Tips for Finding a Nursing Home Administrator

Hiring the right nursing home administrator is essential to the success of long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care. This role oversees operations, ensures compliance with regulations, and fosters a safe and welcoming environment for residents and staff. While finding the perfect candidate can seem daunting, a strategic and thoughtful approach will help you secure a skilled leader who aligns with your facility’s needs.

Responsibilities and Qualities of a Nursing Home Administrator

The responsibilities of a nursing home administrator are multifaceted, requiring them to oversee both daily operations and long-term planning. Their typical duties include:

• Managing day-to-day operations such as staffing, budgeting, and facility maintenance.
• Overseeing patient and resident care while ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures to keep the facility running smoothly.
• Coordinating with healthcare professionals and external agencies.
• Addressing family concerns and communicating with residents’ loved ones.
• Training and providing professional development opportunities for staff members. 

While these responsibilities are vital, success in this role also depends on excellent leadership and interpersonal skills. The best nursing home administrators embody:

• Strong decision-making skills to guide teams and address challenges.
• Problem-solving skills to handle high-stress challenges. 
• Compassion and dedication to ensuring residents’ well-being.
• Communication skills to build strong relationships with staff, residents, and families.
• High ethical standards to maintain trust and compliance.
• Adaptability to handle unexpected situations and emergencies.

In addition to leadership qualities, nursing home administrators need the following technical expertise as well:

• Proficiency in healthcare administration and financial management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of state and federal healthcare regulations.
• Experience in human resources and conflict resolution.
• Technological aptitude for using management software and tools.

As you can see, the right candidate for this position has to possess a wide range of skills that not all employees have. Many senior living facilities and nursing homes struggle to find the right person for their role. Luckily, you don’t always have to do it alone. 

The Process of Finding Nursing Home Administrators

Finding the right person for the role is sometimes easier said than done. Here’s how to simplify the hiring process. 

Create a Detailed Job Advertisement

It all starts with a strong job advertisement. Consider it your chance to attract the perfect candidate by clearly explaining the role and your facility’s needs. Be specific about responsibilities, like managing daily operations, ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations, and leading staff development. Mention must-haves like a Nursing Home Administrator license or experience in long-term care. Don’t forget to include what makes your facility unique — whether it’s your mission, your team, or your approach to resident care. Most importantly, highlight what the candidate can expect for salary and benefits, including bonuses, PTO, upscale amenities, etc. This should entice the candidate to apply!

When you’re detailed and transparent upfront, you’ll save time by bringing in candidates who truly fit the role and share your vision.

Explore Recruitment Options

When it comes to finding the right candidates, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You have several options to choose from, and each comes with its benefits and challenges:

• Retained search:  A retained search is a recruitment service where a facility pays a fee to a search firm to find a candidate for a specific role. The upfront fee is called a retainer. A specialized recruitment firm focuses exclusively on finding the best candidates for you by reaching out to qualified professionals who may not be actively searching. This approach ensures you find high-quality candidates thanks to an expert team with industry knowledge who will personalize their approach to recruitment. 
• Contingent search: This option is budget-friendly because you only pay the recruitment firm if you hire a candidate successfully. 
• Social media: Leveraging social media like Facebook and social networking apps like LinkedIn can help you spread the work of the job opening to a broader audience.
• Job boards and industry websites: Posting on platforms like LinkedIn or Indeed helps you reach a broad audience. However, it requires a lot of groundwork to sort through unqualified applicants, especially if you don’t have a team to assist. 

Combine a few approaches or invest in a retained search service for the best results. MedBest ensures the most thorough and efficient process, connecting you directly with highly experienced candidates and the perfect fit. 

Screen and Interview Candidates

The interview process is where you really get to know your candidates, so prepare thoughtfully. Here are a few tips:

• Ask the right questions: Focus on their leadership style, how they’ve handled challenging situations, and their experience managing a facility like yours.
• Get specific: Use questions that ask them to describe real-life examples, like how they resolved a staffing issue or dealt with a compliance audit.
• Pay attention to communication: If the candidate can explain their ideas clearly and connect with you and the hiring team, you can see how they’ll lead the nursing home team. 
• Test their problem-solving skills: Ask them about hypothetical situations like budget challenges or emergency scenarios to see how they would handle them.
• Tailor your approach to the interview format: In-person interviews let you observe body language and interpersonal dynamics, phone interviews focus on communication and quick thinking, and video interviews allow you to assess adaptability and technical comfort in a virtual setting. Choose questions and techniques that work best for each format to get a complete picture of the candidate.

Whether it’s an in-person, phone, or video interview, you’re looking for someone who has the right skills and feels like a natural leader for your facility. 

Assess the Cultural Fit of Candidates

Technical skills are important, but so is finding someone who fits into your facility’s culture. You want a leader who shares your values and understands the environment you’re trying to create for residents and staff.

To determine if someone is a good cultural fit, ask about their approach to teamwork, how they’ve navigated conflicts in the past, and what motivates them. Involving a few team members in the process can also give you a sense of how the candidate will gel with others. The goal is to find someone who not only gets the job done but also contributes to a positive and supportive workplace.

Onboard Candidates

Once you’ve found the right person, onboarding is your chance to set them up for success. Start with a thorough orientation that covers the ins and outs of your facility — policies, procedures, and goals. Pair them with a team member who can show them the ropes and help them feel at home.

