Recruiting for Executive Roles

rwrhealth.com • May 20, 2025

A Personal Approach to Finding Leaders Who Make a Difference By Jeanette Rendle

Finding the right leader for your organisation is crucial to ensuring the future and success of your organisation, your people, and ultimately, the care you provide to your patients/clients and the community you serve. Every hire at the executive level has the potential to influence the direction of an organisation, shape its overall culture as well as impact patient outcomes. Executive Recruitment is a complex process that requires significant time and resources as well as intellect and emotional intelligence.

I’ve spent years as a healthcare recruiter, working closely with organisations to not only understand their immediate needs but also their long-term vision. It’s this depth of understanding, along with a compassionate and personal approach that ensures we help you find the executive who truly fits your organisation’s strategic vision. We work closely with our clients to clarify your "what" and "why" and make sure every candidate aligns not just on paper but in their ethos. There is real value in us understanding not just the job requirements, but the nuances of company culture, team dynamics, and long-term organisational goals.

Why Executive Search in Healthcare is So Important?

The stakes in healthcare are high. Executives don’t just lead the organisation. They navigate the machinations of government and regulatory controls, need to remain sustainable and fiscally responsible with changes to funding streams and ultimately lead teams responsible for people’s health and wellbeing. They must balance the operational and financial demands of running an organisation while keeping clients and patients at the heart of every decision. I’ve seen first hand the difference a strong leader can make.

The right leader can navigate regulatory challenges and the impact of government funding constraints while implementing innovative practices and fostering a positive, supportive culture for their teams. The wrong hire can have negative consequences - in terms of financial sustainability, but also reputation, employee retention, and the ability to adapt to sector-wide changes. That’s why the executive search process needs to be thorough and thoughtful.

The Challenges of Finding the Right Healthcare Executive

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that finding the right healthcare executive is a delicate balancing act. These roles require more than just technical expertise. They demand leaders who can think strategically, deliver operationally, inspire teams, and act with compassion in often high pressure environments.

Every organisation has a distinct culture and mission. For healthcare, it’s critical that leaders not only have the necessary skills and experience but also align with the organisation’s patient-centred values. The higher up you go, the smaller the talent pool becomes. Many of the best executive candidates aren’t actively job hunting. That's why we are constantly building and nurturing relationships with talented leaders who may not be looking right now but would consider the right opportunity when it comes up.

Key Factors in Healthcare Executive Search

At RWR Health, our approach to executive recruitment is personal, strategic, and tailored to your organisation’s needs. We understand that executive recruitment in healthcare requires more than a list of qualifications. It requires a nuanced understanding of the human side of leadership.

1. Aligning Vision and Values
The recruitment process starts by diving deep into your organisation’s mission, vision, values, culture, and current and future goals. I’ve seen time and time again that even the most technically skilled leader can struggle if they don’t share your values. That’s why, beyond qualifications, we focus on finding candidates who genuinely connect with the heart of your organisation.

2. Assessing Leadership Qualities
In healthcare, leadership isn’t just about making decisions; it’s about how those decisions impact people - patients, staff, and the broader community. We look for leaders with a high degree of emotional intelligence. People who can navigate difficult situations with empathy, communicate effectively, and inspire those around them.

3. Specialised Knowledge
Healthcare is constantly changing. Leaders in this space need to be able to manage not only the day-to-day running of the organisation but also the broader regulatory environment and technological advancements. We ensure that every candidate has the deep industry knowledge required to thrive in this demanding sector.

The RWR Health Difference

Executive search brings immense value to organisations. At RWR Health, we go above and beyond to ensure your recruitment process is seamless and successful. Here’s what we bring to the table:

A wide network of talent: Over the years, We’ve developed strong relationships with executives across the healthcare industry. This allows us to tap into a broad network of professionals, including those who aren’t actively seeking a new role but would consider the right opportunity.
A personal touch: Executive recruitment isn’t just about ticking boxes. We take the time to get to know each candidate personally, understanding not just their qualifications but their motivations and leadership style. This ensures we are not just filling a role but finding someone who will thrive in your organisation.
Objective assessments: Our approach involves a thorough evaluation process that goes beyond just interviews. This includes reference checks and leadership assessments to ensure we find the right match for both your organisation and the candidate.

