The VET Recruiter ® is a full-service Animal Health executive search firm and Veterinary recruitment specialist. We help companies of all sizes throughout the United States locate and hire the best candidates for their specific needs. We partner with companies who have critical needs for veterinarians and other professionals in the Animal Health / Veterinary Industry. We work extensively with pharmaceutical companies, pet food companies, veterinary practice owners and other types of companies in the industry.

A highly-competitive labor market is forcing employers to consider new and creative ways to find qualified candidates. Employers realize that candidates have more choices and that old recruiting methods, such as placing classified ads, are no longer effective.

Also, the candidate that you are looking for is probably not looking for you. The candidate that you want is most likely happily employed and not actively looking for a new position such as yours.

That is where we come in. We seek out the candidates who are qualified for your job opening and make them aware of your opportunity. We save you the time and legwork, freeing up your time to do what you do best, which is probably running your business while you leave the search and recruiting process to the professionals.

Why should you use a recruiter?

Your company should use a recruiter because the best people aren’t looking for a job — they are already working. These are the proven performers who are in the top five or ten percent of their profession. They don’t typically read the “help-wanted” ads, they don’t keep their resumes circulating, and they don’t visit the employment agencies. If you want to hire these people you have to find them, because they aren’t searching for you. Identifying and approaching these hidden prospects is not an easy task, but that’s what trained recruiters do every day. Also, a trained recruiter can help you avoid mistakes in the hiring process by providing an objective analysis of a candidate and can save you time by screening candidates against your requirements. Finally, a recruiter can preserve your anonymity when it is critical to do so.

When does it make sense to use a recruiter?

Using a recruiter is crucial when the position you need to fill is important to your company. A recruiter specializes in finding serious career-minded people, the kind of achievers who aren’t interested in limited or dead-end positions. If the position is relatively unimportant to your company’s future, don’t use a recruiter. Instead, use an employment agency or place your own help-wanted ads.
How is a recruiter different from an employment agency?

The biggest difference is that recruiters work for you. Also, most recruiters specialize in finding people for technical or middle-to-upper management positions.

How much does it cost to use a recruiter?

Most recruiting is performed on a contingency basis, meaning if the recruiter doesn’t complete the assignment, you don’t pay. If you hire one of the recruiter’s candidates, the usual fee is somewhere between 25% and 33% of the new employee’s first-year compensation. The VET Recruiter ® performs searches on a retained and contingency basis and we have a third option- the hybrid which is a hybrid of a retained and contingency search which is popular with some of our clients.

Is it important for recruiters to have experience in your industry?

It is important that recruiters have experience in your industry because they will improve your chance of getting good people with the specific experience you need. They understand the candidates’ language, they’ll understand their accomplishments, they’ll see through their exaggerations, and they will make a better impression on your behalf. Experience within a particular industry also allows recruiters to save time. They more readily understand your job description and what is important to your situation. They will also have a better knowledge of where to start looking or where not to look for qualified candidates.

Should you use more than one recruiter on an assignment?

Generally, it is almost always best to establish a good relationship with your recruiter and use them exclusively on assignments. There are risks associated with using multiple recruiters to fill the same position. Multiple recruiters will eventually cross paths in the search for candidates. When prospective candidates hear about the same job from several recruiters, your company may develop a reputation as a “revolving door”, where turnover is a problem. Your company many become known as one that raids other companies for their personnel. Another risk is that you might scare away candidates. The best people are conscientious and don’t want to take time off to interview for a job that apparently is being offered to many of their peers.