5 Ways to Win the Talent War

Despite the fact that the world just navigated through a global pandemic, skilled veterinary staff has never been in such high demand. As a result, today’s top candidates know they hold all the cards and can be as selective as they’d like when choosing where to work. So, how can you make your clinic stand out as the ideal workplace? Let’s explore five simple steps that you can start implementing right away to make your practice as attractive as possible to prospective employees.

Be Flexible

While it’s true that the veterinary industry thrives on consistency and reliability, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer your staff a little bit of leeway. With the option of working from home off the table for most roles, there are still things like flexible schedules and rotating shifts to consider. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was what’s truly most important in life. Show your staff you value their work-life balance by being creative and accommodating with your scheduling.

Be Engaging

The recruiting process is just as much about your candidates evaluating you and your practice as it is about you doing the same. To that end, you want to make as positive and impactful of an impression as possible throughout every step of the process. Keep those lines of communication open and make your candidates aware of what’s going on. Don’t leave them hanging for days or weeks at a time, wondering where things stand. Show them that you’re still interested and be respectful of their time.

Be Welcoming

If a candidate is considering multiple offers that are equal in terms of salary and benefits, what do you think will be their deciding factor on which practice to choose? Chances are, it’ll be the one where he or she feels the most welcome. To put your best foot forward, be sure that your practice culture is healthy. When the candidate arrives for an interview or tour, make sure the rest of the team is friendly and accommodating. Little things like this can go a long way toward bumping your offer to the top of the list.

Be Generous

While we all know that money isn’t everything, it does matter. To ensure that your offer stays in the mix, make sure you are being competitive with your proposed salary. And don’t forget about things like health insurance and other basic benefits. If you are a smaller practice and have a tight budget, consider creative perks, like the flexible schedule option we mentioned above. Be generous with what you offer to your staff and they will pay you back with hard work and loyalty.

Be Willing to Accept Help

Whether you’re simply too busy with all of your other duties to adequately devote time to recruiting, or you’ve been trying your best and are still coming up short, there are other options. For instance, enlisting the help of a professional – particularly one that specializes in staffing for the veterinary industry – can take that burden off your shoulders while ensuring that your team continues to grow and get stronger.

Keeping your practice staffed with highly qualified professionals can be challenging – especially given today’s competitive labor market. The five steps above should help you position your hospital as the destination of choice for eligible applicants.