By Stacy Pursell, CPC/CERS
The VET Recruiter®
I certainly don’t have to tell you that we are deep into a worker and talent shortage and that we’re in a candidate-driven market. And I also don’t have to tell you that this shortage is quite possibly even more severe in the Veterinary profession. The Great Resignation, as well as a host of other factors, have contributed to the current conditions that exist in the job market, and to say that those conditions are challenging for employers would be an understatement.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought this would be the appropriate time to address how Animal Health and Veterinary employers can accomplish two things:
- Convince job seekers and candidates that working for them is the next best step in their career trajectory.
- Convince current employees (especially top employees) to stay with their organization.
This is because there is actually two important facets of successful Animal Health and Veterinary hiring. The first facet is the actually hiring of top candidates. The second facet is the retention of those candidates as productive employees for a considerable amount of time. Once again, what good is hiring the best and the brightest in the business if you can’t convince the best and the brightest to stay at your organization for very long?
Wooing candidates during the hiring process
The good news is that you can accomplish both of these goals, although it will require a certain amount of time, energy, and effort on your part. However, consider this an investment in the future of your organization, one that could reap a very sizeable return.
Below are five ways to get candidates to love working for you:
#1—Get to know the candidate (and their possible pain points).
Why possible pain points? Because they may not have made the decision to leave their current employer. So do NOT ask them, “Why do you want to leave your current job?” They might just be exploring opportunities to “see what’s out there.” If that’s the case, then it’s an indication that they’re looking for something more. Ask questions to discover what that “something more” is.
#2—Make the candidate feel genuinely wanted by the organization.
This is something that employers sometimes overlook, especially if they’re dealing with a passive candidate who does not have any clear pain points. Everyone wants to feel as though they are wanted and valued, including within the professional setting. Even small gestures can go a long way within this context.
#3—Set clear expectations.
There are two main things that candidates want to know during the hiring process. The first thing is what, exactly, is going to happen during said process. The more information they have, the more comfortable they will be, and the more comfortable they are, the better you will be able to assess their candidacy for the position.
#4—Communicate and don’t leave the candidates “hanging.”
The second thing that candidates want to know during the hiring process is where they stand during that process. When you leave candidates “hanging,” they often assume the worst, with the worst being that they are no longer being considered the position. Instead, communicate to them the next steps of the process and when those steps will unfold.
#5—Shorten the hiring process and do not drag it out needlessly.
You might have heard the expression, “Time kills all deals.” Well, this also applies to Animal Health and Veterinary hiring. The longer that the hiring process lasts, the more likely it is that candidates will drop out of the process. This is especially the case with top candidates, who may not have severe pain points and are passively exploring opportunities.
Wooing your current employees to retain them
As I mentioned earlier, hiring is just one facet of successful Animal Health and Veterinary hiring. The second facet is the retention of the candidates that you do hire as long-term employees. (Or as long-term as you can possibly make them.)
With that in mind, below are three ways to get current employees to love working for you:
#1—Deliver on everything that you “sold” them on at the beginning.
This falls under the category of “If you talk the talk, then you must walk the walk.” One reason that new hires become disengaged so quickly is because they don’t see things that they were promised once they’re hired. This is a cardinal sin of retention. If you promised something to a top candidate and you hire them, then you must deliver on that promise once they become an employee.
#2—Make sure that they are being adequately compensated.
Wages are increasing throughout the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession, especially in the Veterinary profession. If you’re underpaying your top employees, then it is only a matter of time before they discover this is the case. And once they do, the chances that they’ll leave increase exponentially. It’s far more cost-effective to ensure that your best employees are being compensated for the tremendous value that they bring to the organization.
#3—Show respect, appreciation, and support.
All three of these things are lacking in the workplace and the employment marketplace overall. In fact, there are some professionals who are starving for them and would love to work for an organization that showers them with all three. As you can see, none of these things have to deal directly with money. However, they are extremely important factors for professionals who are exploring employment opportunities, especially top passive candidates who already know they can command the type of salary they want. Instead, they want to know that they are respected as a person, that their work and efforts are valued, and that their employer supports their career goals and plans for the future.
Hiring top talent and then retaining that talent for the long term is not easy in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. Partnering with an experienced and reputable recruiting firm can help you to meet the challenges and overcome the obstacles associated with doing so. The VET Recruiter has nearly 25 years of experience helping employers just like yours.
If you want candidates (and employees) to love working for you, then we encourage you to contact us today!
You can click here to find out more about our services for employers. Click here to learn more about our recruiting process.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.