The Impact of Behavioral Assessments on Club Culture: A Conversation with Jodie Cunningham

In this episode of Crushing Club Marketing, Ed Heil sits down with Jodie Cunningham, owner of Optimus Talent Partners and a certified Predictive Index partner, to explore how behavioral assessments can revolutionize hiring in the private club industry. Drawing on her years of experience, Jodie shares practical insights on building stronger teams, aligning talent with culture, and avoiding costly hiring mistakes. From understanding your club’s identity to using data to navigate generational differences, this conversation is packed with strategic takeaways for club leaders who want to elevate their recruitment approach and enhance the member experience.

Key Moments:

• Meet Jodie Cunningham (00:00:00): Ed Heil introduces Jodie Cunningham, owner of Optimus Talent Partners and certified Predictive Index partner, with a background in HR at the Four Seasons and St. Louis Rams, highlighting her expertise in behavioral science and talent strategy.

• Culture Drives Member Experience (00:04:03): Jodie emphasizes that culture is shaped by the people you hire, making talent selection critical; the Four Seasons’ process, where every candidate met the GM, shows how seriously they took cultural fit (00:05:06).

• What Clubs Often Miss in Team Building (00:06:12): Many clubs lack a strategic HR lead and jump into hiring without first defining their needs, leading to reactive, short-term decisions (00:07:13).

• Proactive Recruiting Strategies (00:07:13): Jodie encourages clubs to go beyond job postings by branding themselves as employers of choice and building pipelines through schools and networks; recruiting should be a shared responsibility, not just HR’s job (00:08:06, 00:08:58).

• Knowing Your Club’s Identity (00:09:52): Clubs must understand their environment—formal or informal—so they can hire people who thrive in that setting, especially if they’re going through change (00:10:55).

• Common Hiring Pitfalls (00:12:50): Reactive hiring, relying on resumes instead of fit, and unconscious bias are all common issues; resumes show where someone has worked, not how well they’ll perform (00:14:37).

• Why Use Assessments (00:15:37): Assessments give insight into how candidates will collaborate, lead, and fit into your team, revealing traits that interviews often miss (00:16:38, 00:17:22).

• Don’t Over-Rely on Assessments (00:18:15): Assessments are helpful tools, but people can flex in roles temporarily; Jodie warns against using them as excuses for underperformance (00:19:17, 00:20:55).

• Use Assessments Beyond Hiring (00:21:40): Jodie recommends using assessments for onboarding, feedback, conflict resolution, and succession planning to strengthen team communication and performance.

• When to Use Assessments (00:23:18): Ideally, assessments are used during the application stage, but timing depends on cost and length; even refusal to take one can offer insight (00:24:20, 00:25:07, 00:27:00).

• Fair, Valid, and Legal (00:27:45): Use scientifically validated assessments and create objective job targets to ensure fairness, reduce bias, and stay compliant.

• Picking the Right Tool (00:29:32): Clubs should identify their goals, weigh