I think they were able to hire enough pilots back then. They just couldn't keep them for very long. There were no bonuses shackling them tho the company at the time, so they bailed at the very 1st opportunity. Most of these guys/gals weren't new to the 121 world or regionals, so they knew just how crappy things were at Commutair. The pay was at the back of the pack, as it is again today. Work rules and scheduling were horrendous! The place was set up and run as a mom and pop outfit with the associated problems when they tried to scale up. Every facet of the "organization" was stressed beyond limits (recruiting, training, flight ops, maintenance, etc). Back then, the only ones touting the place were the lifers and people who didn't have any other choice on where to go. And there were also a few newbies who didn't know any better that drank the kool-aide.

Some of the above may have been corrected by now, but the overall culture still remains based on what I'm hearing/seeing.