Ego Driven Hiring: A Wake-Up Call for ABA Business Owners

Posted 3 weeks ago      Author: 3 Pie Squared Marketing Team


Ego Driven Hiring: A Wake-Up Call for ABA Business Owners


In the latest episode of the ABA Business Leaders Podcast , April and Stephen explored a topic that hits close to home for many ABA practice owners: hiring. Building the right team is essential to delivering high-quality services, but many leaders let ego drive their hiring decisions without even realizing it.


This episode is a powerful reminder that hiring isn’t just about filling open roles. It’s about building a sustainable, mission-driven practice. If you’re looking to start an ABA business or grow your existing one, understanding the role ego plays...

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in hiring is essential.

Hiring with Purpose

When your practice is expanding, the pressure to hire quickly can be intense. Your staff might be burning out, your waitlist might be growing, and you might feel the weight of balancing immediate needs with long-term goals. It’s tempting to jump straight into hiring without pausing to define what you’re really looking for.

But hiring is a skill that deserves careful attention. It’s about more than just filling a seat. It’s about bringing people into your practice who will support its mission and culture. Before making any hiring decision, it’s crucial to ask yourself why you’re hiring. Are you building a team in anticipation of growth, or are you responding to an immediate client need? Knowing your “why” can help you avoid ego-driven decisions that don’t align with your long-term vision.

Ego’s Sneaky Role in Hiring

Ego often shows up in hiring decisions, sometimes without us even noticing. As practice owners, we all want to be liked, respected, and seen as successful leaders. That’s natural. But sometimes, that desire for validation can cloud our judgment.

You might feel flattered by a candidate who compliments your leadership or aligns perfectly with your own personality. You might rush to hire the person who seems the easiest to get along with, rather than the one who will challenge you to grow.

The problem? When you hire based on ego rather than strategy, you risk building a team that looks good on paper but doesn’t truly align with your values.

Culture Fit Over Credentials

It’s easy to focus on credentials, especially when you need staff with specialized skills. But as April and Stephen discussed, culture fit often matters more than any line on a resume. A candidate might have all the right credentials, but if they don’t share your practice’s values and commitment to high-quality care, they could cause more harm than good.

Hiring someone who aligns with your mission can make all the difference. It leads to better team dynamics, higher retention rates, and ultimately, better client outcomes.

Moving Beyond Gut Instinct

Hiring based on gut feelings alone isn’t enough. While intuition plays a role, you also need real data to make informed decisions.

Take a close look at your current hiring process. Are you consistently seeing turnover in certain roles? Do you know why new hires leave? Do you have an employee handbook for ABA practices that sets clear expectations from day one?

By analyzing your data, you can identify where your hiring process might be failing and make adjustments that reduce turnover and improve team morale.

Efficiency and Ethics

Being efficient in hiring is more than just a productivity hack; it’s an ethical responsibility. When clinicians are stuck dealing with administrative headaches or high turnover, they’re spending less time with clients and less time building a strong team. That’s a cost that can’t always be measured in dollars.

Using ABA business tools like proper billing workflows and ABA billing training can free your team from unnecessary stress. Tools like these let your clinicians focus on what really matters: serving clients with compassion and professionalism.

Steps to Improve Your Hiring Process

If you’re an ABA practice owner looking to avoid ego-driven hiring, here are a few steps to consider:

  • ✅ Audit your current process. Where are the bottlenecks? Where are you seeing the highest turnover?
  • ✅ Create or update your onboarding materials. A solid ABA handbook can set the tone for your team and ensure everyone knows what’s expected.
  • ✅ Invest in billing and admin training. ABA billing is complicated enough. Don’t let it become a reason for turnover.
  • ✅ Align hiring with your mission. Remember why you started your practice in the first place and let that guide every decision.

Final Thoughts

Hiring is one of the most important things you’ll do as an ABA business leader. When you hire intentionally, you’re not just building a team; you’re building the future of your practice.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, remember that you’re not alone. Subscribe to the ABA Business Leaders Podcast for more honest, practical advice on building a practice that lasts.

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