Bubble Wrapping is Key to Retention Success

February 13, 2026

Insights from Clint Maun, President and Senior Partner of Maun-Lemke Consulting

Recruitment may get people in the door, but retention determines whether organizations truly stabilize their workforce. In post-acute and senior living, turnover remains one of the most persistent challenges, with a significant portion occurring within the first 90 days of employment.

Staffing challenges are frequently treated as a hiring problem, yet early turnover tells a different story. Organizations do not have a hiring problem; they have a retention problem. The concept of “bubble wrapping” addresses this gap by prioritizing onboarding, mentorship, and leadership engagement during the critical early months of employment, when employees are most likely to leave without proper support.

What Does “Bubble Wrapping” Really Mean?
Bubble wrapping is a metaphor for intentionally protecting new hires during their most vulnerable period, the first 90 days. Nearly 40% of turnover in post-acute care occurs during this window, and in some organizations, that number is even higher.

Rather than assuming new employees will “figure it out,” bubble wrapping requires leaders to design systems that actively support, guide, and engage new hires from day one. When organizations successfully retain staff for 90 days, retention often extends to nine months and then years.

Why Traditional Orientation Falls Short
Many organizations rely on brief, paper-heavy orientations that focus on regulatory checklists rather than human connection. While compliance training is necessary, it is not sufficient. Placing new hires in a room to watch videos and sign forms without engagement, encouragement, or leadership presence often leads to overwhelm and early exit.

Bubble wrapping shifts the focus from “checking boxes” to building confidence, belonging, and clarity.

Core Components of a New Hire Protection Plan
Effective bubble wrapping includes several intentional practices. Leaders must ensure new hires are welcomed by more than just staff development personnel; leaders and supervisors should regularly check in, ask questions, and offer reassurance. New employees should be paired with carefully selected mentors who remain closely connected during onboarding, with mentoring success measured by retention milestones rather than hours worked.

Customizing onboarding is also essential. A newly licensed nurse requires a different approach than a seasoned clinician, just as a new CNA needs different support than an experienced aide. Floating new hires too quickly, rotating units, or placing them on unfamiliar shifts increases the risk of early failure.

Retention is a Team Responsibility
Bubble wrapping cannot be assigned to a single person or department. Appointing a lead or expecting HR alone to manage retention efforts is ineffective. Retention requires a team-based, cultural commitment across the organization.

When leaders, managers, and frontline staff collectively take ownership of welcoming and protecting new hires, organizations create an environment where people feel valued, supported, and not replaceable.

The ROI of Protecting People
Bubble wrapping delivers measurable returns beyond staffing numbers. Organizations that successfully protect new hires reduce agency reliance, stabilize schedules, improve quality outcomes, and strengthen regulatory performance. Facilities implementing these strategies have significantly reduced overtime, shift bonuses, and vacancies, while improving morale and consistency of care.

Importantly, this approach benefits not only new hires but also legacy staff, who experience less burnout, fewer disruptions, and stronger teamwork.

Leadership Considerations
For leaders seeking to improve retention, consider the following:

  • Retention must be prioritized before recruitment efforts can succeed.
  • The first 90 days are the highest-risk period for turnover and require intentional protection.
  • Orientation should focus on engagement, mentorship, and belonging, not just compliance.
  • Mentors should be rewarded for retention outcomes, not time spent.
  • New hires should remain on consistent units and shifts during onboarding.
  • Retention is a team responsibility, not an HR-only function.
  • Celebrating milestones builds momentum and reinforces culture.

Being Intentional in Retention Practices
Retention is designed, and organizations that intentionally protect new hires, invest in mentoring, and foster team accountability move from a constant staffing crisis to sustainable stability. When leaders treat people as people rather than numbers, outcomes improve across quality, compliance, and culture.

Pathway Health Resources

Tune In! New PATHTalks Episode
In our latest PATHTalks episode, Pathway Health’s COO Lisa Thomson connects with Clint Maun, President and Senior Partner of Maun-Lemke Consulting, to discuss a powerful retention strategy known as “bubble wrapping.” This insightful conversation reinforces a critical truth: organizations do not have a hiring problem; they have a retention problem. Tune in for insights on implementing retention strategies that work.

For deeper insights into the health care continuum and more, explore our other PATHTalks episodes today.

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