The Therapist Who Took the Interview While Driving

What matters more in a physical therapy hire: clinical skill, reliability, values, or fit?In this episode of PT Breakfast Club, Dave Kittle and Tony Maritato talk through the uncomfortable parts of hiring that rarely make it into job descriptions.Tony starts with a question every clinic owner eventually faces: what do you do with someone who is great with patients, but unreliable? Dave shares his interview process, including phone screens, Zoom calls, in-person skills assessments, reference checks, and the small behavioral details that can reveal whether a candidate is actually serious.The conversation centers on one memorable example: a candidate who took a scheduled interview call while driving. For Dave, that was the end of the road. Not because the person was evil, but because the moment revealed something about attention, preparation, and how seriously they treated the opportunity.Tony and Dave also explore whether employers should clearly spell out expectations or leave some things unsaid to see what a candidate does naturally. They talk about new grads versus experienced hires, hiring for core values, ambition alignment, long-term fit, and why one person can either elevate a clinic or quietly disrupt everything.Then the episode turns toward outpatient ortho and the future of physical therapy. Dave brings up a LinkedIn post from an orthopedic surgeon who says he prescribes less formal PT than he did 10 years ago. Tony responds with a bigger question: what if some routine outpatient ortho care is not the best use of insurance dollars?That leads to a spicy conversation about joint replacements, bundled payments, home exercise programs, AI, cash pay, private practice, premium models, scalable healthcare, Equinox, Planet Fitness, and where PT might be headed next.This episode features Dave Kittle and Tony Maritato.