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Wendy Hauser, DVM and founder of Peak Veterinary Consulting, provides perspective and potential solutions to the challenges of retention and talent shortages many veterinary hospitals are experiencing.
Private practice is often a stagnant career path . . . where, as tenure advances the perception that individual’s efforts make a difference decrease, job satisfaction declines and turnover potential increases.” – Wendy Hauser, DVM
In the article, Connecting the Dots of Employee Retention: How to Create “Sticky” Hospitals for Veterinary Teams, Hauser relates components of healthy, sticky workplaces that support retention:
- Psychological safety
- Autonomy
- Creating, sustaining, and supporting a learning culture
- Tiered position designations that support advancement before tenure
Source: ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance digital library, September 1, 2022. Link. When each position within a hospital, from kennel attendant through veterinarian, has tiered systems in place, outcomes such as workplace engagement, improved job satisfaction, level of trust in hospital leadership and individual investment in hospital success are increased. Each employee has the autonomy to manage their career and the choice to either pursue new levels or not.
Longevity is no longer the <primary> criteria for higher salaries; hospital leadership can recruit new talent and place them in the appropriate tier level based on the skills of the applicant, with proper, defined compensation.
INSIGHTS: The tier level approach supports the findings from the 2020 Merck sponsored study of career satisfaction we shared in August 2021.
See: The life stages of a veterinarian’s career varies. Link.
Also see: Additional resources are available in the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance digital library. Link.
