Geoff Smart Books
Geoff Smart is the founder and chairman of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm. Randy Street is a partner at ghSMART and co-author of 'Who: The A Method for Hiring.
Known for: Who: The A Method for Hiring
Books by Geoff Smart
Who: The A Method for Hiring
Hiring mistakes are rarely small mistakes. One wrong executive, manager, or key contributor can drain time, damage culture, stall growth, and cost an organization far more than most leaders expect. In Who: The A Method for Hiring, Geoff Smart and Randy Street tackle one of business’s most persistent and expensive problems: how to consistently choose the right people. Their argument is simple but powerful: most companies do not fail to hire well because talent is unavailable, but because their hiring process is inconsistent, rushed, and based on weak interviews and gut instinct. The book offers a practical system for improving those decisions. What makes this book especially useful is its blend of real-world business urgency and clear methodology. Geoff Smart is known for his work advising companies on leadership selection and talent strategy, while Randy Street brings deep operating and executive experience. Together, they present a structured approach called the A Method for Hiring, designed to help organizations identify “A Players” and dramatically improve the odds of making strong hiring decisions. For leaders, founders, and managers who want better teams and better results, this book remains highly relevant.
Read SummaryKey Insights from Geoff Smart
Hiring is a high-stakes leadership decision
A surprising number of business problems are actually people problems in disguise. Missed targets, poor execution, weak customer experiences, and cultural friction often trace back to a simple root cause: the wrong person was placed in the wrong role. One of the book’s central insights is that hirin...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
A Players outperform average hires dramatically
The difference between a strong hire and an average one is often far greater than most managers imagine. Smart and Street use the term “A Player” to describe a person who has at least a 90 percent chance of achieving a set of outcomes that only the top 10 percent of possible candidates could achieve...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
Scorecards define success before interviews begin
Most hiring errors begin before the first interview. They start with a fuzzy understanding of what the job actually requires. One of the book’s most practical tools is the scorecard, a document that defines the mission, outcomes, and competencies for a role before candidates are evaluated. This step...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
Source candidates with discipline and persistence
Great hiring rarely happens by posting a job and hoping the best person applies. One of the book’s strongest points is that finding top talent requires active sourcing, not passive waiting. A Players are often already employed, not actively searching, and selective about where they move. If you want...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
Structured interviews beat gut instinct every time
The interview is where most hiring confidence is formed and where much of that confidence becomes dangerously misleading. Smart and Street argue that traditional interviews are deeply flawed because they are inconsistent, superficial, and overly influenced by first impressions. Managers often leave ...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
The Topgrading interview reveals performance patterns
One of the signature tools in Who is the Topgrading interview, a chronological, in-depth examination of a candidate’s career. The core idea is straightforward but powerful: when you systematically explore each stage of someone’s work history, recurring strengths and weaknesses become difficult to hi...
From Who: The A Method for Hiring
About Geoff Smart
Geoff Smart is the founder and chairman of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm. Randy Street is a partner at ghSMART and co-author of 'Who: The A Method for Hiring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Geoff Smart is the founder and chairman of ghSMART, a leadership advisory firm. Randy Street is a partner at ghSMART and co-author of 'Who: The A Method for Hiring.
Read Geoff Smart's books in 15 minutes
Get AI-powered summaries with key insights from 1 book by Geoff Smart.