Loud Thinking

How to Hire More Top Performers

It goes without saying that a company with more top performers has an edge over its rivals. To increase your proportion of top talent:
Control your pipeline. Do your own recruiting, and stop relying on headhunters.
Have your A players conduct the interviews. B and C players can’t always identify the highest potential people (and if they do, they can feel threatened). Average performers tend to look for congeniality and the ability of a candidate to fit in; they don’t always look for someone who seems likely to raise the bar.
Involve as many line managers in the interviews as possible. This is especially true when hiring for highly technical jobs: HR might not be able to judge whether people have the very specific skills required.

Adapted by HBR from “How to Hire More Top Performers” by Michael C. Mankins.