Steven Anderson has spent decades coaching thousands of dental practice owners and teams on leadership, culture, and staffing. He and David dig into why “I can’t find good people” is often the wrong diagnosis — and why the practices winning the talent war are the ones that treat culture as a deliberate strategy, not an accident.
Steven shares why hiring for people skills over technical skills changes everything on the admin side, why entitlement (not generational shift) is the real issue behind hiring struggles, and how a defined mentor system turns new hires into long-term team members. They also cover red flags in interviews, why “hire fast” has replaced “hire slow,” and the biggest mistake associates make in the first years of their careers.
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Minute Markers:
00:00 – Intro: “I Can’t Find Good People, I Can’t Keep Good People”
02:22 – The Post-COVID Workforce Shift in Hygiene and Nursing
09:53 – “Who We Are” vs. “Who We Need”: Rewriting Job Ads
11:27 – Hiring for People Skills Over Technical Skills
16:30 – Why “Hire Slow, Fire Fast” No Longer Applies
20:04 – The “TMI” Litmus Test for Spotting Red Flags Early
24:17 – Misaligned Expectations Between Owners and Associates
29:56 – Building a Real Mentor System, Not Plug-and-Play Hiring
33:43 – Accountability to the Team vs. Accountability to the Owner
If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you’ll enjoy:
- Ep #577 – Life’s Real Wealth – How to Turn Pain Into Impact – Dr Will Moreland
- Ep #576 – Disability Insurance: What It Actually Covers And Where It Fails – Ben Glass
Links Featured on the Show:
- Steven Anderson: Website | LinkedIn
- Book: Exit Optional Playbook by David Phelps
- Schedule your Freedom Founders discovery call
#StevenAnderson #DavidPhelps #DentalPracticeCulture #HiringAndRetention #DentalHygienistShortage #CultureByDesign #AssociateDentistMistakes #PracticeManagement #MentorshipInDentistry #TeamAccountability #DentalStaffing
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