Best Practices for a Successful Executive Search

A successful executive search process is built on clear communication, careful planning, and a strong understanding of what success looks like. Here’s how we ensure you find the best leader for your organisation:

1. Define Clear Expectations
A full brief is the first step we take with any client, to clarify the expectations for the role. What challenges will the new executive face? What skills and experiences are non-negotiable? Having a clear roadmap helps ensure we’re all aligned on what the ideal candidate looks like. This is an opportunity to confidentially tell us of your current internal challenges and struggles. The right leader will be able to solve these for you.

2. Prioritise Cultural Fit
Cultural fit is often the deciding factor in a candidate’s long-term success. That’s why we spend time getting to know both your organisational culture and the individual’s leadership style, ensuring we find someone who will integrate seamlessly with your team.

3. Maintain Open Communication
Throughout the recruitment process, we maintain open lines of communication with both the client (often a Board appointed panel or the CEO) and all of the candidates. This ensures that expectations are managed, questions are addressed, and the process runs smoothly from start to finish.

Finding the Leaders Who Make a Difference

In summary, at RWR Health, We don’t just help you fill an executive role; we help you find the leader who will drive your organisation forward, inspire your team, and ensure the best possible outcomes for your patients. Executive recruitment in healthcare requires a strategic, thoughtful, and personal approach. If you’re looking for your next healthcare leader, We're here to help. Together, we can find the right person to guide your organisation into the future.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

This Mistake Cripples Businesses. Here's How to Stop It.

By RWR Group Marketing • August 27, 2025

By John Caldwell Throughout my career at RWR Group, I’ve seen the same costly mistake repeated time and time again. A business takes its top individual performer, a brilliant operator or a star salesperson, and promotes them into a leadership role. Everyone celebrates the promotion as a success. Six months later, that new leader is struggling, their team’s performance has dipped, and the culture is starting to sour. This isn’t a rare occurrence; it’s an epidemic of what I call ‘accidental managers’. And the data backs up what I've seen on the ground for decades. A recent Chartered Management Institute (CMI) study found that a staggering 82% of managers have received no formal leadership training. Think about that. We’re handing over our most valuable assets, our people and our culture, to leaders who have never been taught how to lead. It's no wonder Gartner found that 60% of new managers fail within their first two years. We are setting them up to fail. It’s a Selection Problem, Not Just a Skills Gap We can’t just blame a lack of training. The real issue starts earlier; it's a fundamental failure in how we select leaders. Too many organisations confuse operational excellence with leadership potential. Managing a P&L or driving sales is a completely different skill set from inspiring a team, driving strategic transformation, or building a high-performance culture. It is blunt: only one in ten people possesses the natural combination of talents to be a great manager. When we promote without a rigorous process for identifying that talent, the ripple effects are enormous: Top talent walks. People leave managers, not companies. I’ve seen entire high-performing teams dismantled by one poor leadership placement. Performance craters. An unsupported manager can’t set clear goals or motivate a team, directly impacting productivity and profitability. Brand value erodes. Your leaders define your company’s culture and reputation, both internally and in the market. Ineffective leadership damages your brand from the inside out. Building a Future-Proof Leadership Pipeline The good news is that this is entirely fixable. It requires a strategic shift in how we approach leadership development, both for external hires and internal promotions. First, hire for potential, not just past performance. When we partner with businesses, we look beyond the resume. We assess for emotional intelligence (EQ), learning agility, and genuine values alignment. Does this person have the humility to learn and the resilience to lead through change? Can they build a culture, not just manage a spreadsheet? Second, onboarding is everything. A leader's success shouldn't be left to chance. The placement is just day one. True success requires a structured development plan from the very beginning, including executive coaching, mentorship, and crystal-clear expectations for the first 90 days and beyond. At RWR Group, this is at the heart of what we do. We don’t just fill a vacancy; we act as strategic partners to help you identify and nurture leaders who are equipped to drive real transformation. Building a robust leadership pipeline isn’t just good practice—it’s the ultimate competitive advantage.

