214. The Science of Hiring for Natural Strengths and Talents w/ Guest: Dr. Michael Neal

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Tired of wasting time and money on hiring the wrong people? Dr. Michael Neal knows your pain. As both an optometrist running his own practice and the founder of Build My Team, he's cracked the code on finding and keeping top talent without the traditional headaches.
The journey began in rural Alberta, Canada, where Dr. Neal grew up in a town so small it didn't even have a traffic light. His path to entrepreneurship started unexpectedly as a high school co-op student working as a secretary in an eye care office (a position he admits he was terrible at). What drew him to optometry was the perfect combination of helping people while running a business.
But like so many healthcare professionals and business owners, Dr. Neal found himself trapped in the nightmare of constant hiring and rehiring. "Talk to any doctor who's in their own practice. It's the number one problem we all face," he explains. After pulling out his hair in frustration, he began studying how elite hospitality companies like Disney and Four Seasons hired their exceptional staff.
What he discovered fundamentally changed his approach: ditch the resumes, stop trying to "fix" mediocre performers, and focus instead on natural strengths and talents. "Using resumes to hire entry-level positions is a complete waste of time," Dr. Neal asserts. "What does a resume actually tell you? The answer is nothing, virtually nothing."
Perhaps most surprising is Dr. Neal's counterintuitive advice on experience: for most entry-level positions, you're actually better off hiring someone without experience. Why? Because experienced hires bring bad habits that need to be "untrained" before they can adapt to your way of doing things.
The impact of proper hiring extends beyond just individual performance. As Dr. Neal explains, "A players on a team only want to work with A players. They'll tolerate B players, but as soon as you ask them to work with a C player, they're gone." Want to transform your company culture? Start by hiring better people.
Ready to transform your hiring process? Visit buildmyteam.com to schedule a free consultation and learn how their assessment-based approach can help you find the right people with 97% certainty.

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Chapters

1. Podcast Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Dr. Neal's Journey to Optometry (00:03:40)

3. Origins of Build My Team (00:07:50)

4. Common Hiring Mistakes (00:12:20)

5. Hiring for Strengths vs Experience (00:17:40)

6. Building Team Culture with A-Players (00:25:15)

7. Legacy and Leadership Lessons (00:31:50)

8. Closing and Contact Information (00:38:26)