Finding exceptional leaders has never been easy for community health centers and today more than ever, it’s one of the greatest challenges hiring managers face in building strong organizations.
Workforce shortages, increased competition for experienced executives, and growing operational complexity have made recruiting leaders for Community Health Centers and other safety-net providers more difficult than ever. Most executive searches begin the same way: a job description is posted, recruiters screen resumes, and candidates are evaluated based on years of healthcare experience and an extensive list of qualifications.
It’s an efficient approach, but it’s also one that can cause organizations to overlook remarkable talent. The traditional approach emphasizes candidates who check every box in a structured process, but it overlooks candidates with strong potential who are ready to grow.
Years ago, while serving as CEO of a small rural health center, I needed to hire a Chief Financial Officer.
Like many health centers, we wanted someone who could step into a complex role with confidence. Conventional wisdom suggested we should focus on candidates with years of health center finance experience.
Instead, one resume caught my attention for a different reason.
James was a recent business graduate whose finance experience came from a veterinary practice. He had no healthcare background–at least not the human kind. No FQHC experience. No long list of executive accomplishments. Still, something spoke to me about his application. I have always supported and encouraged young people and how important it is to give them opportunities. So, I chose to interview him. Experience matters, but it isn’t the only predictor of success. My primary goal in filling this role was to find someone with not only technical skills but also a willingness to grow with the health center and to fit in with the rest of the team.
I wanted to meet the person behind the resume.
While technical expertise was important, my biggest priority wasn’t finding someone who already knew everything. I knew I was looking for someone:
Rather than relying solely on a traditional hiring process, I invited our outside auditor to participate in the interview. The auditor could act as an outside expert to evaluate James’ financial knowledge while I focused on something equally important: his mindset.
The conversation quickly confirmed what his resume couldn’t.
James openly acknowledged what he didn’t know. He asked thoughtful questions. He demonstrated genuine curiosity. I was most impressed with his eagerness, his passion for learning and hard work, and his humbleness, acknowledging he had no health center experience, but he would work hard.
The auditor confirmed he possessed the technical foundation we needed, but the interview confirmed everything else.
Hiring James was only the beginning. Like every emerging leader, he needed opportunities to learn, practice, and evolve. I decided I had an amazing opportunity to help to develop this young person and allow him to grow with the organization. I provided multiple opportunities for an abundance of training, conferences, networking and education specific to health center finance and operations. I provided educational and mentoring opportunities with a contracted consultant and allowed James the independence to develop the role with understanding the needs of the organization. In addition, he was in the middle of obtaining his MBA and I provided some financial assistance for him to complete his degree.
None of these investments produced overnight results.
Together, however, they transformed a talented young professional into an exceptional healthcare executive.
As James’ confidence grew, so did his impact.
He developed sophisticated financial reporting tools that strengthened board decision-making. He became a trusted strategic advisor to our leadership team. He identified creative financial solutions that supported organizational growth and helped expand services into new communities.
Eventually, other health centers began seeking his expertise for financial consulting, grant development, federal grants management, and corporate compliance.
Watching that transformation remains one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
Healthcare organizations often focus on filling today’s vacancy.
Great leaders think about building tomorrow’s leadership team.
The investment we made in James paid dividends far beyond a single position. His leadership helped strengthen our organization, support expansion, improve financial performance, and increase our ability to serve patients.
Just as importantly, it reinforced a culture that valued compassion, learning, mentorship, and continuous growth.
That’s the power of growing your own leaders.
Healthcare workforce shortages aren’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Competition for experienced executives will remain fierce, particularly among safety-net providers and community health centers.
Often leaders feel they are competing over the same select few qualified candidates when they could be expanding their criteria to focus on growth mindset and culture fit over technical skills alone. When recruiting your next executive or leadership team member, consider looking beyond the number of years on their resume.
Consider asking questions like:
Technical skills can often be taught, but character, integrity, resilience, and commitment are much harder to develop.
At THRIVE, our approach to all areas of consulting involves helping leaders think beyond immediate results and focus on long-term outcomes. The same principle applies to hiring. Developing future healthcare leaders requires intentional effort and long-term vision.
It means dedicating time to mentorship, supporting continuing education, investing in professional development, and trusting promising individuals with meaningful responsibility.
For many organizations, those investments can feel difficult amid today’s operational pressures.
Yet they’re often among the highest-return investments a health center can make.
At THRIVE, we believe sustainable healthcare leadership isn’t simply found. It CAN be developed. We partner with safety-net providers to strengthen leadership teams, build workforce capacity, and create organizational strategies that support long-term success.
Because when you invest in people, you’re investing in the future of your organization, and the communities you serve.
Quick Takeaways:
THRIVE partners with community health centers and safety-net providers to build resilient leadership teams, strengthen workforce development strategies, and prepare organizations for sustainable growth.
