Why Passive Candidates Matter in Senior Living Executive Search
When organizations begin a senior living executive search, it’s easy to assume the strongest candidates will be the people actively applying for new positions. But many of the most qualified executives are not searching for a job at all.
According to Cathy Stewart, Senior Managing Partner at Jeff Harris & Associates, relying only on applicants can significantly limit the leadership talent an organization considers.
“A big misnomer many organizations have is that their company has such a fantastic reputation that all the best people will simply apply.”
For senior living organizations recruiting a CEO, COO, CFO, Executive Director, regional leader, or other senior executive, reaching passive executive candidates can be an important part of finding the right leader.
Active vs. Passive Candidates in Executive Recruiting
Executive candidates generally fall into two categories: active candidates and passive candidates.
Active candidates are actively pursuing a new opportunity. They may be applying for jobs, responding to advertisements, networking, or engaging with recruiters through LinkedIn and other channels.
Passive candidates are different. They are not necessarily looking to make a career change and may not be reviewing job boards, updating their résumés, or responding to recruiting outreach.
“They’re usually highly engaged in their organizations,” Stewart says. “They’re only going to consider an opportunity if it seems like it’s truly better than where they are. It takes skill to position an opportunity for those kinds of candidates to become engaged in the search process.”
That distinction matters because the best candidate for an executive role is not necessarily the person most actively looking for one.
“The question isn’t whether they’re active or passive,” Stewart says. “The question is whether they’re the right candidate.”
For important leadership roles, including a senior living CEO search, organizations may need to evaluate the broader executive market rather than limiting the search to leaders who have already decided to make a move.
Why Job Postings May Miss Top Senior Living Executives
Organizations already have relatively easy access to candidates who are actively applying for jobs. The greater challenge is reaching experienced executives who are performing well in their current positions and have little reason to look elsewhere.
“Organizations can get to the people that are applying, but what they don’t have access to is the group of candidates that are head down, working hard, doing great, not paying attention to job boards, not engaged on social media, and not updating their resume.”
For an important leadership hire, relying exclusively on incoming applications can leave a substantial portion of the executive talent market unexplored.
Stewart says the traditional “post and pray” approach is often not enough.
“The strongest leaders are usually busy leading those successful organizations,” she says. “Somebody’s got to go out and be your brand in the market space, identify the exact kind of person you are looking for, and actively work to speak directly with them, not just message them on LinkedIn—that rarely engages passive talent.”
This is one reason organizations conducting a consequential leadership search may benefit from working with a specialized senior living executive search firm rather than relying exclusively on job postings or inbound applicants.
How Executive Search Firms Reach Passive Candidates
Reaching passive candidates requires a more proactive approach to executive recruiting.
A senior living executive search firm can identify leaders whose experience, performance, and background align with the organization’s needs—even when those executives have not expressed interest in changing jobs.
That means looking beyond the pool of people responding to advertisements and proactively identifying proven leaders in the market.
But finding those executives is only the first step.
Because passive candidates are often successful and satisfied in their current roles, the opportunity needs to provide a compelling reason to consider making a move.
“They’re going to move because of leadership alignment,” Stewart says. “They’re going to move because of the mission and the professional growth opportunities. It truly has to be a better fit. And it takes time, effort and finesse to help candidates make that transition.”
For senior living organizations, that means the recruiting conversation may involve much more than compensation and title. Mission, culture, leadership alignment, professional growth, organizational direction, and the opportunity to make an impact can all influence whether an accomplished executive is willing to consider a new role.
For particularly important or mission-critical positions, organizations may also want to consider whether a retained executive search provides the appropriate level of research, market outreach, candidate assessment, and search support.
Executive Recruiting Is a Two-Way Evaluation
Engaging passive candidates also changes the hiring conversation.
Rather than expecting the candidate to simply demonstrate why they are right for the organization, the organization must also communicate why the opportunity is right for the candidate.
“My job as a recruiter is to not only make sure that the candidate is the right fit for the company, but also that the company is the right fit for the candidate,” Stewart says. “If it’s not right on either end, then I’m going to tell you, and we will keep looking.”
That two-way assessment is especially important for senior leadership positions, where culture, leadership philosophy, mission, expectations, and organizational direction can strongly influence long-term success.
For boards and organizations conducting a CEO search, defining those expectations early in the process can be particularly important. JHA explores this further in How Senior Living Boards Can Support a Successful CEO Search.
Why Passive Talent Matters for Senior Living Organizations
Senior living presents unique leadership demands.
Executives may be responsible for balancing operational performance, financial stewardship, workforce challenges, resident experience, clinical quality, regulatory requirements, organizational culture, and mission.
That makes identifying the right leader more complex than simply matching a résumé to a job description.
A candidate who is already successfully navigating those challenges elsewhere may never appear in an applicant pool. Reaching those leaders requires proactive market research, industry relationships, direct outreach, and an understanding of what might motivate an accomplished executive to consider a new opportunity.
For senior living organizations competing for experienced leadership, the ability to identify and engage passive candidates can therefore significantly expand the potential talent pool.
The Best Executive Candidate May Not Be Looking
Ultimately, successful senior living executive recruiting is not about finding the largest number of available candidates. It is about identifying the leader who best fits the organization—even if that person was not initially considering a career change.
“The goal of executive recruiting isn’t to find people who are available. It’s to find people who are exceptional,” Stewart says. “Sometimes they’re actively looking, and more often than not, they’re busy succeeding somewhere else.”
For organizations making an important leadership hire, Stewart recommends looking beyond the active applicant pool and considering the broader executive market.
“Any organization who is looking to make an important hire should take the time to consider the entire market, including those folks who are not out there looking for that next career move.”
Looking for Senior Living Executive Talent?
Jeff Harris & Associates has focused exclusively on senior living executive search for more than 25 years, helping organizations identify and recruit experienced leadership talent—including executives who may not be actively searching for their next opportunity.
JHA works with senior living organizations nationwide on CEO, COO, CFO, Executive Director, regional, and other senior leadership searches.
If your organization is preparing for an important leadership search, learn more about JHA’s Senior Living Executive Search services or review the Senior Living Executive Search FAQs to learn more about JHA’s process and search options.