Veterinary Recruiting Advice from Charlie Brown’s Teacher
Reading Time: 2 minutes
By Robin Brogdon, MA, CEO
“Wah wah, wah wah, wah wah wah wah.”
Want to sound like everyone else? Want to show how boring your veterinary practice is with no clear differentiation? Then make sure your classified ad lists all of your equipment, hours of operation, size of staff, a statement about how family-oriented you are, and what you want in a candidate. Blah blah blah.
If , on the other hand, you want to attract a candidate who is likely to appreciate your approach to clinical care, team wellness, and community support, describe what it’s actually like to work in your practice. Focus on answering these questions:
- Why someone would want to work at your veterinary practice?
- What they can expect to feel like as a member of the team?
- What makes your clinic/hospital unique and special?
Then describe what you like about the community, interests they can explore, and what the region is known for. Give a small taste of how your practice can enhance their life – as a veterinarian and as a human. Then invite them to learn more by reaching out, confidentially and electronically.
Like any other marketing initiative – and recruitment is marketing – it is a process. First, you have to create awareness, then capture attention/pique interest, and motivate some sort of action (call, click, text). Once you’ve made contact, listen more than you speak. Hear what the potential candidate needs to consider your practice a possibility. Then thoughtfully (not all in one conversation), share what your veterinary practice offers that speaks directly to what they’ve just described.
If you can’t easily write an ad like this in one or two easy-to-read, short paragraphs (bullet points are a plus!), perhaps your brand and messaging needs a little refinement. And if you don’t have a recruitment strategy fully mapped out with steps in the process, with specific individuals involved at pivotal moments, and all of the information necessary at your fingertips with the authority to pull the trigger quickly (make an offer), your chances of successfully recruiting valuable team members are slim.
Increase the odds by getting serious – employ a strategic approach and treat recruitment like it’s the lifeblood of your veterinary practice, because it is!
Likeminded veterinary professionals are out there, but they are probably not looking for a job. You have to go seek them out and show them why they should consider your practice. But it has to be compelling, or you run the risk of sounding like you belong in a PeanutsTM TV special.
Need help with this? We’re here! Contact us anytime for a confidential conversation.