Registered manager interview questions to not mess up your first hire

A conversation with a partner this week got me thinking about just how crucial the role of Registered Manager is in a start-up homecare company. 

It’s a huge recruitment decision and we’d recommend a multi-stage process that helps you to work out what really makes them tick. Here’s five questions that might help: 

1. Ask questions that get to their underlying values – one of our values is Dedication, so I like asking the question “Can you tell us about a time that you went the extra mile for someone?” It’s an opportunity for them to show off their caring nature and you can get some amazing answers that unlock an insight into how people think.
2. “What parts of the role are you less confident about?” Not only does this tap into their self-awareness, but it also helps you plan their induction and ongoing support to give them the best chance of success. You’d want your strengths to dovetail with their weaknesses; for example if you’re both terrible with technology that could be a bit of a nightmare.
3. “How would you help grow the business?” – Purposely vague, it will give an insight into their commercial awareness, previous experience, and whether their natural focus is on the private or local authority market. Drill down from there about existing contacts, marketing channels, and how they’d handle the sales funnel.
4. “A key client’s family calls you late at night, distressed because their loved one’s care pro hasn’t arrived, and the on-call team is struggling to find a replacement. How do you handle the situation in the moment, and what steps would you take to prevent similar issues in the future?” How would they approach this? Would they be willing and able to deliver care themselves? Can they think longer-term about strategies to stop this happening again?
5. “You’ve been given an extra £10,000 in your annual budget to spend on either improving staff well-being, marketing, or client experience. Which would you choose and how would you spend it?” This tests their decision-making, prioritisation skills, and business acumen. There isn’t necessarily a right answer; it very much depends on what’s going on in the business and local market at the moment.

Lastly, we’d recommend a written exercise that tests written communication, knowledge of complaints procedures, and decision making ability, with an element that assesses computer literacy too. We’ve got a bank of these at GoodOaks – it can be an eye-opening exercise!

Best wishes, Ben.