Being Busy Is BS and Just Another Form of Hiding

By RWR Group Marketing • July 31, 2025

Let’s call it. Most people aren’t productive, they’re just panicking in a suit . They’re chasing their tails in a tornado of meetings, emails, Slack pings, task boards, and "quick calls" that go nowhere. And when you ask them how they’re going? “Oh mate, flat out.” Yeah. Flat out… doing what? Because here’s the thing: being busy is easy . Being effective is rare. Busy people do a lot. Effective people get results. There’s a big difference, and most professionals have lost sight of it. Somewhere along the way, output got replaced with activity. Effort replaced outcomes. Time spent became more important than value delivered. And let’s be honest: a lot of people are buying their own bullshit . They're mistaking motion for progress. Praise themselves for being 'slammed’ when all they're really doing is sweating through chaos they created by saying yes to everything and finishing nothing. This isn’t just a recruitment problem. This is an everywhere problem. Recruiters sending 100 cold reach-outs a day but filling nothing. Managers drowning in back-to-back calls with no strategy behind them. Leaders caught in decks, dashboards and “quick check-ins” that don't move a single KPI. Whole teams doing cartwheels just to look productive. The worst part? Everyone knows it. But no one wants to say it. So let me: If your calendar is full and your scoreboard is empty, you’re not busy. You’re stuck. Busy is a drug. And it’s addictive. It makes you feel needed. Important. In demand. It fills the awkward silence where results should be. But it’s also the perfect cover for lack of clarity, fear of failure, and decision avoidance . You can’t be held accountable if you’re “so busy.” You can’t be questioned if you’re burning the candle at both ends. And we reward it. We praise the hustle. We applaud the exhaustion. We promote the performers who work late… even if they never win. Meanwhile the people who quietly deliver results, they get overlooked, because they’re not seen to be grinding. Insanity. High-performers don’t look busy. They look calm. They say “no” more than they say “yes”. They don’t join every meeting. They don’t reply to emails instantly. They’re not in Slack all day. Because they’re busy thinking , doing , and delivering . They know the only KPI that matters is impact . Not noise. Not motion. Not airtime. If you don’t know what that looks like, chances are you’re surrounded by performers, not producers. So what now? Ask yourself: What did I do today that actually mattered? If I stopped half my tasks, would anyone notice? Am I producing outcomes, or just managing perception? It’s not comfortable. But that’s the point. You don’t fix a culture of noise by adding more updates. You fix it by measuring results, not reputations. You fix it by rewarding effectiveness, not effort. You fix it by cutting the crap and getting clear on what success actually looks like. So, are you actually making a dent? Or just looking busy? I’d love to hear your take. Drop a comment, disagree, tag someone who needs this. Let’s talk about it.

