What is topgrading and how does it work?

Topgrading is a rigorous approach to recruiting and selecting personnel. It is designed to ensure that only the very best candidates are hired and retained. This method was developed by Bradford D. Smart and aims to improve workforce quality through an in-depth and structured interview process.

1. Higher performing teams: topgrading ensures the selection of employees who consistently deliver above-average performance.
2. Lower staff turnover: by hiring and developing top talent, Topgrading reduces staff turnover.
3. Cost savings: although the process is thorough, it can ultimately save costs.
4. Improved corporate culture: top talent attracts other top talent and contributes to a positive culture.

1. CV screening: start by screening CVs to identify suitable candidates.
2. Phone interviews: conduct short phone calls to get a first impression.
3. Topgrading interviews: conduct in-depth, structured interviews to assess work history, performance, and personality.
4. Reference checks: contact references to verify candidate information.
5. Career timeline: have the candidate create a detailed career timeline.
6. Discuss organizational behavior: analyze the candidate's behavior across organizations.

Learned offers tools to support topgrading within your organization. With our platform you can easily identify, develop and retain talent through personalized learning plans and a continuous dialogue.

With Learned you make expectations and evaluations transparent. Using AI, you can easily create market-standard job profiles with objectives, competencies and skills. Try Learned free for 14 days!

Image explanation: In this example you can see the job profile for an HR manager. This profile and over 4,000 other profiles are freely available in Learned. You can see how the success of this role can be measured and which behavior is required for which competencies and skills.