When the Perfect Hire Isn’t: What I Learned the Hard Way
Let’s talk about the moment every group practice owner dreads: when a seemingly perfect hire turns out to be anything but.
In a recent Owner’s Room episode of the Culture Focused Practice podcast, I dove deep into two real hiring missteps I’ve made — and what they taught me about leadership, systems, and myself. This wasn’t a tidy listicle or process tutorial. It was raw, real, and (honestly) still kind of tender to talk about.
Here’s the deal: one hire was someone I knew really well — too well. The decision was wrapped up in my own attachment wounds, a desire for connection, and a gut-level yes that I later realized came from an unhealed place. The second hire? I barely knew them. I wasn’t present in the process because I was overloaded and deep in baby-land. That decision came from delegation without enough oversight. Both hires seemed promising. Both turned out to be major misses.
I used a five-question format to unpack these stories:
What made them seem perfect?
Did I ignore any gut feelings?
How did they show up differently after onboarding?
What impact did they have on my team?
What did I learn about our hiring process?
The biggest takeaways?
→ Even great people can be bad fits.
→ Gut feelings are real, but they're not infallible.
→ Hiring from a place of exhaustion or emotional need is a leadership red flag.
→ Your process is only as good as your commitment to following it — every time.
In the episode, I also break down a listener-submitted scenario where a new hire starts missing deadlines and stirring up team drama within weeks of onboarding. My advice? Document everything. Use your trial period wisely. And don’t delay disciplinary conversations out of politeness or wishful thinking.
The hard truth? Even with a solid system, people will sneak through. But when your process is consistent and your response is clear, you can recover fast and protect your team.
Because leadership isn’t about avoiding mistakes — it’s about owning them, learning from them, and adjusting without shame.
Want to listen to the full episode?
🎧 Check out The Culture Focused Practice podcast, Episode 50: When the Perfect Hire Isn’t.
Got a real-life hiring dilemma or leadership curveball? I’d love to hear it. You can submit anonymously through the contact form at www.taravossenkemper.com — it might show up in a future episode.
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
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