Who by Geoff Smart & Randy Street Summary

Who: The A Method for Hiring by Geoff Smart and Randy Street provides a systematic four-step framework (Scorecard, Source, Select, Sell) to help organizations hire top talent. It emphasizes evidence-based decision-making over intuition, with strategies like structured interviews and role-specific benchmarks to avoid costly hiring mistakes.

The book is ideal for CEOs, HR professionals, entrepreneurs, and managers involved in hiring. It offers actionable tools for anyone seeking to improve recruitment accuracy, reduce turnover, and build high-performing teams.

Yes—the book’s research-backed method (developed from 1,300+ interviews with CEOs and billionaires) boasts a 90% success rate in identifying top performers. Its practical templates and case studies make it valuable for scaling businesses or refining hiring processes.

The Scorecard is a blueprint defining role-specific outcomes, competencies, and cultural fits. It clarifies expectations by listing measurable goals (e.g., “Increase sales by 20% in Q1”) and ensures candidates align with both job requirements and company values.

The method advocates proactive sourcing through employee referrals, targeted outreach, and partnerships—rather than relying solely on job boards. This approach prioritizes quality over quantity, ensuring a pipeline of “A Players” suited for the role.

A structured interview format from the A Method, the Topgrading Interview explores a candidate’s career history chronologically, asking detailed questions about past successes, failures, and decision-making. This reveals patterns in performance and cultural fit.

The book advises tailoring the offer to a candidate’s priorities (e.g., career growth, mission alignment) and involving team members in the process. This “Sell” step ensures top candidates feel valued and motivated to join.

Some argue the method’s rigor (e.g., detailed Scorecards, multi-round interviews) may be time-intensive for small teams. However, proponents highlight its adaptability and long-term ROI in reducing mis-hires.

Unlike theoretical guides, Who provides a field-tested, step-by-step system focused on practical execution. Its emphasis on data-driven decisions and structured interviews sets it apart from gut-based approaches.

With rising competition for talent and AI-driven hiring tools, the book’s human-centric framework helps leaders balance technology with critical interpersonal evaluations—ensuring hires align with evolving organizational needs.

“The key to business success is having a hiring process that accurately identifies the candidate who can best fill a specific role.” This mantra underscores the book’s focus on precision in recruitment.

Yes—the authors note its adaptability for startups, nonprofits, and even personal hires (e.g., assistants). The Scorecard and interview techniques can be scaled to fit any role’s complexity.