While everyone is scrambling to talk about the shortage of front-line staff—like Registered Nurses and Carers—there’s one conversation that’s shockingly absent: who’s leading the charge? Aged care is at a crossroads, the sector is transforming rapidly, and in an industry where leadership and management are everything, why isn’t anyone talking about how to find and retain the visionary leaders who can truly shape the future of aged care?

We need to stop pretending that filling leadership roles is something that will sort itself out. Same-same isn’t the answer anymore. The future of aged care demands bold, innovative leaders, and if you’re relying solely on job ads to find them, you’re already falling behind.

At PJ Recruitment, 65% of our jobs filled have been through executive search and headhunting – not job ads. Gone are the days of sitting around waiting for top talent to come knocking, we go out and find them. These are critical positions that influence everything from operational efficiency to the quality of care delivered. If organisations aren’t securing the best talent for these roles, from both inside and outside of the aged care sector, organisations are going to be left behind. So why isn’t this being discussed more broadly?

The Missing Conversation: Leaders and Managers in Aged Care

As Australia’s aging population continues to grow, so does the pressure on aged care providers to deliver high-quality care and services. The Government has last week passed a new Aged Care Bill that organisations now need to abide by, making leadership and management in aged care even more pivotal. These changes are going to require organisations to adapt quickly, ensuring compliance and delivering better outcomes for residents and staff alike.

Leadership plays a critical role in meeting these demands. Boards and executives set the strategic direction, ensure compliance with increasingly complex regulations, foster staff morale, and drive innovation in care delivery. Yet, these roles are often overlooked when discussing aged care workforce shortages and strategies.

Job Ads Aren’t Enough for Leadership Roles

One of the key challenges with recruiting for leadership and management positions is that job ads simply aren’t enough. Job ads are effective for attracting candidates who are actively seeking new opportunities, but they rarely reach the passive, high-performing leaders that aged care organisations need. This is where headhunting comes into play. If you’re not actively seeking out and engaging with top talent, you’re missing out on the candidates who can truly transform organisations. This includes middle management positions as well.

In aged care, leadership roles require individuals who are not only skilled at managing teams and operations but also have a deep understanding of the specific challenges of retaining legacy of the organisation in terms of vision, but commercialising to ensure financial viability and sustainability into the future. These individuals often aren’t browsing job boards—they’re already working in demanding roles, leading and/or managing organisations elsewhere, and they need to be approached directly.

Why Leadership Recruitment Needs to Be on the Agenda

The lack of attention on leadership recruitment and retention at aged care conferences and in industry discussions is troubling. I attended an Aged Care Workforce Conference last week, where this kind of discussion wasn’t even tabled on the agenda, but rather overseas workers, migration schemes and reducing agency costs were. It was suggested by Emily Harper, First assistant Secretary, Market and Workforce Division, DoHAC that said that in the most recent Aged Care Workforce Survey across AUS and NZ, the most frequently cited workforce concerns were recruitment and retention.

Aged Care Conferences – Why Aren’t We Talking About This?

Here are several reasons why this issue should be a priority:

1. Leadership Drives Success

Leaders and managers are the people responsible for steering the organisation toward success. They ensure that everything runs smoothly, from compliance with regulations to maintaining high-quality care standards. Without strong leadership, organisations can struggle with staff morale, patient care, and financial sustainability. Simply put, great leadership is the foundation of great care. But the same old approaches to talent recruitment won’t cut it anymore. Same-same isn’t the answer – aged care needs to attract new, inspirational talent, including leaders from outside the sector, who can bring fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and dynamic leadership styles to drive real change.

2. Leadership Retention is a Growing Problem

Retaining talented leaders in aged care is becoming increasingly difficult. Burnout, regulatory pressures, and a rapidly evolving industry can cause leaders to leave for other sectors, leave for a higher paid job, or career progression or retire early. Yet, very few discussions at industry events focus on how to retain these essential professionals. We talk endlessly about retaining nurses and carers, but why aren’t we having conversations about the factors that contribute to leadership turnover and how to address them? It’s time to move beyond sector insularity and seek leaders from diverse backgrounds—whether from healthcare, hospitality, or corporate management—who can energise the industry with new ideas and practices.

3. The Impact of Poor Leadership on Care Quality

Poor leadership at the management level can have a direct and negative impact on care quality. Aged care is not just about front-line workers delivering hands-on care; it’s about the systems, processes, and culture that are set in motion by those at the top. Without strong leadership, even the best staff will struggle to deliver optimal care. This is a discussion that needs to happen at the highest levels in aged care, and it can no longer be confined to internal hires. Attracting leaders from outside the traditional aged care talent pool – those with the vision and skills to foster innovation, manage change, and create a culture of excellence – is key to meeting the sector’s evolving challenges.

It’s Time to Prioritise Leadership in Aged Care

The aged care sector can’t afford to ignore the importance of recruiting and retaining strong leaders and managers. The new Aged Care Bill has made it clear that leadership will be even more critical to compliance and quality care in the coming years. The conversations happening at industry conferences need to shift to include leadership recruitment and retention as a priority. Waiting for candidates to apply through job ads won’t bring the transformative leaders that aged care needs. It’s time to embrace headhunting and start focusing on leadership if we want to secure the future of aged care.