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Good morning.
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“Staffing isn’t your biggest problem anymore. That’s the problem.”
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I didn’t believe that a few months ago.
Now I’m standing there at 6:10am, coffee getting cold, staring at a schedule that looks fine… and texting three people to see who’s actually coming in.
We’ve got names on the sheet now. That used to be the whole battle. Now it’s something else.
It looks better. It does not feel better.
We’re using less agency. We’ve got interviews stacked again. HR isn’t begging for applicants like they were last year. If you just looked at the numbers, you’d think we turned a corner.
Then the shift starts.
Two call-offs. One no-show. One “running late” that turns into not coming at all. And suddenly you’re right back in coverage mode, moving people around, asking for favors, trying not to burn out the same reliable staff you always lean on.
So yeah… staffing is “better.” Explain that to the nurse who just got tripled up.
Here’s the cycle I’m getting real tired of
You interview someone. They crush it. They say they want consistency. They say they’re tired of bouncing around. They talk about how much they care. They ask good questions. They follow up. They get their paperwork in fast.
You’re thinking: finally, an adult.
Orientation day comes. Flat tire. Fine. It happens. You reschedule. Now the schedule they agreed to? Doesn’t work anymore. Childcare. Transportation. “Something came up.” You give it another shot. Then another excuse. And eventually you stop hearing from them.
You hire 10 to find 1 who actually shows up. If that sounds dramatic, you haven’t hired in the last 12 months.
The part I didn’t want to say out loud
We kept saying, “Once staffing comes back, things will stabilize.” Staffing is coming back. Things are not stabilizing.
That’s when it gets uncomfortable. Because now you can’t blame everything on being short. Some of this was already broken. We just couldn’t see it when we were desperate. We let things slide. We lowered the bar just to get coverage. We stopped enforcing stuff because we needed warm bodies.
Now there’s volume again. And all of that is showing up. Clear as day.
One small thing we changed (nothing fancy)
We started doing something simple because we got sick of guessing. Every new hire gets a text the day before orientation. From me. Not HR.
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“Hey, this is , I’m the Administrator. I wanted to personally welcome you. What time can you call me for 5 minutes today before orientation tomorrow?”
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That’s it. No long message. No fluff. Pick a time. Call me.
That call tells you everything you need to know
Some don’t call. That answers one question immediately. The ones who do? You can hear it. Are they on time? Are they prepared? Do they sound like they actually plan to show up?
And I’m very clear with them. If you say you’re working, I expect you here. If something goes sideways, I need a heads up early. If the schedule doesn’t really work, say it now. No threats. No speeches. Just straight.
Why this actually helps
It’s not the call itself. It’s what it signals.
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“This isn’t a place where you can disappear and nobody notices. You’re not just another name on a list. They know who I am. They have my number. And they know I’m paying attention.”
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That changes how some people show up. Not everyone. But enough to matter.
What I’ve seen since we started
Still get no-shows. Still get people who waste your time. That part hasn’t magically disappeared. But…
- Fewer surprises right at the start
- Fewer orientation-day ghosts
- Fewer “I thought they were solid” moments
- More people making it past that first couple weeks
Thirty days used to feel like a long shot. Now it happens more often than it used to. I’ll take that.
Here’s where I’ve landed
The staffing crisis didn’t end. It just changed shape. Having more applicants doesn’t fix your operation. It puts a spotlight on it.
The buildings that are going to feel steady again aren’t the ones hiring the most people. They’re the ones being very clear — early — about what actually flies and what doesn’t.
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