How to Hire Your First Manager for Your Assisted Living Facility: Lessons from Our Journey

Starting your first assisted living facility can feel daunting, especially if you don’t have prior experience in the industry. Like us, you might come from a different background—ours was in real estate, flipping houses. We were drawn to the fantastic opportunities and potential income, but we quickly realized that building the facility and securing a license were only part of the challenge. The real question was: How do we run this thing?

In this blog, we’ll share our journey of hiring our first manager, the lessons we learned along the way, and tips to help you find the right person for your team.

Starting the Hiring Process
Six months before opening our facility, we began searching for a manager. With no prior experience in assisted living, we found this process intimidating. We turned to local job boards, studied job descriptions, and researched salary ranges to understand the market. After refining our expectations, we posted our job ad and received numerous applications.

Screening Candidates
The initial interviews were eye-opening. Many applicants didn’t align with our culture, and as interviewers, we struggled to navigate industry-specific jargon. It felt like interviewing an astronaut without understanding their lingo. Despite the learning curve, conducting interviews ourselves was invaluable—it allowed us to understand the talent pool and identify candidates who could grow with us.

Hiring for Experience vs. Culture Fit
We ultimately hired a manager with extensive experience in “big box” corporate facilities. While they brought invaluable expertise in licensure, resident management, and creating systems, there were cultural challenges. Their previous environment didn’t align with the warm, personalized approach we envisioned for our facility.

To bridge the gap, we worked closely with them to adapt systems and processes to fit our style. This collaboration allowed us to create a balance between leveraging their experience and fostering the culture we wanted.

Challenges with Mom-and-Pop Managers
While smaller, family-run assisted living facilities often have managers, these individuals usually operate as caregiver-managers. They may lack the professional expertise required to handle compliance, staff training, and operational intricacies. For us, hiring someone with “big box” experience proved essential to setting up robust systems, even though it required cultural adjustments.

Key Takeaways for Hiring Your First Manager
Start Early: Begin your search at least six months before opening to allow time for hiring and onboarding.
Do Your Research: Understand local salary ranges and job expectations to remain competitive.
Prioritize Experience: Look for candidates with a background in creating systems and handling compliance.
Adapt for Culture Fit: Be prepared to collaborate and adjust systems to align with your vision.
Learn Through the Process: Conducting interviews yourself helps you understand the industry and identify the right fit for your team.

Final Thoughts
Hiring your first manager is a pivotal step in launching your assisted living facility. It’s a learning process, but finding the right person with the right mix of experience and cultural alignment can make all the difference. Remember, you don’t have to do it alone—lean on experienced managers to teach you along the way while building a strong foundation for your facility.

By embracing this approach, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the complexities of running an assisted living facility and set yourself up for long-term success.

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