   │   │
│   │   ├── Competencies (5-8 behavioral traits)
│   │   │   ▶ Efficiency: Able to produce significant output with minimal waste
│   │   │   ▶ Honesty/Integrity: Earns trust through directness
│   │   │   ▶ Organization: Plans, prioritizes, manages multiple tasks
│   │   │   ▶ Aggressiveness: Moves fast, takes decisive action
│   │   │   ▶ Follow-through: Lives up to commitments consistently
│   │   │   ▶ Intelligence: Learns quickly, demonstrates aptitude
│   │   │   ▶ Analytical skills: Structures and processes data
│   │   │   ▶ Attention to detail: Does not let things fall through cracks
│   │   │   ▶ Persistence: Maintains effort despite obstacles
│   │   │   ▶ Proactivity: Acts without being told, goes above and beyond
│   │   │
│   │   └── Cultural Fit Criteria
│   │       ▶ [Your company's specific values and behaviors]
│   │
│   └── [Another Role] Scorecard
│       └── ...
│
├── 📞 Interview Guides
│   ├── 1. Screening Interview (30 min, phone/video)
│   │   ▶ "What are your career goals?"
│   │   ▶ "What are you really good at professionally?"
│   │   ▶ "What are you not good at or not interested in?"
│   │   ▶ "Who were your last 5 bosses and how would they rate you 1-10?"
│   │   → Score: A / B / C → proceed or reject
│   │
│   ├── 2. Topgrading Interview (1-3 hours, chronological career walkthrough)
│   │   For each job in their career (start from the beginning):
│   │   ▶ "What were you hired to do?"
│   │   ▶ "What accomplishments are you most proud of?"
│   │   ▶ "What were some low points during that job?"
│   │   ▶ "Who was your boss? What would they say about you?"
│   │   ▶ "Why did you leave?"
│   │   → Look for: patterns of success, self-awareness, progression
│   │
│   ├── 3. Focused Interview (45 min per interviewer, one outcome each)
│   │   Each interviewer owns one scorecard outcome:
│   │   ▶ "Tell me about a time you [achieved outcome X]"
│   │   ▶ "How did you approach it? What was your role?"
│   │   ▶ "What was the result? What would you do differently?"
│   │   → Rate A/B/C on that specific outcome
│   │
│   └── 4. Reference Checks (pick 3+ from THEIR boss list)
│       ▶ "In what context did you work with [candidate]?"
│       ▶ "What were their biggest strengths?"
│       ▶ "What were their biggest areas for improvement?"
│       ▶ "How would you rate their performance on a 1-10 scale?"
│       ▶ "Would you enthusiastically rehire them?"
│       → If references are lukewarm, that IS the data
│
├── 📊 Interview Scorecards (per candidate)
│   ├── DataTable: interview-scores/ filtered by candidateId
│   │   Columns: interviewer, stage, outcome, rating, notes
│   └── Summary: overall A/B/C recommendation with rationale
│
├── 🎯 Offer & Close
│   ├── Offer Template
│   │   ▶ Role, title, reporting to
│   │   ▶ Compensation: base, equity, bonus, benefits
│   │   ▶ Start date
│   │   ▶ The "Sell" — address their Five Fs:
│   │       Fit: How this role matches their goals
│   │       Family: Location, flexibility, schedule
│   │       Freedom: Autonomy, decision-making scope
│   │       Fortune: Total comp, equity upside
│   │       Fun: The work itself, team, mission
│   └── Negotiation Notes
│
└── 📚 Hiring Wiki
    ├── Our Hiring Philosophy
    ├── Compensation Bands by Level
    ├── Equity Grant Guidelines
    ├── Interview Best Practices
    └── Legal Compliance Notes

