By Lisa Giancarli

Hiring and Firing Secrets for Child Care Leaders – 3 Part Series 

Part 2 – The A Method for Hiring: A Proven Approach for Success

This is Part 2 of our three-part series, Hiring and Firing Secrets for Child Care Leaders. Now that we’ve covered the hiring challenges in our industry, it’s time to discuss a proven solution: the A Method for Hiring. This structured approach helps child care leaders identify, attract, and hire A players who are perfectly aligned with their organization’s needs. Let’s break down the four critical steps of this method and see how it can transform your hiring process.

In their book Who, Geoff Smart and Randy Street introduce The SMART A Method for Hiring—a simple yet highly effective process designed to help businesses hire A players with a high degree of success. This method breaks down the hiring process into four critical steps: Scorecard, Source, Select, and Sell.

1. Scorecard

The first step in the A Method is creating a Scorecard. This is not just a job description—it’s your blueprint for success. The Scorecard outlines exactly what you want a person to accomplish in the role. It defines the outcomes and competencies that will determine whether the job is done well. To create a Scorecard, you must clarify what success looks like for this position.

• Mission of the Job: This is a short, clear statement of the job’s core purpose. It explains why the role exists and how it contributes to the organization.
• Outcomes: These are the specific goals or results a person needs to achieve in the role. List 3-8 outcomes in order of importance.
• Competencies: This defines how the person needs to operate to achieve the outcomes. Competencies can be broken down into two types:
  • Critical Competencies: The essential skills and behaviors required for the job.
  • Cultural Competencies: The behaviors needed to fit into your organizational culture.

2. Source

The second step is Source—always be on the lookout for great candidates. Don’t let recruiting be a one-time event. Build an ongoing pipeline of potential candidates through referrals from your professional network, your current employees, and even the families you serve. Consider hiring a recruiting manager or using platforms like virtual assistants or Fiverr to help with sourcing. And always be asking, “Who are the most talented people you know that I should hire?”

3. Select

Once you’ve identified potential candidates, it’s time to Select. The selection process should include a series of interviews designed to gather all the relevant facts you need to make an informed decision. There are four key interviews in this process:

• The Screening Interview: A brief, phone-based interview to assess basic qualifications and fit. Some key questions include:
  • What are your career goals?
  • What are you really good at professionally?
  • What are you not interested in doing professionally?
  • How would your past supervisors rate your performance on a scale of 1-10?
• The Who Interview: This interview is designed to predict future performance by exploring a candidate’s past roles. Start with their oldest job and ask:
  • What were you hired to do?
  • What accomplishments are you most proud of?
  • What were some challenges or low points in that job?
  • Why did you leave that job?
• The Focused Interview: This is where you dive deeper into the competencies needed for the job. If a candidate claims to be skilled in using The Creative Curriculum, ask:
  • What are your biggest accomplishments in this area?
  • What mistakes did you make, and what lessons did you learn?
• The Reference Interview: Don’t skip this critical step! Speak to references from a variety of sources, including previous supervisors, peers, and subordinates. Ask them about the candidate’s strengths, areas of improvement, and overall performance. Be sure to follow up on any concerns you’ve heard during the interview process.

4. Sell

The final step is to Sell the position to your top candidates. Once you’ve identified the people you want to hire, it’s time to persuade them to join your team. Use the 5 F’s of Selling to close the deal:

• Fit: Show the candidate how their goals, talents, and values align with your vision, strategy, and culture.
• Family: Build a personal relationship with the candidate. People want to work with people they like and trust.
• Freedom: Empower your A players by not micromanaging. Great leaders gain more control by giving more control to their team.
• Fortune: Consider linking variable compensation to performance and the goals outlined in the Scorecard.
• Fun: People want to work in a positive environment where they enjoy what they do.

Making the Right Decision

When you’re ready to make a hiring decision, ensure that the candidate’s skill-will profile matches the Scorecard. The skill refers to the candidate’s ability to achieve the outcomes on the Scorecard, while will refers to their motivation and cultural fit. When both align, you have a candidate who is likely to succeed in your childcare business.

The A Method for Hiring provides a clear, actionable framework for building a team of A players who can elevate your child care program. By focusing on creating scorecards, sourcing great candidates, conducting effective interviews, and selling your vision, you can bring the right people on board with confidence. In the final part of this series, we’ll explore how to retain top talent and handle the difficult task of letting go when necessary.