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Writer's pictureCaitlin DeWilde, DVM

Finish the Job

Updated: Jul 11

Veterinary practices need a well-executed digital identity to attract potential employees and ease the application process.


Today's Veterinary Business | https://todaysveterinarybusiness.com/


Finding the right employee is a top priority when a veterinary practice is fully booked but minimally staffed. While there’s no surefire solution, practices cannot deny that digital channels are crucial to the recruitment process. Consider this statistic: 48% of the millennial and Generation Z population with work experience applied to jobs they found on social media. Furthermore, according to CareerArc, Black and Hispanic Americans with work experience “are more likely than their white counterparts to say they’ve used social media to apply to job opportunities.” All that suggests that social media is how practices can find candidates faster and tap into a more diverse talent pool.


So, where should a practice owner or manager begin? Veterinary hospitals looking to hire effectively must cast a wide online net, establish an attractive brand, and create compelling job posts that resonate with the digital-first generation. After all, our online presence is often the first impression. And as we all know, first impressions count.


Build a Foundation

Think about your last online purchase. You searched for a newly released product, then likely read all the pertinent details, looked at the photos or video presentation, and read the reviews. Finding a job today is no different. Applicants expect to read and see what the job is like. Given staffing shortages and, in some cases, highly competitive wages, practices have no choice but to build an online foundation that appeals to pet owners and potential employees.

In addition to regularly scheduled pet-owner programming, post social media content that showcases your practice’s culture and team members. For example:


PRACTICE CULTURE

  • Team-building events

  • Community outreach and sponsorships

  • Stories or captioned photos that demonstrate the hospital’s core values

  • Team meetings and celebrations

  • Video tour


TEAM MEMBERS

  • Individual bios

  • Candid work photos

  • Personal and professional achievements

  • Work-a-versaries

  • Day-in-the-life stories


Try Testimonials

While many of us are adept at responding to client reviews, don’t forget that current and previous employees can visit websites like indeed.com and glassdoor.com to discuss their work experience. I recommend that practices claim their business accounts on both sites and populate them with the best information possible. Inviting current team members (and past employees who left on good terms) to leave feedback can help bolster a practice’s online reputation with potential job applicants. Some data suggests that more than 80% of job seekers look at employer reviews. Even if you don’t go that route, consider collecting testimonials from past and present employees to use in a job ad or on your careers page.


The Job Listing


In today’s ultra-competitive market, a generic post listing a position’s qualifications and duties won’t cut it. Your job listing should read more like a story of what your clinic is about, what a desirable team member would and could do, and why a person has a bright future in your practice. Of course, include key benefits — salary, 401(k), and health insurance, for example — and state-mandated information. However, save the nitty-gritty details for the interview process. If you’re stuck, talk to your team members about what appeals to them, or turn to ChatGPT for inspiration. (If you need help with that, see my recent story at bit.ly/ChatGPT-TVB.)


Accessible Applications

I’ve always closed a job listing by encouraging applicants to email a resume to our practice. However, a conversation with a practice management expert shifted my thinking. She thinks resumes are a barrier for some potential employees, raising these questions:

  • Do all job positions require someone to create and submit a resume?

  • If someone isn’t actively job hunting, do they have an updated resume at their fingertips?

You can ask for typical resume information in an online form (via your website or with free tools like Jotform or Google Forms). An online form makes applying for or expressing interest in a job quick and easy.


Digital methods don’t compromise quality. I still conduct working interviews comprising written and verbal tasks. The hands-on approach extracts the requisite information and provides a tangible assessment of a candidate’s communication skills.


By embracing change, we keep pace with the world’s digital transformation, eliminating unnecessary obstacles and ensuring our application processes are as efficient and inclusive as possible.


Get Graphic

Once you complete the job listing, don’t simply share a link or a text-only post on social media. Like most social media content, your listing needs a graphic or photo to capture and keep a visitor’s attention. Try showing your team at work or adding an infographic of the job’s top perks. canva.com and an iPhone are all you need to make your next post stand out.


Link It or Lose It

While sharing online links can help get the word out, they aren’t enough without a call to action. Make sure your job posts include a clickable link to the application or your practice’s careers page. Otherwise, you’re asking someone who might not be actively looking for a job to stop scrolling on the social media platform, open a browser, search for your website, find the job listing (if it’s even there), and apply.

Depending on where the listing lives online, share a clickable link from:


Your website’s careers page

  • The indeed.com job listing

  • The online application form


Where to List It

Advertising an open position is like managing a complicated disease. Multimodal therapy is required. Once you post a job, ask team members to share it through their personal and professional networks. My recommended outlets are:

  • Social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

  • Veterinary job boards: AVMA Veterinary Career Center, state VMAs, local veterinary association, niche veterinary groups, veterinary Facebook groups

  • Professional networks: Veterinary technician schools, veterinary medicine colleges, alumni groups


Final Tips

Once a job post goes live, monitor it regularly for applicants, engagement and sharing. If you don’t see much activity, it’s time to revamp. At this point, consider a rewrite or different graphics and formats. See what resonates with your audience. And don’t give up — a single post is likely inadequate. Instead, keep a monthly marketing calendar to ensure your listings remain fresh and easily accessible.

Happy hiring!



“WE’RE HIRING!”

Create a careers page on your practice’s website that links to open positions. Also, include an online form where potential candidates can show interest and list their qualifications even if a job isn’t open. After all, you never know when you will need a new employee. Collecting leads will save you time and energy.

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