Entity Schemas

{
  "Role": {
    "path": "@roles/(id:nanoid)",
    "file": "[data].json",
    "fields": {
      "title": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "department": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "level": { "type": "string" },
      "status": { "type": "string", "default": "drafting" },
      "hiringManager": { "type": "string" },
      "recruiterId": { "type": "string" },
      "mission": { "type": "string" },
      "outcomes": { "type": "array" },
      "competencies": { "type": "array" },
      "compensation": { "type": "object" },
      "location": { "type": "string" },
      "remote": { "type": "boolean", "default": false },
      "priority": { "type": "string", "default": "medium" },
      "candidateCount": { "type": "number", "default": 0 },
      "targetStartDate": { "type": "string" },
      "jobPostingUrl": { "type": "string" },
      "notes": { "type": "string" }
    },
    "oplog": true,
    "softDelete": true
  },
  "Candidate": {
    "path": "@candidates/(id:nanoid)",
    "file": "[data].json",
    "fields": {
      "name": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "email": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "phone": { "type": "string" },
      "linkedIn": { "type": "string" },
      "resumeAssetId": { "type": "string" },
      "roleId": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "stage": { "type": "string", "default": "screening" },
      "source": { "type": "string" },
      "referredBy": { "type": "string" },
      "overallRating": { "type": "string" },
      "screeningScore": { "type": "string" },
      "topgradingScore": { "type": "string" },
      "focusedScores": { "type": "object" },
      "referenceResults": { "type": "array" },
      "currentCompany": { "type": "string" },
      "currentTitle": { "type": "string" },
      "yearsExperience": { "type": "number" },
      "compensationExpectation": { "type": "object" },
      "availableDate": { "type": "string" },
      "rejectionReason": { "type": "string" },
      "notes": { "type": "string" }
    },
    "refs": {
      "role": { "model": "Role", "field": "roleId", "type": "belongsTo" }
    },
    "oplog": true,
    "softDelete": true
  },
  "InterviewScore": {
    "path": "@interview-scores/(id:nanoid)",
    "file": "[data].json",
    "fields": {
      "candidateId": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "roleId": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "interviewerId": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "stage": { "type": "string", "required": true },
      "outcomeOrCompetency": { "type": "string" },
      "rating": { "type": "string" },
      "strengths": { "type": "string" },
      "concerns": { "type": "string" },
      "recommendation": { "type": "string" },
      "notes": { "type": "string" }
    },
    "refs": {
      "candidate": { "model": "Candidate", "field": "candidateId", "type": "belongsTo" },
      "role": { "model": "Role", "field": "roleId", "type": "belongsTo" }
    },
    "oplog": true,
    "softDelete": true
  }
}

The Scorecard

The scorecard is the most important artifact. Before you source a single candidate, fill this out on a dedicated page per role:

# [Role Title] Scorecard

## Mission
The mission for this role is to [one sentence describing the core purpose].

## Outcomes (what this person must accomplish)
1. [Measurable outcome] within [timeframe]
2. [Measurable outcome] within [timeframe]
3. [Measurable outcome] within [timeframe]
(aim for 3-8 outcomes, specific and measurable)

## Competencies (how they must behave)
- Efficiency: [what this means for this role]
- Integrity: [what this means for this role]
- [Competency]: [definition]
- [Competency]: [definition]
(aim for 5-8, each defined in terms of observable behavior)

## Cultural Fit
- [Value 1]: [what it looks like in practice]
- [Value 2]: [what it looks like in practice]

Every interviewer gets a copy. Every interview is scored against these specific outcomes and competencies — not gut feelings.

Candidate Pipeline Stages

screening     — 30-min phone screen (career goals, strengths, weaknesses, boss ratings)
topgrading    — 1-3hr chronological career walkthrough
focused       — 45min per interviewer, each owns one scorecard outcome
reference     — 3+ references chosen from their boss list (not their picks)
offer         — Crafting and negotiating the offer
hired         — Accepted and start date confirmed
rejected      — Did not pass (track which stage and why)

The 'Who' Interview Questions

These are the core questions from Geoff Smart's method. Put them on toggle blocks in your Interview Guides page so every interviewer has them:

• Screening — "Who were your last 5 bosses, and how would each rate your performance on a 1-10 scale when we talk to them?" (The threat of verification produces honesty.)
• Topgrading — Walk through every job chronologically. For each: what were you hired to do, what did you accomplish, low points, boss rating, why did you leave? Patterns emerge.
• Focused — One interviewer per outcome. "Tell me about a time you achieved [specific outcome from scorecard]." Deep-dive on that one thing.
• Reference — You pick the references from the boss list they gave you in screening. Not their hand-picked friends. Ask: "Would you enthusiastically rehire this person?"

Tips

• Write the scorecard before the job posting. The job posting is a marketing version of the scorecard.
• A-players attract A-players. Ask every person you know: "Who are the most talented people you know that I should recruit?"
• Never skip references. The single strongest signal is what their previous bosses say about them — bosses they didn't choose.
• Track source on every candidate. Over time, you'll see which channels produce A-players vs. B/C-players.
• Rejected candidates go to a "future" list. Some are great people, wrong role. Tag them for later.

Related Templates

Based ships built-in templates that complement this playbook:

• Hiring Workflow — req to onboard pipeline
• Hiring Hub — role packet, interview loop, and candidates