When a medium-sized senior living operator approached Oaklake Search, they were facing a difficult challenge — one that required discretion, speed, and a highly targeted approach.

Their Executive Director (ED) was underperforming. Occupancy rates were slipping, staff retention was declining, and the warning signs were becoming impossible to ignore. Yet, the organisation hesitated to make a change. The ED was still in post, and the rural location of the community meant leadership talent could be hard to attract through traditional recruitment methods. Advertising publicly was not an option — confidentiality was critical.

The Challenge:

• Underperformance at leadership level – declining occupancy, staff turnover, and poor operational metrics.
• Rural location – significantly limiting candidate pool.
• Need for confidentiality – preventing public advertising and standard in-house recruitment approaches.

Our Approach:

Oaklake Search deployed a subtle, highly targeted executive search strategy tailored to the senior living sector. Leveraging our deep network and sector-specific market intelligence, we identified and engaged potential candidates discreetly. Every conversation was handled with the utmost care to protect the client’s confidentiality and ensure the integrity of the process.

Within just four weeks, we:

• Conducted a thorough search and selection process across both active and passive talent pools.
• Assessed and shortlisted only candidates with the proven ability to drive occupancy, improve culture, and strengthen operations.
• Presented a shortlist of exceptional leaders, each capable of stepping into the role seamlessly.

The Outcome:

The strength of the candidate shortlist exceeded expectations. Not only did the client successfully appoint an outstanding Executive Director, but they also took the opportunity to hire a new Regional Director of Operations from the same talent pool.

The impact was immediate:

• Leadership upgrade – enabling decisive action to address underperformance.
• Strategic recruitment efficiency – two critical roles filled from one search process.
• Preserved confidentiality – no public disruption to the community or its team.

Why It Worked:

This success was the result of:

• Sector expertise – we understand the leadership demands of senior living.
• Precision targeting – engaging the right people, in the right way, at the right time.
• Speed and efficiency – from brief to appointment in under four weeks.

At Oaklake Search, we specialise in delivering senior living leadership talent — often in situations where confidentiality and speed are non-negotiable. Whether replacing underperforming leaders, filling hard-to-reach rural roles, or strengthening your regional management structure, we bring the network, insight, and discretion to make it happen.

If you need a trusted search partner who can deliver exceptional results without the risks of public recruitment, we’d be happy to help.