Hiring the right people remains a critical challenge for managers. As I argued in an earlier article, Stop Hiring the Resume, Start Hiring the Attitude, a resume is a polished snapshot—often curated to dazzle rather than reveal.
Resumes highlight accomplishments, skills, and titles, but they can mask critical truths about a candidate’s real performance, attitude, and fit.
Building on this theme, Geoff Smart and Randy Street’s book Who: The A-Method for Hiring offers a robust framework to move beyond the resume’s veneer and identify true A-players—those with a 90% chance of achieving outcomes only the top 10% of candidates can deliver.
The Pitfalls of the Resume
Resumes are inherently flawed as hiring tools.
First, they’re curated narratives, often crafted with professional help to emphasise strengths and obscure weaknesses.
A candidate might list “increased sales by 20%,” but was that due to their brilliance or a rising market?
Second, resumes focus on what was done, not how, leaving out the attitude, work ethic, or collaboration skills that define an A-Player.
Third, they’re static, failing to capture a candidate’s trajectory or adaptability.
As Smart and Street note, traditional hiring over-relies on these “voodoo methods,” leading to costly mis-hires, estimated at 15 times an employee’s salary in lost productivity and opportunity.
The A-Method: Digging for the Truth
To uncover the real person behind the resume, hiring managers can adopt the ghSMART A-Method’s four steps: Scorecard, Source, Select, and Sell.
Here’s how these steps address resume pitfalls and reveal A-Players:
1. Scorecard: Define Success, Not Just Skills
Instead of vague job descriptions, create a scorecard outlining specific, measurable outcomes (e.g., “grow revenue from $5M to $7M in 18 months”) and competencies (e.g., resilience, initiative). This shifts focus from resume bullet points to what the role demands. A resume might boast “led a team,” but the scorecard tests if they can deliver results under pressure—something a curated CV can’t prove.
2. Source: Look Beyond Applicants
Resumes often come from active job seekers, not necessarily the best talent. Systematic sourcing—tapping networks, referrals, and proactive outreach—uncovers A-Players who may not be polishing their LinkedIn. This bypasses the self-selecting bias of resume piles and targets proven performers.
3. Select: Structured Interviews to Unmask Reality
The A-Method’s structured interviews—Screening, Who, Focused, and Reference—dig beneath the resume’s surface. The Who Interview, a chronological walkthrough of a candidate’s career, asks: “What were your biggest successes and failures? What did your bosses say about you?” These questions reveal patterns of behaviour and attitude, not just curated highlights. For example, a resume might claim “exceeded targets,” but probing “How did you handle a tough boss?” exposes grit or entitlement. Reference checks then validate claims, ensuring the resume’s story holds up.
4. Sell: Assess Fit and Motivation
A-Players choose roles that align with their strengths and passions. Selling the opportunity—while gauging their enthusiasm—tests if their attitude matches the scorecard’s demands. A resume can’t show if someone’s driven by purpose or just a paycheck, but this step can.
Moving Beyond the Paper Tiger
In my prior article, I suggested it was important for hiring managers to prioritise attitude over resume. This aligns with Smart and Street’s emphasis on “who, not what.” Resumes can often be seen as paper tigers—impressive but often hollow.
A candidate with a stellar CV might lack the tenacity to navigate chaos, while a less flashy one could be a diamond in the rough.
The A-Method equips managers to flesh out the truth by focusing on outcomes, behavior, and fit, not just credentials.
Practical Tips for Managers
– Ditch the Resume-First Mindset: Use it as a starting point, not the decision driver.
– Ask Behavior-Based Questions: “Tell me about a time you failed and recovered” reveals more than “list your achievements.”
– Rate Against the Scorecard: Grade candidates on outcomes and competencies, not gut feel or resume polish.
– Trust References Over Claims: Past performance, verified by others, trumps self-reported wins.
We live in a world where talent defines success. Hiring based on the resume is a gamble.
By embracing the A-Method, managers can cut through the curation, identify A-Players, and build teams that don’t just look good on paper—they deliver.
Attitude, not accolades, wins the day.
****Pic Source: By shisuka via Canva.com
