Avoiding the Race to the Bottom

When designers conceptualize a glove, they have a hand in mind.Why does the hand need the glove?What tasks will the hand be doing that would make a glove helpful?Does the glove need to be waterproof?Is the hand trying to look better by wearing the glove? Does it need to match other accessories?What caused the last glove to get discarded?Once these, and many more, questions are answered, the designer is better equipped to make the glove.In the end, the consumer will find value in a well-designed glove and feel a sense of satisfaction when they pull it onto their hand.Recruiting should work the same way.Doing the work of crafting a value proposition that uniquely meets the needs a specific group of agents reduces the friction later in the recruiting process.If your strategy is to sell a me-too glove that looks a lot like what your competitors are offering, plan on selling it at a low price.The higher margins are reserved for those who design and articulate unique solutions.