Hiring Your Next Veterinarian – Experienced Vet Or Fresh Graduate
It’s time again for you to add a new Veterinarian to join your team. Whether you are experiencing growth and need to ease the workload on your current Veterinarians, or you are looking to replace a colleague who is moving on, how to hire a Vet can be a challenge…
Before you post that Vet Job you need make some decisions about what it is you are looking for in an ideal Veterinarian. Are you looking for a seasoned Vet or are you open to a new graduate? Do you want them to have skills to expand your current services? Would you like them to take on a mentor role for your other Vets or Vet Nurses? Asking questions like this will help you pin down the best candidate to target when you are ready to offer a job to a Vet.
There are advantages and disadvantages when deciding between hiring a new Vet versus a seasoned Veterinarian. The obvious reasons you would want to hire an experienced Vet is due to their knowledge. You can unleash them in your clinic with minimal training on how your office operates. Your nurses can help them with paperwork and treatment protocols, while they focus on medicine. Experienced veterinarians can also expand your service offerings. If they have knowledge and a passion for ultrasound or for reptiles, birds, and or pocket pets, you can open your doors to those pets. Bringing in such new clients can really boost your bottom line.
Of course, while there are good reasons to hire an experienced Veterinarian when considering how to hire a Vet, there are also some challenges to consider. The first, and most obvious is pay. Veterinarians who have been practicing for years want and should be paid for their knowledge and skills. The second struggle you may face by hiring a Veterinarian who has been practicing for years, is the bad habits they bring with them. You may find that many Veterinarians do things their way, because it has always worked for them. At the same time, your clinic may have policies and rules that are based on the latest studies and industry standards. Your new hire must be willing to adapt to your rules. These struggles can make hiring a Vet much more complicated than it needs to be.
On the other hand, hiring a new Graduate Vet may be a great way to get some new blood into your clinic. New Graduate Vets are excited about their first jobs. They are motivated and eager to perform well. They often volunteer for extra shifts, enjoy working with nurses, and want to grow in their careers. If you can mentor them, they can be the perfect solution for filling that Vet job. Your team will need to be able monitor and provide help as the acclimate. You may also run into issues with their ability to manage nurses. A little careful planning can go a long way towards onboarding your new Graduate Vet.
Hiring a Veterinarian doesn’t have to be a big ordeal. First look at your clinic and what its needs are. If you have the energy and time to bring in a fresh Vet, then go for it, but you also need to understand that onboarding them is crucial but time-eating task. If you need a seasoned clinician, then be prepared to manage through any bad habits they may bring. Either way, you are going to bring in a key member to your team. Planning for that transition will make the hire a successful one for everyone.
Here at Vet & Pet Jobs, our complete listing of Vet jobs, Vet Nurse jobs, Vet Practice Manager jobs and Vet Locums jobs in Australia make the process of job hunting fast and easy. Before you know it you’ll be starting a new job in an exciting Vet Hospital or Vet Clinic, and it all starts with a click.
And for Vet Hospitals and Vet Clinics, post your Ad for Vet Jobs, Vet Nurse Jobs, Practice Managers, Pet Retail and more. Find quality candidates and grow your professional team. Register and post your Job Ad today.
