Recruitment in care isn’t failing because there’s a lack of effort. It’s failing because it’s often reactive, rushed, and disconnected from the reality of the roles being filled.
Across the sector, many care providers recognise the same patterns:
Roles are filled quickly, but the person doesn’t stay.
Managers join with potential but quickly become overwhelmed.
Teams never quite stabilise, no matter how often vacancies are filled.
So, what’s really going wrong?
One of the biggest challenges is that recruitment often focuses on availability over alignment.
When services are under pressure, which is most of the time, the priority becomes filling the gap.
But filling the gap doesn’t solve the problem if the person isn’t the right fit.
Poor recruitment in care often looks like:
- Hiring based on CVs rather than values
- Overlooking cultural fit within the team
- Underestimating the pressures of the role
- Failing to communicate the reality of the position
- Short-term decisions made under long-term pressure
The result?
People enter roles that don’t match their expectations or capacity.
Managers take on positions without the support they need.
And services continue to cycle through instability.
This isn’t a people problem.
It’s a process problem.
Until recruitment becomes more thoughtful, more transparent, and more human-focused, the same challenges will continue to repeat.
What Dual Sight Recruitment Does Differently
At Dual Sight Recruitment, we take a different approach, especially when it comes to management within care. We understand that appointing a manager is not simply about filling a senior vacancy. It is about protecting the stability of a service, supporting the people within it, and making a decision that will still feel right months and years down the line.
This approach is shaped by our own experience within the sector. Craig, our Director, has been a Registered Manager himself, and I, Emma, have worked as a Service Manager. We understand first-hand the pressure, responsibility, and emotional investment that come with leading care services, because we have lived those roles, not just recruited for them.
Management roles carry wider responsibility. The right Registered Manager, Care Manager, or senior leader can improve morale, strengthen culture, reduce staff turnover, and bring consistency to a service. The wrong fit can create disruption, unsettle teams, and lead to further recruitment challenges. That is why we look beyond the CV and consider the bigger picture.
We take time to understand the service, the team, the pressures of the role, the support available, and what kind of leader will genuinely succeed in that environment. We are not interested in short-term placements that look good on paper but break down in practice. Our focus is on retention, long-term fit, and helping clients build stable management teams they can rely on.
That means being honest with clients, even when the answer is not the quickest one. It means asking the right questions, challenging rushed decisions where needed, and making sure candidates understand the reality of Registered Manager and Care Coordinator roles before they step into them. We care about whether the placement will work, not just whether a Registered Manager or Care Coordinator position has been filled.
For our clients, this creates a more thoughtful and supportive recruitment process. For candidates, it creates better alignment and clearer expectations. For care services, it helps reduce instability and gives management teams a stronger chance of staying, leading well, and making a lasting difference.
If you need a Registered Manager or Care Coordinator who can bring stability, leadership, and the right long-term fit to your service, Dual Sight Recruitment can help. Get in touch to discuss your management recruitment needs or fill in our Employer Enquiry form here.