Check in regularly during their first few weeks to see how things are going and offer support as they settle in. A thoughtful onboarding process helps new hires hit the ground running and shows them they’re valued, which is key to keeping them long-term.

Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Nursing Home Administrators

The right person can improve operations, elevate resident care, and support your team, while mistakes during hiring can lead to costly setbacks. Here are some common hiring pitfalls to avoid and tips to help you get it right.

Leaving Positions Vacant for Too Long

When leadership roles like nursing home administrator are left vacant, the impact on the facility can be significant. Without someone to guide operations, patient care often suffers, staff can feel unsupported, and efficiency declines. Beyond these operational issues, vacancies come with a high financial cost.

The average monthly cost of leaving an executive position unfilled is a staggering $28,329. This is based on lost revenue that would have been generated by the position and the time it takes to find a replacement.

Partnering with a recruitment firm exclusive to senior living and long-term care, like MedBest, can ensure you only are presented with highly qualified candidates. 

Solely Relying on Networking Apps

In today’s competitive healthcare market, relying only on job postings or networking sites like LinkedIn to attract candidates just isn’t enough. With so many facilities looking for nursing home administrators, you need to go beyond simply placing an ad.

Consider using a combination of strategies, including job boards, professional recruitment services, referrals, and outreach through industry-specific networks. Casting a wider net increases your chances of finding the right candidate. Using an executive search firm offering retained search methods, in particular, you’ll be able to reach qualified professionals who may not be actively searching but are perfect for the role.

Rushing the Hiring Process

It’s natural to want to fill a position quickly, especially when the role is vital to your facility’s operations. However, rushing the hiring process often leads to costly mistakes. Hiring the wrong person — or making a “mishire” — can cost your facility an average of $17,000. This number includes expenses for recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity, and, worst of all, starting the hiring process all over again.

When you rush, you risk skipping essential steps like carefully screening candidates or assessing their fit into your team. Taking the time to evaluate candidates thoroughly can save you both money and headaches in the long run. In the meantime, consider bringing in an interim hire to maintain stability and ensure operations continue smoothly. Interim administrators can help bridge the gap while you take the necessary steps to find the perfect long-term fit for your facility.

Miscalculating the Costs of Hiring Nursing Home Administrators

Many hiring managers hesitate to use external recruitment services, assuming they’re too expensive. However, avoiding this upfront cost can lead to much higher expenses down the line.

Leaving the position vacant for too long or rushing to hire the wrong candidate can result in lost revenue, inefficiencies, and additional costs to re-hire. Working with a professional recruiter can streamline the process and help you find the right person faster, ultimately saving you money.

At MedBest, we specialize in helping nursing homes and long-term care facilities connect with experienced nursing home administrators who bring leadership, expertise, and compassion to their roles. We’ll make the hiring process less stressful so you can focus on what matters most: providing exceptional care for patients and residents.

Contact MedBest today to find the ideal nursing home administrator for your facility. Visit our website to get started.

FAQs About Recruiting a Nursing Home Administrator

How Long Does It Take to Hire a Nursing Home Administrator?

The timeline varies depending on the recruitment approach, the location, the talent pool, and whether a candidate is open to relocation. Without professional assistance, the process may take months due to the need for advertising, screening, and interviewing.

Should I Work With a Recruiter to Fill This Position?

Yes, partnering with a recruiter can save time, and you’ll have access to a larger pool of qualified candidates. Plus, they’ll be able to provide industry expertise, which can be essential when you’re vetting applicants. Recruiters like MedBest specialize in the senior living industry and understand the unique hiring demands for nursing home administrator roles.

How Can I Ensure a Candidate Fits My Facility’s Culture?

Cultural fit can be assessed during interviews by asking situational questions and discussing the candidate’s leadership style and values. Reference checks can also provide insight into how candidates interact with teams and handle challenges in similar environments. At MedBest, we use a DISC assessment to evaluate each candidate’s cultural fit.

What Is the Average Salary for a Nursing Home Administrator?

A nursing home administrator is a six-figure job. 

How Do I Retain a Nursing Home Administrator Once Hired?

Retention strategies include offering competitive compensation, robust benefits, generous PTO, professional development opportunities, and a positive work culture. Regular feedback, recognition of achievements, and clear paths for career advancement can also help retain top talent.

What Are Common Challenges When Hiring a Nursing Home Administrator?

Common challenges include finding candidates with the right combination of leadership skills and industry expertise, ensuring cultural fit, and navigating a limited talent pool. Partnering with a recruitment firm can help address these challenges effectively.

What Should I Include in the Job Advertisement for a Nursing Home Administrator?

A thorough job advertisement should include a list of key responsibilities, such as managing staff, ensuring regulatory compliance, overseeing budgets, and improving resident satisfaction. It should also specify required qualifications, such as NAB licensure, education, leadership experience, and familiarity with senior living regulations.

How Can I Attract the Best Candidates for This Role?

To attract top candidates, offer a competitive salary and benefits package, highlight opportunities for professional growth, and emphasize the facility’s mission and values in the job posting. Working with MedBest Recruiting can expand your reach to a broader pool of qualified, experienced candidates. Plus, we will assign both a researcher and a recruiter to your NHA search.  We know how and where to source, recruit, and secure the best senior living executives, both perm and interim, which is imperative when industry talent is at a premium.