When it comes to veterinary recruiting, it’s essential to find stellar candidates with the right skills and qualifications. A successful recruitment process can create a strong team of professionals who fit your culture, support each other, and provide excellent care for your patients. Luckily, there are a few tried-and-true methods anyone can use to ensure they find the best possible candidates for their clinic. Here are just a few veterinary recruitment best practices to keep in mind.

Before you begin the recruitment process, make sure you’ve done your due diligence. Take the time to thoroughly understand your team’s current strengths and any gaps in your daily, weekly, and monthly processes. This will help to reveal exactly who and what you need for reliable, long-term growth. 

There are certain qualities that every veterinary recruiter must have to be successful. First, they need an in-depth (preferably hands-on) knowledge of veterinary medicine. They should also have a solid grasp of all competencies required to be effective in this profession, such as excellent time management, problem solving, and communication skills. Finally, any reputable recruiter is patient, compassionate, and sensitive to potential candidates' needs and concerns.

The first three things potential candidates look at if they’re interested in your position are your website, Google reviews, and social media profiles. Before posting any job opening, always assess your company’s online presence. If it doesn’t reflect your values, mission, and quality of service, then we recommend getting your house in order first. 

We also strongly recommend creating an enticing recruitment video. This is a great way to display your company culture and what your team brings to the table. Consider working with a professional videographer to create something truly impressive that’ll capture any candidate’s attention.

Recruitment formally begins with a job posting that accurately reflects your company’s expectations and employee benefits. Remember to always frame your ads in a positive light. Sell the position by focusing on what your practice has to offer candidates, not what it demands from them. 

Include major requirements such as experience, education, licensure, and/or certifications whenever applicable. Also, make it as easy as possible to reach out by also displaying an email address, phone number, and/or link to an online form or your website’s contact page. 

Once you post any listing, it’s critical to promptly respond to all inquiries about the open position. This will ensure that curious candidates don’t lose interest due to a lack of responsiveness on your end.

Networking is one of the most important recruitment best practices in veterinary medicine. That’s because veterinarians are in short supply, and every veterinary specialty is in high demand. A genuinely positive, organic first impression can often inspire a high-value candidate to choose your practice over a competitor. 

Along with posting job listings, reach out to colleagues and sales representatives who may be able to recommend qualified candidates in your area. Since they’re in and out of hospitals all the time, they might know of a great candidate with experience who’s seeking employment. 

Also, consider attending conferences and meetings where potential applicants may be present. Seek out prominent state and national events hosted by veterinary associations and their partners, as these events are great places for employers to meet face-to-face with candidates. 

By connecting in person, you can easily assess candidates’ character without conducting multiple interviews over several weeks or months. Plus, many recent graduates attend these events for the sole purpose of finding employment opportunities. It’s an ideal way for you to meet candidates where they already are rather than waiting for them to come across your job posting on their own.

When looking for new personnel, don’t forget about hiring from within your organization. Promoting current staff can be beneficial not only because you know who they are and how they work, but also because they’re already familiar with your operation. This can significantly cut down on costs associated with onboarding a brand-new team member.

Offering promotions or providing additional responsibilities can also motivate current staff and improve team morale across the board. However, make sure you’re promoting candidates based on skills and abilities that’ll make them successful in the new position, not just because they’ve been there the longest.

Successful veterinary practices rely on recruitment best practices like these. While this list certainly isn’t exhaustive, it’s a great place to start. If you’re interested in hiring the best veterinary professionals in the country, then we hope you’ll give us a call, send us an email, or contact us online. We’d be honored to sit down together and provide the support you deserve.