Starting 2026 Strong: Seven Workforce Management Decisions That Separate Control from Chaos
January exposes everything, and has a tendency to hit like a ton of bricks while it’s at it. Whatever leaders have postponed, rationalized, put off ’til tomorrow or found a work-around for last year shows up with a vengeance. Staffing gaps surface, overtime spikes, leaders and staff revert to manual fixes, and employees lose patience early. Happy new year, indeed!
This is not about motivation or effort. This is about whether workforce systems were built to hold under pressure. And more often than not, they simply aren’t. In 2026, workforce management is no longer about keeping operations afloat. It’s about precision, resilience, planning, and getting out of 'firefighter mode' and giving leaders room to actually lead instead of constantly reacting.
What can we do when the new year is already here? Consider this a bit of a belated holiday gift. Here are the workforce management decisions that matter NOW. Not theory or aspirational slogans, but legitimate action items you could put on your To Do list today for a better tomorrow for you and your organization.
1. Treat Workforce Data as a Planning Tool, not a Report Card
If workforce data only explains what already happened, it has limited value. Yes, we need to know whether we were successful, but looking ahead is just as critical, if not more so.
In 2026, data needs to answer forward-looking questions:
Where did staffing levels consistently miss demand?
Which teams relied on overtime to mask structural gaps?
When do callouts follow predictable patterns? (Every Friday night? Every Monday morning following the Super Bowl?)
Which problems repeat every year and still get labeled “unexpected”?
When I managed large teams in the past, the data helped remove ambiguity and showed when and where our staffing models failed. It highlighted when leadership decisions drove burnout. It exposed risks before they became crises. Most organizations are using WFM tools that already provide this visibility so the failure point is not access to the data; it’s follow through once you have it in your hands.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Rebuild your staffing assumptions using last year’s patterns.
Adjust coverage, ratios, and schedules based on the actual evidence (the real, raw data). Assess how this differs from your budget.
Stop carrying flawed models forward just because they feel familiar. No time like the present to fix the problem in front of you (IF that’s what the data is showing).
2. Burnout Shows Up Long Before Engagement Scores Drop
Burnout rarely announces itself and unfortunately, you often don’t see it taking out your star performers until it’s too late. It shows up as PTO balances that never decline because staff can’t find time to get away, or those strong performers disengaging quietly and not speaking up or raising their hands as often as they used to. Before you know it, leaders are spending all their time fixing problems instead of developing people.
Burnout reflects system design, not resilience gaps. I’ve watched the most committed employees disengage because schedules, approval workflows, handcuffed leaders, and workload expectations made sustainable performance impossible until they finally say, enough is enough.
In 2026, leaders should stop asking whether people are burned out and start digging deep and examining whether their systems make success realistic.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Change scheduling rules, shift lengths, staffing ratios, or approval workflows.
Identify one structural driver of burnout.
Measure impact within 90 days.
Small system corrections outperform morale initiatives every time.
3. Remove Administrative Work That Blocks Leadership
When leaders spend their days buried in manual tasks, leadership disappears. But some common culprits remain:
Schedule adjustments handled manually.
Compliance tracking outside core systems.
Timecard corrections consuming hours each pay cycle.
Spreadsheet-based tracking no one trusts.
I have lived this reality (I suspect many of you reading this have as well), and none of that work improves performance or outcomes. In 2026, high-performing organizations will automate relentlessly. They will remove friction so leaders can focus on coaching, decision-making, and accountability.
Tools like Process Street, paired with workforce platforms, already support this. The barrier is not technology. It is tolerance for outdated processes.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
· Identify the top five administrative tasks leaders resent (and as a result, delay or avoid completely!).
· Commit to automating at least two by midyear.
· Reallocate that time to leadership work that drives results.
4. Update Staffing Models for the Workforce You Have Now
Many staffing models still assume availability and predictability that no longer exists. Labor markets have shifted since Covid, and never bounced back. Expectations and demand patterns shifted, too. But staffing logic often did NOT. So what have you done to address it? Rigid models look efficient right until they collapse under pressure. Flexibility, when designed intentionally, absorb volatility.
Modern workforce tools support:
Demand-based scheduling.
Dynamic coverage adjustments.
Smarter use of part-time, per diem, and float resources.
Internal mobility and cross-training strategies.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Pilot one flexible staffing approach.
Measure coverage stability, overtime reduction, and leader workload.
Adjust quickly. Progress matters more than perfection.
5. Fix Performance Management Before It Loses Credibility
Annual performance reviews that feel disconnected from daily work fail both employees and leaders. Effective performance management in 2026 requires:
Ongoing feedback.
Clear expectations.
Goals tied to operational outcomes.
Employees want to know what success looks like and how their work affects results. Technology can support tracking and visibility. Culture determines whether it matters.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Audit the performance management process.
Identify where it feels disconnected or performative.
Simplify, clarify, and align it with real outcomes.
6. Use Recognition as a Reinforcement Tool
Recognition shapes behavior. When done well, it improves employee retention and builds trust. When done poorly, it feels hollow and performative. Effective recognition is specific, timely, and tied to outcomes and behaviors. The most impactful recognition I gave connected actions to results. People repeated what leadership noticed.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Identify behaviors the organization needs more of.
Recognize those behaviors consistently.
Embed recognition into leadership routines, not annual ceremonies.
7. Align Workforce Strategy with Financial Strategy
Labor remains the largest expense and the greatest operational risk.
Workforce decisions made after budgets finalize create rework and cost overruns, usually due to reactive fixes because everyone is living in “firefighter mode”. In 2026, alignment matters more than ever. There is an opportunity to do better! Effective leaders use workforce analytics to justify investments. They tie their staffing decisions to financial outcomes, and plan technology and process changes deliberately.
Action Items for Q1 2026:
Link workforce investments to cost control, risk reduction, retention, and performance.
Present workforce strategy as a financial lever, not a support function.
How Are You Going to Tackle Workforce Management in 2026?
The leaders who struggle early in the year often postponed decisions they knew were coming; no judgement, I’ve been there, too. Starting 2026 strong requires discipline to use data honestly, and correct systems that no longer work. It’s an opportunity to reduce unnecessary friction for leaders and employees.
Many of you will have to lead teams through staffing shortages, audits, growth, and burnout cycles in the year ahead. Your outcomes will be dependent on the choices and actions you take NOW. Stability will not come from luck, but from intentional workforce design. Make your decisions count!
About Improv
Dr. Sarah Inman is the Senior Vice President of Healthcare at Improv, where she leads strategic initiatives that help healthcare organizations optimize workforce management, scheduling, and operational performance.
Improv partners with hospitals, dental groups, and ambulatory care organizations to design sustainable workforce systems that reduce administrative burden, improve staff engagement, and enhance patient care outcomes. Dr. Inman’s work combines practical experience, data-driven insights, and a deep understanding of the human side of healthcare operations. You can learn more about the team at www.improvizations.com.
