Outpatient care as a bottleneck - why this search was special

Kontrast Personalberatung GmbH - headhunter for the care industry - has successfully filled the position of head of nursing services (PDL) for outpatient care in a permanent position for a social welfare organization in Hesse. After 75 days, an initial viable shortlist was on the table, and after a total of 120 days the employment contract was signed. A success story from one of the most difficult segments of the care labor market - with a clear message for other providers.

Outpatient care as a bottleneck - why this search was special

Management positions in outpatient care have been among the hardest to fill for years: We are looking for qualified nursing staff with management experience, a high level of professional expertise, organizational talent, personnel management across several tours and a clear understanding of values - in this specific case also with a diaconal profile.

At the same time, municipal services, charities and private providers are vying for a limited number of suitable candidates. Many potential candidates are tied down, overworked - or have long since turned off the traditional search channels. This is exactly where Kontrast Headhunter Pflege's direct search comes in.

75 days to the shortlist - what really happens during this time

The start of the project was clearly structured: First, the requirements profile was sharpened together with Diakonie - professionally, personally and value-oriented. The permanent personnel consultants from Kontrast Personalberatung then began a systematic market analysis and discreet direct approach.

In the first few weeks:

• Relevant regions and potential candidates were identified
• Profiles were checked, preliminary interviews conducted and motivation to change realistically assessed
• only those candidates were brought into the process who were a professional, personal and cultural fit for our diaconal mission

After around 75 days, we had a robust shortlist: a small number of highly suitable individuals with management experience in nursing and genuine motivation for outpatient care in a diaconal context.

120 days until the contract - why client behavior is crucial

Another few weeks passed between the shortlist and the signing of the contract - and it was precisely here that the importance of a professional client became apparent. Diakonie in Hesse:

• organized structured, appreciative job interviews
• presented the working conditions openly, without embellishment
• actively promoted the position, the team and the organization
• made decisions quickly and communicated transparently with the candidates

This "recruiting in the interview" made all the difference: the selected candidate decided not only because of the title and salary, but above all because of the clear values profile, the scope for creativity and the reliable framework conditions.

After a total of 120 days since the start of the project, the new nursing service manager for the outpatient services was able to sign the contract - and Diakonie was able to strengthen its management structure in outpatient care in the long term.

Why there is no alternative to paid direct search in care management

This specific case from our business activities clearly shows that such key positions in nursing care cannot be filled "on the side" via job advertisements or social media. It needs:

• a paid, professional direct search
• a permanent headhunting team with nursing and industry expertise
• a psychologically sound preliminary examination and honest market assessment
• as well as clients who actively support the process

The number of suitable candidates is particularly limited in nursing management. If you want to make serious and sustainable placements here, you need to know the candidate markets, use personal networks and be convincing in interviews - not just search, but really win.

Kontrast Headhunter Pflege: Partner for providers and care managers

Kontrast Personalberatung GmbH Hamburg has been supporting organizations in the care industry for many years - from diaconies and Caritas to municipal providers and established private organizations - in filling nursing service managers, residential area managers and other management positions in inpatient and outpatient care.

A rapidly growing pool of candidates in care management, permanently employed personnel consultants with care management expertise and legally compliant, structured processes (including selection procedures) form the basis for successfully filling even demanding management positions such as this PDL Ambulante Pflege in Hesse.

The current success story shows: When direct search, process quality and a committed client come together, the right manager can be recruited in a reasonable amount of time, even in a bottleneck market such as outpatient care.