Recruiting a Great Registered Manager Starts with Asking the Right Questions

Every outstanding care service has one thing in common. Strong leadership.

While policies, procedures and systems all play an important role, it’s the Registered Manager who brings them to life. They set expectations, build culture, support their teams and ultimately influence the quality of care experienced by every person using the service.

Choosing the right Registered Manager is one of the most important recruitment decisions any provider will make.

Leadership is about more than compliance

A Registered Manager wears many hats. They must understand regulation, manage budgets, support staff, maintain quality standards, respond to inspections and build positive relationships with people using the service, their families and external professionals. But technical knowledge alone isn’t enough. The very best Registered Managers inspire confidence. They lead by example. They create positive workplace cultures where people feel valued, supported and motivated to deliver outstanding care.

Recruiting for the future

When interviewing for a Registered Manager position, it’s easy to focus on previous job titles or inspection ratings. Those things matter.

However, equally important is understanding how a candidate thinks, leads and responds when things don’t go to plan.

• Can they inspire a struggling team?
• How do they deal with poor performance?
• How do they balance commercial pressures with delivering person-centred care?
• How do they respond following a complaint or safeguarding concern?

The answers often tell you far more than a CV ever could.

Great managers build great teams

One of the biggest responsibilities of any Registered Manager is creating an environment where people want to work. High staff turnover affects continuity of care, increases recruitment costs and places additional pressure on existing teams. Strong leaders understand that recruitment is only the beginning.

Retention, engagement, recognition and staff wellbeing are equally important. When interviewing candidates, consider exploring how they:

• Build positive workplace cultures.
• Support employee wellbeing.
• Develop future leaders.
• Recognise great performance.
• Handle difficult conversations.
• Improve staff retention.

Leadership is measured just as much by how people feel working for you as it is by operational performance.

Looking beyond the inspection

CQC ratings matter. Inspection outcomes matter. But they shouldn’t be the only measure of a successful Registered Manager. Ask candidates how they would:

• Prepare for an inspection without creating unnecessary pressure.
• Maintain quality between inspections.
• Use audits to drive improvement.
• Learn from complaints and feedback.
• Encourage openness and continuous learning.

The strongest leaders don’t perform well only when inspectors arrive. They build quality into everyday practice.

Consistency leads to better decisions

Interviewing senior leaders often involves several stakeholders, each bringing different priorities and perspectives. Using a structured interview template helps ensure every candidate is assessed against the same criteria, making recruitment decisions more consistent, transparent and objective.

It also provides a valuable record of the interview process and encourages discussion based on evidence rather than first impressions.

Download your free Registered Manager Interview Questions Template

To support providers in recruiting exceptional leaders, we’ve created a free Daily Round Registered Manager Interview Questions Template.

The template includes structured questions covering:

• Leadership and management.
• Regulatory compliance and governance.
• Quality and safe care.
• Workforce development and retention.
• Operational excellence.
• Values and commitment.

There’s also space to capture key observations, score responses, identify strengths, note development areas and record your overall recommendation.

Whether you’re recruiting for a residential care home, supported living service, domiciliary care agency or another regulated service, the template has been designed to help you make informed recruitment decisions with confidence.

The Daily Round takeaway

A Registered Manager influences far more than day-to-day operations.

• They shape culture.
• They build teams.
• They develop future leaders.
• They create environments where people feel safe, supported and respected.

Finding the right person isn’t simply about choosing the candidate with the most experience. It’s about identifying the individual who will inspire others, drive continuous improvement and lead your service with integrity.

Ready to get your Tender Registered Manager Interview Questions template? Simply scroll to the top of the page and complete the form with your details to unlock your free download.