#264 - BJC HealthCare's Sean Peterson on 4 a.m. Discipline and Taking a Recruiting Team From Deficit to Green

Featuring Sean Peterson, Director of Talent Strategies, BJC HealthCare Sean Peterson is up at 4 a.m. and in the gym from 5 to 7:30 every weekday, before his two daughters wake up. He joins Luke to talk about how physical discipline becomes professional discipline, and how it carried a recruiting team from a deficit to the plus column in a year. 🏋️ Do Hard Things Early Sean played college soccer, turned down an MLS Combine invite, and got back into fitness when his first daughter was born. He earned a personal trainer certification in late 2019, six months before every gym shut down. His rule: start every day with something hard, so the hard things that show up later feel smaller. Key Takeaway: "The curse of discipline is that every day looks the same. The curse of indiscipline is that every year looks the same." 🏥 Employee and Patient Family Sean's younger daughter has spent much of her five years in BJC's care, which makes him an employee and a patient's parent at the same time. Finding the right people for the teams who cared for her is, in his words, how he gives back. 📈 Eight Months in the Red, Then Green Across the Board In October 2025 Sean took over BJC's core recruitment team and reset expectations with the business. The first half of the year looked bad on paper. He kept the team on the right work, stayed consistent when the numbers did not reward it, and by Q3 they were in the plus column across the board. The engagement survey on teamwork came back green for every team that reports to him. Action: Do not weigh yourself every morning. Set the at-bats you need, stay disciplined through the lag, and read the scoreboard quarterly. ☎️ Pick Up the Phone The change that cost nothing and moved the most: Sean's leaders and talent advisors stopped working out disagreements over chat and email and started calling. Relationships with hiring leaders went from TA versus the business to one team. Key Takeaway: Chase failure in the gym because you know it makes you stronger. Chase it at work for the same reason. 🎯 This Week's Challenge One call. Pick up the phone and call a leader you only email. Then take that leader to the gym with you. Sean's close: healthcare can feel thankless right now. Take care of yourself too. Enjoying the show? Subscribe to The ASHHRA Podcast on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Our November Sponsor AP3 This episode is brought to you by AP3 — the ASHHRA Preferred Partner Program. Healthcare HR leaders are navigating rising costs, workforce shortages, and an overwhelming vendor landscape. AP3 cuts through the noise. Managed in collaboration with Lockton and backed by ASHHRA, AP3 is a governed ecosystem of vetted, healthcare-aligned solution providers across talent acquisition, benefits administration, workforce compliance, financial wellness, and employee engagement. Every partner is rigorously vetted. Every relationship is governed. Every solution is built for healthcare. No directories. No bidding wars. Just trusted partners proven to perform. Visit AP3.info to learn more and get connected with a partner. Support the show