How to hire a residential director

How to hire a residential director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step residential director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a residential director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new residential director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the residential director you need to hire. Certain residential director roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A residential director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, residential directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of residential directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Residential Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Residential Director		$17-37
   Community Advisor	The duties of a community advisor depend on their line of work or place of employment. In universities, a community advisor plays a vital role in helping residing students attain a positive learning and living environment... Show more	$18-52
   Resident Advisor	A resident advisor is responsible for protecting the residents' welfare by promoting healthy leadership and community coordination. Resident advisors' duties include conducting scheduled lifestyle counseling, evaluating opportunities for each resident, resolving conflicts between residents calmly, planning community programs, and encourage everyone's participation... Show more	$7-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Oversight
   • Mental Health
   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Clinical Supervision
   • Behavioral Issues
   • Residential Treatment Facility
   • Direct Supervision
   • Residential Program
   • Group Homes
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Substance Abuse
   • Staff Training
   • CPR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a residential facility for adolescents with severe autism and psychiatric conditions.
   • Plan community outings, provide transportation to doctors appointments and help individuals meet personal and ISP goals.
   • Implement and perform one on one individually and/or as a group with clients and staff concluding ISP and ensuring ISP compliance.
   • Work to ensure resident safety, rehabilitation and reintegration into the community by enforcing resident accountability.
   • Monitor homes for compliance with DDS regulations and HSO standards.
   • Maintain professional relationships with DDS, parents, and other stakeholders.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your residential director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A residential director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, residential directors' average salary in oklahoma is 47% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level residential directors earn 54% less than senior-level residential directors.
   • Certifications. A residential director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a residential director's salary.

   Average residential director salary

   $53,386yearly

   $25.67 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level residential director salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a residential director job description

   A good residential director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a residential director job description:

   Residential director job description example

   It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
   
   We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business. See below job description:
   Job Specific Information:
   The Time-Type:
   Full time
   Job Description:
   • Responsible for major clinical and administrative responsibilities delegated by the VP of Operations as it pertains to behavioral, emotional, and medical issues associated with individuals with developmental disabilities/mental illness.• Responsible for the overall financial stability of assigned programs. Regularly review, analyze and make adjustments as needed for program sustainability.• Develops, plans, organizes, implements, and coordinates operations in a manner that promotes growth and achievement for individuals supported, staff, agency, community, and all other stakeholders.• Work with Quality Assurance Department to ensure the quality of programs, regulatory compliance, complaint resolution and use of best practices.• Develop and present training related to residential services and operations, ensuring staff meet regulatory training timeframes.• Maintain positive working relationships within the communities served, including individuals, families, staff, monitoring and licensing agencies, organizations, funders, funding sources and other stakeholders.• Report and share information with the Chief Operations Officer to ensure he/she is kept fully informed on the condition of the organization and important factors influencing it. Prepare high quality written reports which succinctly identify organizational outcomes.• Sets quantifiable goals, monitors work output, and evaluates results to ensure that departmental and organizational objective and operating requirements are met and are in line with the needs and mission of the organization.• Maintain trainings as required and requested• Demonstrate knowledge of emergency procedures and assist in crisis situations• Demonstrate knowledge of and comply with all agency policies and procedures• Complete all other relevant responsibilities assigned by the supervisor• Driving and travel may be required
   Education:
   Bachelors: Human Services (Required)
   Certifications:
   North Carolina Driver License (Valid) - NC Division of Motor Vehicles
   Experience:
   Developmental and Intellectual Disability Experience, Experience working in a residential environment
   Qualifications:
   1055995, Bachelors - Human Services, Developmental and Intellectual Disability Experience, Experience working in a residential environment, North Carolina Driver License (Valid) - NC Division of Motor Vehicles
   Skills:
   Ability to make independent decisions., Communicate, resolve issues effectively, Demonstrated ability to work with highly sensitive and confidential information and materials, Must have proficient interpersonal skills, Strong analytical skills, business acumen, communication, consultation, and integrity., Strong interpersonal, organizational, analytical, and communication skills,
   Understand/communicate
   sensitive subjects clearly

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find residential directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any residential directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level residential directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your residential director job on Zippia to find and recruit residential director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit residential directors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new residential director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the residential director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new residential director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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