Research shows that only about 25% of new hires turn out to be Top Performers. With 75% of people hired missing the mark, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to calculate the hours and dollars lost.

Yet with some people having a really good “interview persona,” how do you determine who the real A-players are? How do you know that this person isn’t just talking a good game – that they really have what it takes to perform over the long haul?

It just so happens that there are questions that you can ask that will uncover what most Bottom Performers don’t want you to know. It is a series of questions about each full-time job they’ve had. Through this series of questions, you’re looking for patterns. So if you only ask a couple of these questions for each job or you only ask about a couple of jobs, you might miss the pattern. This is a lengthy process and is best done with at least two interviewers. (These are some of the questions asked in Brad Smart’s Top Grading Interview process.)

1) What were your expectations when you took this job? (good and bad)

A. Top Performers (TPs) will tend to talk about the challenges and opportunities for growth they were looking for.

B. Bottom Performers (BPs) needed another job, weren’t very strategic in picking this job.

2) What did you find after being on the job awhile? (good and bad)

A. TPs will talk about the pros and cons of the job and how they overcame obstacles and were able to figure it out.

B. BPs were not informed about the challenges and obstacles in the job and this is usually their focus.

3) What were your major accomplishments and how did you achieve them?

A. TPs will show enthusiasm as they talk about their accomplishments, will share 3-4 and will include overcoming the odds in their story.

B. BPs will not have achieved their big goals, may share excuses as to why.

4) What were your failures or major mistakes?

A. TPs will look you in the eye and unabashedly tell you they took on too much, took a risk that didn’t work out and they’ll tell you what they learned.

B. BPs tend to repeat mistakes and share more excuses for their failures job after job.

5) Who did you report to? What was he or she like to work for?

A. TPs like working for other TPs who challenge them and have high expectations.

B. BPs like easy bosses and will talk negatively about those who were tough.

6) What would your former boss say about you in a phone call arranged by you? Including strengths, weaknesses, overall performance on a scale from 1-5?

A. TPs will score themselves high, mention lots of strengths and a few genuine weaknesses.

B. BPs will score themselves high but it may sound phony or hollow, and if they score themselves low, they again will offer excuses.

7) Why did you leave?

A. TPs looking for more opportunity and growth.

B. BPs were let go, had a bad relationship with their manager or had no opportunity.

Of these questions, the one that really stands out as a key indicator of a Top Performer is how someone responds to Number 6.

For tips on how to get honest references on a candidate, stay tuned or, if you absolutely can’t wait, email us at info[at]discwizardonline[dot]com.