In their groundbreaking book, First, Break All The Rules – What the World’s Best Managers Do Differently, Gallup researchers uncovered what truly differentiates exceptional managers. Their findings, which led to the renowned Q12 engagement survey, revealed that great managers focus first on outcomes rather than traditional requirements. Today, with employee engagement at abysmally low levels as shown below, these insights are more relevant than ever.

Their findings, which led to the renowned Q12 engagement survey, revealed that great managers focus first on outcomes rather than traditional requirements.

The BEST Management Framework to Optimize the Gallup Q12

B – Build a Blueprint for Success: Create clarity about what great performance looks like and why it matters.

E – Engage and Enable: Help people grow by matching their strengths to meaningful work.

S – Support Personal Growth: Show genuine care while valuing each person’s unique contributions.

T – Team Excellence: Build an environment where quality work and collaboration thrive.

Use a Performance-based Job Description to Define the Actual Work

Here’s where most organizations miss a crucial opportunity: they wait until after hiring to implement these principles. Traditional job descriptions filled with long lists of required skills and arbitrary years of experience create artificial barriers that screen out exceptional candidates who could excel in the role but have different backgrounds.

This sample created by PbHGPT for a highly tech role at Amazon highlights the difference. It took just few seconds to create including the phone screen questions and assessment scorecard shown. (Send us a URL of a job posting and we’ll send you back a draft you can instantly use.)

Instead of listing standard requirements like years of experience, certifications, and technical skills, a performance-based job description defines success clearly: “Within the first year, lead the digital transformation of our customer service platform while building a high-performing cross-functional team. Success means completing Phase 1 within six months, achieving 90% user adoption, and creating scalable processes for future initiatives.”

Put Duct Tape on The “Apply Now!” Button to Save Big Bucks and Lots of Frustration

Rather than accepting standard resumes, ask candidates to submit brief write-ups of one or two comparable accomplishments that demonstrate their ability to achieve similar results. This simple change dramatically improves candidate quality while reducing hiring costs by processing fewer but higher-quality applications, reducing screening time, and minimizing the overhead of managing unqualified candidates.

The impact extends well beyond hiring efficiency. When candidates understand actual performance requirements from the start, post-hire satisfaction soars and turnover typically drops by 30-50% since new hires understand what the job requires before starting.

HR and talent leaders have a strategic opportunity to champion this approach, expanding talent pools to include high-potential, non-traditional candidates while improving diversity and quality of hire.

The BEST framework isn’t just about hiring—it’s about creating a foundation for sustained organizational success. By replacing traditional requirements with clear performance objectives and compelling growth opportunities, managers can attract candidates who deliver results rather than just match qualifications. This shift in approach naturally leads to better hiring decisions, clearer development paths, and more engaged, high-performing teams.

Being the BEST is what the world’s greatest managers do differently. Why not become of the best now?