How to Hire Health and Social Care Leaders for Success

Dr Richard Dune

23-05-2023

How to hire health and social care leaders for success

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Strategies for recruiting exceptional health and social care leaders who drive success

Leadership is essential for organisational growth and success, but many organisations need help to hire the right leaders. In this blog, Dr Richard Dune will discuss insights from an insightful Harvard Business Review article by Josh Bersin and Tomas Chamoro-Premuzic titled "Hire leaders for what they can do, not what they have done".

He will also share personal examples from health and social care and the tech industry. Finally, he will make recommendations for organisations on how to build strong and effective leadership teams.

The importance of strategic leadership recruitment

As someone with experience in health and social care and the tech sector, I understand the challenges of hiring the right leaders. In both industries, regulatory requirements and a constantly changing environment make it challenging to ensure that leaders are equipped to succeed.

Bersin and Chamoro-Premuzic’s HBR article offers valuable insights into how organisations can hire leaders for their potential rather than just their experience. They instead recommend the following:

Hire for potential
Focus on key competencies and traits
Utilise objective assessments and data
Provide ongoing development and support.

Hire for potential

Organisations should focus on potential, not just experience, when hiring for leadership roles. This is particularly important for geographically dispersed teams, as leaders must navigate new territories and sustain long-term success. Traits such as adaptability, learning agility, and a growth mindset are indicators of long-term success.

Focus on key competencies and traits

Organisations should identify the key competencies and traits required for leadership roles. In the tech industry, staying up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations is crucial. Empathy, caring for others, and compliance standards are essential in health and social care. Organisations can ensure new leaders fit the organisational culture and contribute to the organisation.

Utilise objective assessments and data

Objective assessments can be utilised to minimise bias when assessing leadership potential. For the tech industry, cognitive ability and problem-solving capabilities are often used. In health and social care, evaluating interpersonal skills, leadership styles, and compliance standards can ensure the right person is hired.

Provide ongoing development and support

Once hired for a leadership role, ongoing development and support are crucial. High-quality training, mentoring, and coaching can provide the tools needed to continue to grow and excel in a leadership role. Providing leaders with data-driven feedback can also ensure they stay on track and continue to meet organisational goals.

Key points to remember

Health and social care providers must consider the following:

Hiring for potential is essential, particularly for geographically dispersed teams.
Identify key competencies and traits required for a leadership role.
Utilise objective assessments and data to minimise bias when hiring leaders.
Provide ongoing development and support for newly hired leaders.

Recommendations and conclusions

Organisations should prioritise potential when hiring leaders to build a solid and effective leadership team. Focusing on key competencies and traits while utilising objective assessments and data can ensure that organisations find a leader that fits the desired outcome.

Once hired, supporting and providing ongoing development for leaders can ensure they will continue to drive organisational success. Organisations in the health and social care sectors and tech industry can benefit from these recommendations to hire the right leader and build a strong and effective leadership team.

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Last updated on 22-01-2025

References and resources

Brown, J. (2019) - How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive.

Charan, R., Drotter, S., & Noel, J. (2011) - The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company. Jossey-Bass.

Collins, J. (2011) - Good to Great.

Harvard Business Review (2019) - Hire Leaders for What They Can Do, Not What They Have Done.