Is Hiring Impossible? Build A Retention Machine Of A-Players, New Grads, And Leadership Development With Adam Robin

If hiring feels impossible and retention feels fragile, you’re not alone — and you’re not crazy. In this episode of the Private Practice Owners Podcast, Nathan Shields and Adam Robin break down why recruiting is harder than ever right now, and why the real solution isn’t “more applicants” — it’s building a retention machine that compounds.

 

Drawing directly from real-world clinic experience, Nathan shares how shifting focus from reactive hiring to intentional retention, leadership development, and new-grad pipelines allowed his organization to stabilize staffing, protect culture, and sleep better at night — even in one of the most competitive labor markets physical therapy has ever seen.

 

Together, they unpack what practice owners must do as we head into 2026 to stop bleeding talent, stop overpaying for lateral hires, and start developing leaders from within.

 

You’ll learn:

• Why “hiring is impossible” is a signal to fix retention first — not panic recruit
• How to identify and lock in your true A-players before competitors do
• The exact conversations owners should be having with key team members to secure 12-month commitments
• Why new grads are the most overlooked (and highest-upside) recruiting strategy right now
• How to turn student placements into long-term leaders inside your organization
• What a real leadership development pathway looks like — from new grad → leader → clinic director
• How delegation, ownership, and development directly impact retention and recruiting outcomes
• The mindset shifts owners must make to stop being the bottleneck and start building a scalable team

 

If you’re a clinic owner, hiring manager, or leader who feels stuck between burnout, turnover, and constant recruiting pressure, this episode will help you rethink how you build teams — and show you how to create a system where great people want to stay, grow, and recruit others for you.

 

🎯 Takeaway: Hiring isn’t broken — retention, development, and leadership pipelines are. Fix those, and recruiting becomes easier, cheaper, and more predictable.

 

👉 Want to go deeper with Nathan? Book a call — https://calendly.com/ptoclub/discoverycall

 

❤️ Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://ptoclub.com

 

💬 Join the conversation: If you haven’t already, find the Private Practice Owners Club Facebook Group and connect with owners who are building resilient, high-performing teams.

 

Annual Strategic Planning ensures your next year stays focused, aligned, and profitable. Visit ppoclub.com.css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}