Hiring Smart: A Veterinary Practice Guide to Building Stronger Teams

Hiring Smart: A Veterinary Practice Guide to Building Stronger Teams

Guest Blog by Stacy Pursell, CPC/CERS of The VET Recruiter

Hiring the right person for your Veterinary practice is one of the most consequential decisions you can make. A poor hire can cost far more than just money. It can erode morale, disrupt efficiency, and even impact the quality of patient care.

After close to three decades helping practices build stronger teams, I’ve seen both the successes and the pitfalls that come with recruiting. Before posting a job ad or scheduling interviews, it’s important to take a deliberate, step-by-step approach.

#1—Clarify the Need

The first step is to identify exactly what your practice needs. Too often, clinics rush to hire because a position is vacant or the team feels overextended, but the role itself isn’t well defined. Take the time to outline the specific responsibilities, clinical or otherwise, that this new person will take on. Just as important, establish what success will look like six months or a year into the role.

It’s also critical to consider culture and team fit. Skills can often be taught, but values, attitudes, and working styles are more ingrained. Think about what kind of person thrives in your environment. Does your practice move quickly and require adaptability? Or is it a place where detail-oriented independence is key? These considerations can prevent misalignment that leads to turnover.

#2—Audit Your Internal Resources

Next, take an honest look at your resources and any barriers you face. Compensation is one of the most obvious, and it must be competitive with what the market is offering. Salary, benefits, and scheduling flexibility are major deciding factors in today’s Veterinary job market. At the same time, examine your current team structure. Sometimes what feels like a hiring gap is really a workflow issue or a shortage of support staff rather than veterinarians.

Another key area to assess is your onboarding and retention strategy. Hiring is only the beginning; you need to be ready to integrate a new team member smoothly. That means creating a structured onboarding plan and thinking about how to keep the person motivated and engaged for the long term.

#3—Perform Market Research

Understanding the candidate landscape is essential. What does availability look like in your area? Is relocation a realistic possibility for the kinds of professionals you hope to attract? Knowing this allows you to set practical expectations for how long the search will take.

You will also want to research what competing veterinary practices are offering in terms of salary, bonuses, and benefits. Right now, candidates place a high value on continuing education, paid time off, and work-life balance, so keeping your package competitive is important. It’s also wise to stay alert to broader industry trends. For example, rural clinics often face steeper hiring challenges, and evolving expectations around flexibility and wellness continue to influence candidate decisions.

#4—Build a Strong Candidate Profile

Once you’ve assessed your needs and the market, develop a clear picture of your ideal candidate. Separate the non-negotiables, such as licensing and critical clinical skills, from the qualities that are nice to have but not essential. This prevents you from unnecessarily narrowing the field.

Equally important is considering soft skills. Communication, empathy, and teamwork are critical in Veterinary practice, often as important as technical ability. A strong candidate should align with the values of your practice and contribute positively to the workplace culture.

#5—Develop a Clear Hiring Process

A thoughtful hiring process makes all the difference. Decide in advance how many interview stages you’ll conduct, who will participate, and what kinds of questions will be asked. Behavioral and situational questions often reveal much more about how someone will perform in real-world scenarios than traditional inquiries about experience.

Consider whether skills assessments or trial shifts could help you evaluate candidates more thoroughly. Above all, set clear decision-making criteria and a timeline for the process. Having structure keeps everyone aligned and prevents unnecessary delays.

#6—Source Strategically

When it’s time to find candidates, use multiple avenues rather than relying on a single job board. Specialized Veterinary boards, professional networks, social media, and veterinary specific recruiting firms can provide strong leads. Some of the best candidates are passive ones, people not actively searching but open to the right opportunity if approached. Typically about 70% of the job market consists of passive candidates

As you source, remember that you are selling your veterinary practice as much as candidates are selling themselves. Why should someone choose to work with you rather than another clinic? Highlight your culture, mentorship opportunities, flexible scheduling, or any unique benefits you provide. Consistent communication and professionalism throughout the process will enhance your reputation and attract stronger applicants.

#7—Evaluate and Select Carefully

When candidates are in front of you, compare them consistently against the benchmarks you established earlier. Having objective criteria makes the process fairer and more reliable. Involving your team in evaluations can provide valuable perspectives, since they will be working closely with the new hire.

Don’t skip reference and background checks, either. They can provide critical insights into a candidate’s reliability, teamwork, and performance history, as well as confirm credentials and licensing.

#8—Make an Offer and Plan Onboarding

Once you have identified the right candidate, make a competitive and transparent offer. Put everything in writing, from salary and schedule to bonuses, benefits, and expectations. Ambiguity at this stage can create misunderstandings later.

Onboarding should be intentional and structured. Plan for orientation, training, and a gradual introduction to both workflows and culture. Assigning a mentor or go-to person can help the new hire feel supported. Schedule regular check-ins at 30 days, 90 days, and six months to assess progress, address challenges, and ensure that both sides feel confident in the fit.

#9—Reflect and Improve

Finally, once the hiring process is complete, take time to evaluate how it went. Did your timeline hold? Were there bottlenecks in sourcing or interviewing? Is the new hire meeting the goals you originally set out? Reflecting on these questions allows you to refine your process and make it even more effective for future hires.

Hiring is an Investment . . . and an Opportunity

Hiring in Veterinary medicine is a challenge, but it’s also an opportunity. With a clear process and intentional steps, you can do more than just fill an empty position. You can find someone who thrives, strengthens your team, and elevates patient care.

What you invest now pays dividends later in morale, retention, and client satisfaction. If you want guidance on refining your process, benchmarking compensation, or reaching passive candidates, those are areas where I work with practices every day. Your next hire could be the difference-maker your team has been waiting for.

If your Veterinary practice is preparing to hire, don’t go it alone. The VET Recruiter specializes in connecting practices with top talent in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. Contact us today to learn how we can help you find the right people to grow your team!