"We can't find good people" is usually a retention problem wearing a hiring problem's clothes.
"We can't find good people" is something I hear from almost every support leader dealing with turnover. Usually the pool of capable candidates isn't actually the problem. What they're hiring for, and what they're offering once someone's in the role, is.
#Why it feels like a shortage
Zendesk's own research found that staffing turnover is a growing challenge, up from 29% of organizations flagging it in 2020 to 35% more recently. That's not a sign there aren't enough people out there. It's a sign teams are losing the people they already trained.
Constant turnover puts recruiting in permanent reactive mode, which feels exactly like a shortage even when it isn't one. Agents without a visible path to grow leave for a role that offers one. Skills stagnate when AI keeps entering the picture without any real training built around it. And a workforce that increasingly wants flexibility leaves for an industry that offers more of it.
#What actually matters now
As automation absorbs more of the routine volume, the skills that matter shift: adaptability, real empathy and de-escalation under pressure, comfort working alongside automated tools, and the ability to bring transferable experience from retail, hospitality, or other service work instead of requiring a call-center resume specifically.
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#How to widen the pool without lowering the bar
Write job descriptions around actual competencies, like active listening, instead of specific past titles. Take service-industry candidates seriously, the soft skills usually transfer better than people expect. And hire for demonstrated potential backed by real training, not just existing experience.
#Where to start
Pull your last six months of exits and be honest about how many were retention problems versus recruiting problems. If it's mostly retention, a training program and a real growth path will do more for you right now than another round of job postings.
Founded by Ty Givens, CX Collective becomes the support operations partner growing companies wish they could hire full time. With 25+ years running support, workforce management, and QA programs from scratch, Ty brings what she's actually built and run, not theory, to every engagement.
Ty Givens
Founder & CEO, CX Collective · 25+ years in CX & Operations Leadership
Ty Givens helps high-growth companies build the systems, teams, and strategies that make great customer experience possible at scale.
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