When hiring executives and leadership roles in senior living, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice, organizations often face a fundamental question: Do we prioritize experience or invest in potential?
Hiring seasoned professionals ensures immediate impact, but focusing on high-potential leaders can bring fresh perspectives and long-term growth. Striking the right balance is essential, especially in an industry where 76% of healthcare executives cite workforce shortages as a top challenge (American College of Healthcare Executives, 2024).
So, how do you decide? Let’s break it down.
The Case for Hiring Based on Experience
Experience brings immediate credibility and leadership stability. Leaders with extensive tenure in the field understand regulatory compliance, financial challenges, and patient care priorities. They’ve witnessed industry shifts firsthand and know how to navigate them. When an organization needs results quickly, an experienced executive can step in with minimal onboarding and begin making an impact from day one.
Beyond immediate performance, experienced leaders also bring critical crisis management skills. The senior living and skilled nursing industries have faced unprecedented staffing shortages, reimbursement challenges, and regulatory shifts. Someone who has already led through these challenges is better equipped to make sound, strategic decisions under pressure.
The Case for Hiring Based on Potential
While experience offers stability, potential fuels innovation and long-term growth. High-potential candidates bring fresh perspectives and a willingness to challenge the status quo. As senior care continues evolving, particularly with the rise of value-based care and healthcare technology integration, organizations need leaders who can think beyond traditional models.
Investing in potential can also lead to stronger engagement and retention. Companies that provide career advancement opportunities see 34% higher retention rates, according to LinkedIn’s Workforce Learning Report (2023). When emerging leaders feel supported, they are more likely to stay and grow with an organization.
Adaptability is another key reason to consider potential over experience. The industry is changing rapidly, and the best leaders are those who can continuously learn and evolve.
Striking the Right Balance: A Hybrid Approach
So, should you hire for experience or potential? The answer isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best approach blends both—seeking candidates who have a strong foundation of experience but remain growth-oriented. Leaders who demonstrate both leadership agility and a willingness to adapt are the ones who will drive sustainable success.
Culture fit also plays a significant role. A leader’s ability to align with an organization’s mission, values, and team dynamics is often just as important as their resume. Finding the right balance means looking beyond experience and potential as separate qualities and instead seeking individuals who bring both to the table in the right measure.
One of the best ways to achieve this balance is through mentorship programs that pair experienced executives with high-potential rising leaders. This allows organizations to retain institutional knowledge while fostering future talent. Companies that take this approach see measurable success—Harvard Business Review (2023) reports that organizations blending experienced hires with high-potential talent development are 2.5 times more likely to outperform competitors.
Finding the right balance between experience and potential is key to long-term success in senior living, skilled nursing, home health, and hospice leadership. By assessing both immediate needs and future goals, organizations can build a leadership team that is both capable today and prepared for tomorrow.
Ready to find the best talent for your senior living, skilled nursing, or home health & hospice community?
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