Jackie Zach
January 25, 2024
In this episode of the Make More Work Less podcast, Mike McKay and Jackie Zach discuss the concept of a unique hiring proposition (UHP), which is essentially the reason why someone should work for a company over its competitors. They emphasize that UHP is akin to marketing, not just to clients but also to potential employees, and the key component of a strong UHP is culture. They also advise businesses to focus on hiring for cultural fit, noting that skills can be taught, but a mismatch in culture can create significant challenges. Jackie encourages companies to define their culture clearly, with written values and behaviors that guide hiring, firing, and team interactions.
The conversation delves into the importance of having a written culture and how it directly influences hiring decisions. It also provides practical examples, like the impact of a simple “Hail and Farewell” policy in a warehouse, which improved employee engagement and culture. Mike discusses the importance of showcasing this culture in job advertisements, stressing that tailoring these ads to reflect the company culture helps attract the right candidates. They conclude by highlighting that hiring the right cultural fit is essential for business success and that once a company’s UHP is established, the hiring process becomes much more efficient.
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Podcast Transcript:
Mike McKay: Hi, everybody. This is the Make More Work Less podcast. Jackie, tell me, what is a unique hiring proposition?
Jackie Zach: A unique hiring proposition is why someone should work for you—and no one else. What makes your workplace so great that people would want to join you instead of another company?
Mike: Sounds like marketing, doesn’t it?
Jackie: It does! It’s amazing how similar marketing to clients is to marketing to A-players when it comes to hiring employees.
Mike: Exactly. So, what are the key components of a unique hiring proposition?
Jackie: Number one: culture. You hire for culture. Skills can always be taught, but if someone isn’t a good cultural fit, you’ll have problems. So, the first step is hiring for culture—and to do that, you need a written culture. That means defining your vision, mission, and culture.
Mike: Right—hire the will, not the skill. Skills can be trained. But you mentioned a “written culture,” and I bet some listeners are thinking, “What does that even mean? Sounds like some long, tedious process that’s not worth it.” So, what do you mean by a written culture?
Jackie: Every company has a culture, whether you actively create it or let it form on its own. It’s already there.
Mike: How do you see the culture?
Jackie: It shows in how people treat each other and how your company interacts with the community.
Mike: So, it’s the behaviors your employees demonstrate. Great. How do you go about creating a written culture?
Jackie: First, think about your values. What’s important to you? In our company, for example, we value commitment, success, education, and fun. Start by identifying the values you want your business to embody—how your people interact with each other and with the community.
Mike: And then?
Jackie: Then, as a team, decide what each of those values means to you. If you don’t have a written culture yet, this is a great team exercise. Ask yourselves: Why is this specific cultural value important to us?
Mike: Right. And often, people can sense when a culture is off. You walk into a place, and everyone’s eyes drop—they don’t make eye contact, don’t greet each other. There’s no “Hey, Bill” or “Hi, Jackie.” You can visibly see behaviors that reflect a poor culture.
When defining your culture, I’d encourage people to focus on the behaviors that represent it. For instance, if your employees want to be known for doing great work, ask them: What behaviors show that? They’ll probably mention things like being technically skilled, asking questions, doing training, and showing up. Once those behaviors are identified, it’s not just your culture anymore—you can hold them accountable: “You said you’d behave this way. Why aren’t you?”
Here’s a simple example. I’ve seen a large warehouse with 227 employees, and they had this habit of walking past each other without making eye contact. Their team decided on one behavior to improve their culture: a “Hail and Farewell” policy. The rule was simple: the first time you see someone during the day, say “Hello” and use their first name. At the end of the day, say “Goodbye” the same way. If you don’t know their name, ask.
This small change had a huge impact. Suddenly, people felt seen and valued. They say the most important word to a person is their name, and that simple connection transformed the warehouse culture. My point? Culture isn’t something to fear.
Jackie: The beauty of culture is that, as a business owner, you get to create it—you shape what you want it to be. Instead of letting it form on its own, you’re in control. But once it’s created, it’s not just about writing it down, agreeing on it, and then tucking it away in a drawer. Culture should guide how you hire, fire, evaluate, and interact with your team. It needs to stay front and center, and you should continuously talk about it. When hiring, you want to ensure the candidate aligns with your culture.
Mike: Exactly. And you should showcase your culture, starting with the job ad. A unique hiring proposition (UHP) begins there. There’s no excuse for not refining it—80% of marketing doesn’t work, and the same applies to job ads. For example, when we hired for an admin position, we tweaked the ad 11 times before it finally clicked. On the 12th attempt, we received 80 applicants. Now, we use that ad template for clients, and they tailor the culture points. It routinely attracts 50 to 100 applicants, even before COVID. And these are 14- to 20-dollar-an-hour jobs, not the high-end market.
This approach works for any position. We recently hired a digital marketing specialist. The first five ads didn’t work, but the sixth brought in 56 applicants within nine days. Your UHP is vital. You’re not competing for $100,000-a-year employees if your job pays $20 an hour. The question is: why should someone choose your $20-an-hour job over others? Understand your market and tailor your UHP accordingly.
Previously, we discussed A, B, and C players. This concept applies here as well. An A-player administrative assistant differs from an A-player salesperson; they possess distinct skills and have different compensation structures. Ensure you’re hiring the right fit for the role. Don’t aim above your needs; focus on securing an A-player suitable for the position’s requirements. For example, in construction, you might hire at $32 per hour, or for plumbing, at $40 per hour. If this isn’t clear, call Jackie.
Jackie: Absolutely. We’ll add a link below—fill out a form, and I’ll get in touch. Hiring the right cultural fit can transform your business. Imagine a team working in harmony, with happy, engaged employees driving your business forward. But it only takes one misfit to disrupt everything.
Mike: Exactly.
Jackie: All right, excellent.
Mike: As a business owner, the most important role you can have is being a talent collector—bringing in great people. The rest of it? Read a book or work with us. We’ll show you how to handle it. But first, we need to focus on hiring. Once your UHP is clear, hiring becomes much easier.
Jackie: Excellent. Until next time, have a great day—peace out!