4 Out-of-the-Box Ideas for Recruiting Outside the Veterinary Industry
It’s no secret that recruiting for the veterinary industry is a time-consuming and downright frustrating process. Add in the growing staffing shortage, and finding talented, enthusiastic ‘A-players’ for your practice can seem next to impossible. When you’ve exhausted all of your other avenues, like placing ads and using job sites, it may be time to start looking elsewhere. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few suggestions for some creative, out-of-the-box ways to locate some hidden gems for your veterinary team.
Medical Offices – Obviously, you won’t be able to find a DVM or skilled vet tech here, but admin experience in the medical industry can easily translate to the veterinary field. Think about local doctors, dentists, chiropractors and any other health care professional in your area. Those working the front desk or handling client service duties might make an excellent addition to your team. And as a bonus, their background will make onboarding them to your team much quicker and easier.
Pet-Friendly Networks – One of the most important soft skills for an employee in a vet clinic is, of course, a love of animals. You can find entire networks of individuals who already meet this prerequisite by tapping into online apps and platforms, like rover.com and care.com. These resources match pet owners with those providing certain animal-related services, like pet sitting and dog walking. What’s more, most of these networks also feature a rating system, so you should be able to identify top candidates right off the bat.
Where Pet-Lovers Spend Time – In addition to those already working with pets as a profession, you may be able to locate some great candidates for non-clinical roles in your practice by simply posting your job listings at places where pet lovers tend to frequent. Think locales like the dog park, grooming salon, pet supply store, pet-friendly restaurants, etc. Again, this will provide you access to a network of candidates who are already possess some of the soft skills you are looking for.
Anywhere You’ve Received Wow-Worthy Service – Last, but certainly not least, keep your eye out for everyday encounters that you have with individuals who have gone above and beyond to deliver exceptional customer service. If you are filling a role that isn’t technical, like the front desk or client liaison, any person who is innately skilled at wowing customers would make a tremendous addition to your team.
There are a number of different ways to reach people through these various avenues. One great suggestion is to make up some one-page fliers that showcase what an awesome place your practice is to work. Make it compelling and exciting, but be careful to skip the industry jargon, as in this case, you will likely be targeting candidates who may not have a background in veterinary care.
Hang these flyers up (or share them electronically) wherever you think they’ll reach your ideal audience, like the suggestions listed above. And keep a few fliers with you wherever you go, in your vehicle or on your person. That way, whenever you encounter someone who you feel might be a good fit for your team, you will always have a pitch ready to give to them.
At the end of the day, the most impactful teams are those who are diverse. By expanding your horizons and seeking potential employees outside the traditional channels, you’ll be able to assemble a much more diversified and therefore more valuable team to help drive your practice’s success.
And, of course, if you’ve tried all of these things and you’re still coming up empty (or you simply don’t have the time to invest in recruiting for your practice), we’re here to help. Contact Dream Team Elite today and let us help you build a rock star team for your clinic!
