Senior Living Occupancy at 85%: Why Leadership Is the #1 Lever Now

The rebound to 85% occupancy is great news. But it also exposes a gap: many portfolios don’t yet have the leadership bench to sustain growth while controlling labour, agency use, and resident experience.

What’s changed vs. 2019?

• Communities now operate as care + hospitality + tech organisations.

• Lead gen has shifted to digital; sales cycles are longer and more data-driven.

• Workforce pressure persists—retention and scheduling are strategic, not admin.

• Families expect clinical transparency and hotel-grade service at the same time.

Where operators are investing leadership headcount

1. SVP/VP Operations – multi-site discipline, margin stewardship, playbooks.

2. Head of Sales & Marketing (Growth) – performance marketing, conversion science, pricing.

3. Chief People Officer – frontline retention, leadership pipelines, workforce analytics.

4. Chief Clinical/Wellness Officer – acuity management, risk, quality outcomes.

5. VP Resident Experience/Hospitality – NPS, LTR, service design, L length-of-stay.

6. Data/Tech Lead – dashboards, integrations, AI-assisted scheduling & forecasting.

What great leaders do differently in 2025

• Treat labour as a strategic asset: skill mix, scheduling, internal float pools.

• Run commercial discipline: price tests, mix strategy, performance media, CRM hygiene.

• Build bench strength: succession for EDs/RCDs, leadership pathways, mentoring.

• Make data visible: one source of truth, weekly cadence, no “reporting theatre.”

• Obsess over the resident journey: first 72 hours, service recovery within 24h, ritualised family communication.

Operator takeaway: With occupancy rising, the winning edge shifts from “more leads” to better leadership systems. Hire for multi-site discipline, data fluency, and a bias to operational playbooks—then measure relentlessly.

How Oaklake Search Helps Operators Meet the Leadership Moment

At Oaklake Search, we specialise in senior living and long-term care leadership across the US & UK. When occupancy rises, the bottleneck isn’t leads—it’s leadership capacity. Here’s how we help:

1) Sector-specialist executive search

• C-suite and functional heads: COO / Chief Clinical & Wellness / Chief People / Chief Growth (Sales & Marketing)

• Multi-site leadership: SVP/VP Ops, Regional Ops Directors

• Community leadership: Executive Directors, Resident Experience/Hospitality, Clinical leaders

2) Role design & success profiles

• Clarify mission, scope, KPIs, and 90-day outcomes before the search starts.

• Build structured interview scorecards aligned to your operating model.

3) Data-led market mapping & benchmarking

• Rapid competitor/talent maps, compensation intel (base/bonus/LTI), and availability signals.

• Diversity-first slates and transparent pipeline reporting.

4) Shortlist speed with quality control

• Targeted headhunting (not job-board fishing).

• Evidence-based assessment: work samples, scenario interviews, and calibrated referencing.

5) Interim & transformation talent

• Pre-vetted interim executives for stabilisation, turnarounds, and project leadership.

6) Onboarding & integration

• 30/60/90 day plans, stakeholder alignment, and early-warning KPI checks to secure traction.

7) Discreet, cross-border delivery

• One partner covering US & UK operators, REITs, and PE-backed platforms—confidentially.

For a deeper conversation, get in touch today