by Stacy Pursell, CPC, CERS
The VET Recruiter®
There is much that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed about the current employment marketplace and job market. However, there is also a lot that the pandemic has NOT changed, and this includes for Animal Health companies and Veterinary practices.
In fact, there are two important things that the pandemic has not changed for employers:
- The top job candidates in the marketplace still exist.
- Companies must still do everything they can to be an “employer of choice” and engage these candidates effectively if they want to successfully hire the best candidates.
In a previous article, I pointed out that the pandemic is actually helping to create opportunity in the marketplace for Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. First, pet adoptions are on the rise. This is because people have been staying home more because of the pandemic, and as a result, more of them have been opting for pet ownership for feelings of increased companionship. Second, since people are staying home with their pets more, they’re getting in tune with their animals and their well-being. Consequently, they are committing themselves to taking their pets to the veterinarians for preventative care checkups more often.
So what does all of this mean? It means there is still a demand for veterinarian care in this country, and it appears as though the COVID-19 pandemic is contributing, at least in part, to an increase in that demand.
Animal Health and Veterinary technology trends
Not only is the pandemic contributing to opportunity in the employment marketplace and job market, but it’s also serving as a catalyst for the evolution of both. That’s because it’s accelerating trends that were already underway. One of those trends involve remote working conditions and telemedicine, both of which revolve around technology and technological tools. Veterinarians can now use a video examination to diagnose pets and then prescribe the appropriate medicine. I expect to see more and more of these types of jobs around telemedicine popping up, and it makes perfect sense that they would. The need to hire has not stopped for many employers, but their hiring needs are continuing to evolve and change with the times.
This is one of the main reasons that you MUST be an Animal Health technology or Veterinary technology organization.
In short, the pandemic is placing an emphasis on technology. Organizations are relaying heavily upon technology tools in order to adapt to changing marketplace conditions and continue to survive and thrive under what are sometimes difficult and challenging circumstances. However, there is yet another reason why you must be an Animal Health technology or Veterinary technology organization: because that is how you attract and ultimately hire the top job candidates in the marketplace.
Technology is yet another way that you become an “employer of choice,” and it makes sense. If the pandemic is putting more of an emphasis on technology and is transforming the job market in terms of the opportunities that it creates, then top candidates are going to be drawn more to those employers that are “ahead of the curve” and taking advantage of those opportunities. It all goes back to the old axiom that people want to play for a winner, and yes, that also means that people want to work for a winner. When an Animal Health company or Veterinary practice brands itself as an “employer of choice,” what it is really branding itself as is a winner.
The allure of Animal Health and Veterinary technology
As you probably already know, the Millennial Generation comprises the majority of the United States workforce. Millennials grew up with technology. As a result, they expect technology to be present in their daily lives, both their personal lives and their professional lives. Not only that, but they expect to be living on the “cutting edge” of technology. And the members of Generation Z, the generation after the Millennials, hold these attitudes to an even greater degree!
Below are some of the top reasons that top talent is attracted to Animal Health and Veterinary technology organizations:
#1—Employer branding
We’re already addressed this one. Candidates will see you as a forward-thinking organization and as an “employer of choice.” That’s the ultimate goal of employer branding.
#2—Flexibility
Candidates in today’s marketplace crave flexibility, and they know that an organization steeped in technology might offer more of it. It’s a simple equation in their minds: more technology equals more flexibility.
#3—Productivity
Top candidates want to succeed. That’s part of what makes them top candidates. So it makes sense they will want to succeed wherever they go, and productivity is certainly a leading indicator of success. Candidates want to work for an employer that will provide them will all of the tools, including technology tools, that will help do their jobs better.
#4—Stability
People crave stability in their professional lives, especially during times like these. Top candidates are confident that an “employer of choice” will offer a stable employment situation and working environment.
How do you stack up as an Animal Health technology or Veterinary technology organization? What can you offer to top candidates in the way of technological advantages and benefits related to their professional lives and their careers? If you’re lacking in a certain area, which area is that and what can you do to remedy the situation?
The marketplace isn’t standing still. It’s accelerating rapidly and evolving . . . and so should your organization!
The VET Recruiter, a workplace and workforce expert, has helped Animal Health and Veterinary employers find, recruit, and hire top candidates for nearly 25 years. We can help your organization or practice during these uncertain times so that you can thrive now and in the future.
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.
Copyright © 2020 The VET Recruiter
The VET Recruiter is The Animal Health Executive Search Firm and The Veterinary Recruiting Firm
Stacy Pursell is an Animal Health Executive Recruiter and Veterinary Recruiter and Workplace/Workforce expert for the Animal Health Industry and Veterinary Profession.