Page 39 - How To Answer Interview Questions (II)

Job Interview Question 14

Does a company need B players?
Or is it better off only having A players on staff, and why?

A vs B

Any answer to this question other than “A players” means that you are not an A player. A players like
to work with A players.

I don’t know any managers who should be looking for B players.You should always hire the best
you can get, and that’s an A player. The more A players you have, the more growth and movement you
have.

The more A players you have, the more cushion you have in case one of your A players leaves for
a better opportunity.

It doesn’t make sense to look for B players anyway—in any organization, there will be some who
naturally keep their A player status, and some that will land in B or fall into C status.

That’s not to say that B players can’t be valuable to an organization. They can. They are often the
backbone of an organization that can keep the daily details moving—but they tend not to contribute to
active growth.

Key to a Great Interview

For more on ‘A’ and ‘B’ players, read Brad Smart’s book –
Topgrading, 3rd Edition: The Proven Hiring and Promoting Method That Turbocharges Company

Performance
It talks about how hiring managers should always try to get A players, because there will be enough

of them that fall to B player status. If you’re going to be a manager, you need to read this book.