Leadership Starts With You: Why Your Health Is Your Responsibility

By RWR Group Marketing • July 14, 2025

Let’s be honest. When you're running a team, driving results, showing up for clients, and solving problems before most people finish their first coffee, it’s easy to forget the one person you need to lead first: yourself. But the truth is, if you’re running on empty, everyone around you feels it. This is your friendly reminder that taking care of your mental and physical health is responsible leadership. You Can’t Lead Well If You’re Running on Empty There’s a strange badge of honour in pushing through exhaustion, skipping lunch, or catching up on work at midnight. But burnout doesn’t make you a better leader. It makes you reactive, distracted, and less present for your team. You don’t need to hit rock bottom to permit yourself to reset. Taking care of yourself is part of the job. Your Team Feels Your Energy You might not notice it, but your team does. The mood you bring into the office, the way you handle pressure, and how present you are in meetings all reflect how you’re feeling inside. Leaders who are well-rested, mentally clear, and physically energised create environments that are calmer, more productive, and more human. Wellness as a Leadership Strategy Think of your well-being as a core part of your leadership toolkit. Your ability to make good decisions, regulate stress, show up with empathy, and motivate others all hinge on your personal health. Some of the best leaders are the ones with clarity, energy, and emotional stability. That comes from proper rest, good fuel, movement, support, and boundaries. You don’t have to become a wellness influencer overnight, but small shifts compound over time. Nobody Else Can Do This For You You delegate. You lead. You lift others. But here’s the kicker: no one can take care of your well-being for you. Yes, workplaces can and should support wellness. But ultimately, the responsibility sits with you, and that’s empowering because you get to choose what your baseline looks like. Wellbeing Is Part of the Job Description If you’ve been waiting for permission to put your health first, here it is. Because when leaders take proactive care of themselves, everyone benefits. You don’t have to overhaul your life. Just start. Take a breath. Drink some water. Move your body. Call a friend. Go to bed earlier. Then do it again tomorrow.

The Real Cost of Healthcare Staff Shortages and Why Recruitment Matters More Than Ever

By RWR Group Marketing • June 11, 2025

If you’re working in the health sector, you don’t need statistics to tell you how stretched the system is, you feel it every day. From hospital corridors to aged care homes, and midwives to radiographers, workforce shortages are straining every corner of care. And it’s not slowing down. The Numbers Speak Volumes Nursing : By 2025, Australia is expected to face a shortage of over 85,000 nurses. That’s not just numbers, that’s real pressure in EDs, wards, and community health services. Midwifery : Almost 10,000 midwives are short. Maternity services are under stress. Allied Health : Physiotherapists, OTs, speech pathologists, and radiographers are in critical demand in both public and private sectors. Theatre & Anaesthetics : Surgical delays are increasing because there simply aren’t enough technicians to support the load. Aged Care : With turnover rates hitting 50% in some facilities, continuity of care is becoming harder to guarantee. What’s driving this? An aging workforce, high levels of burnout, and increasingly complex care needs. Over 40% of healthcare workers report stress-related symptoms. That’s not sustainable for anyone. At RWR Health , we don’t just place candidates. We partner with people. We believe recruitment plays a frontline role in supporting the sector, finding the right talent, helping organisations retain them, and offering strategies that care for the carers. Because the truth is, we’re not just solving staffing problems, we’re helping build a stronger, more resilient healthcare system. If you're in the sector, we want to hear from you. Let’s talk challenges, but more importantly, let’s talk solutions. Call us today!

RWR Health Launches in Australia

By RWR Group Marketing • June 5, 2025

RWR Health has officially launched in Australia, expanding its trusted recruitment expertise to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Backed by the award-winning RWR Group, the agency brings over 30 years of healthcare experience and specialist recruitment knowledge to the market. With a fresh approach to candidate engagement, talent mapping, career planning, and employer branding, RWR Health addresses a growing market need for smarter, values-led recruitment. The agency blends AI-powered sourcing with deep market intelligence and a unique human approach, ensuring that employers connect with professionals who truly align with their values and culture. “Our launch in Australia represents a pivotal moment,” says John Caldwell, Global CEO of RWR Group. “We’ve built a reputation for specialist recruitment that doesn’t compromise on quality or care. Now, we’re bringing that proven model to healthcare organisations across Australia, where the need for high-impact, values-aligned talent has never been greater.” RWR Health stands apart by combining predictive technology and deep local knowledge with personal connection, delivering not just speed and efficiency, but long-term fit. With 30+ years of healthcare experience and a network of over 600,000 candidates, the team is equipped to fill roles across clinical, non-clinical, and executive functions, often in under 25 days. RWR Group, founded in 2001, is the force behind industry-leading recruitment brands across Australasia, including Retailworld, Hospoworld, RWR Construction, and Executive Search. With 22 offices across the region and an award-winning leadership team, the group continues to set a new standard in industry-specialist recruitment. For employers ready to grow or candidates seeking purpose-driven roles, visit www.rwrhealth.com or connect with the team on LinkedIn.