In 2020, over 1 million new pets were adopted into families. Even before this, vet practices were struggling to fill in the gaps in their staff because there simply aren’t enough experienced, quality veterinary professionals. Today, that struggle continues as veterinary practices are competing to fill positions and ease the compassion fatigue, depression, and burnout their teams are facing. Unsurprisingly, this means veterinary practices need to work a lot harder to catch the attention (and interest) of quality job applicants. One way practices can do this is by creating a recruiting website that caters to potential new hires.
You Need More Than a Careers Page on Your Website
With so much competition for quality hires, your practice needs every advantage it can get over competing practices in your market. People are looking for so much more than wages and benefits now; they’re looking at your practice culture, and they want a glimpse of what it’s like to work for you.
When veterinary professionals are abundant, a Careers page on your website might be enough, because jobs are more scarce than talent. However, with the hiring environment we actually have in the veterinary industry now, one page won’t be nearly enough to set your practice apart from the competition. If you’re located in a big city, your competition will be fierce. You’ll need to go above and beyond to stand out, and that means having an entire website dedicated to attracting the best talent.
Below, we’ll explore the different things potential new hires are searching for, and then go on to talk about what we recommend for a successful recruiting website.
What are Veterinary Professionals Looking for in an Employer?
Today’s veterinary professionals want a job that is challenging, fulfilling, and supportive of their needs. They’re looking for:
An amazing team/work culture
Culture is a huge draw for new hires. Your recruiting website needs to have one major underlying focus: To make potential new employees fall in love with your culture and the work environment your practice offers. Give people glimpses of your team working together, promote after-work activities, and show how fun and fulfilling it is to work at your practice.
Flexible work-life balance and support
This is a universal aspiration for employees–to be able to balance work and personal life, and avoid burnout. Potential new hires are looking for an employer that offers this, along with support for their mental and physical well-being. Show job searchers that your practice helps team members perform to the best of their ability and rewards hard work, while also giving them the downtime they need to recharge and return to work refreshed and ready to go.
Exceptional benefits
Does your practice offer a competitive salary, retirement planning, health insurance, and PTO? Do you offer training, CE, and support for flexible scheduling? You’ll want to include these things on your recruiting website. Job searchers want honesty and transparency; they’re looking for the right place to work, not just any place.
In addition to the traditional benefits of competitive pay, insurance, etc., you’ll want to draw special attention to any non-traditional, unique benefits your practice offers, and how they help your employees. Do you offer programs that help staff achieve upward mobility in their career? Do you offer student loan forgiveness?
In short, what’s the complete package for working at your practice? Your recruiting website needs to communicate that clearly.
A state-of-the-art workplace that meets their needs
Use your recruiting website to show potential new hires where they’ll be working–what the practice looks like inside and out and how it’s designed, so they can envision themselves in it. Be sure to show off any impressive technology you offer, too. This is a key hiring ingredient for helping people decide where they want to work and getting them interested in browsing the rest of your website.
A team that strives to be the best
Aspiring veterinary staff don’t want to work in a strict corporate environment; they want to have a say in how they practice medicine and provide care for their patients. They want to be in a place that strives to be the best and aligns with their values. Is your practice AAHA accredited? Is it Fear Free Certified, or do you have Fear Free Certified Professionals on your team? These titles demonstrate quality and are a big draw for new hires.
Opportunities to Learn, Grow, and Advance in Their Careers
Today’s new veterinary hires want an open environment that encourages them to ask questions, collaborate, and learn. Do you offer mentorships and continuing education programs? Your recruiting website is the best place to feature them and provide interested parties with the means to apply if they meet qualifications.
Our Recommendations for Attracting Top Talent with Your Recruiting Website
A website dedicated solely to recruiting gives you the space you need to promote your practice, your culture, and the many amazing opportunities you offer. Make your site easy to navigate, with a user journey that leads potential new hires to the information they’re looking for and makes it easy for them to apply.
Here’s what we recommend to make your website a strong tool for recruiting quality applicants:
Strategically-placed links to valuable content
Include links on every page that connect to additional, relevant pages on your recruiting website. Done right, these links can serve as stepping stones that guide people to the information they’re seeking. Lead them around the site while also allowing them to choose their own journey.
Content that’s easy to digest
No one is going to read ALL the content on your recruiting website; they’re going to read what’s most relevant to them. Make sure all the content is organized into digestible sections with concise and descriptive headers. This allows people to skim and more easily find what they’re looking for.
Create a page for each of the most important topics
While you’ll want to customize your site to your unique practice, here’s a basic website page outline we’d recommend for your recruiting website:
- Homepage: The first page most people will land on; should include links to all relevant interior pages and offer a compelling glimpse into your practice culture
- Culture page: A page dedicated entirely to promoting your practice culture
- Our Team page: A team page that features ownership and the people new hires will be interacting with throughout the hiring process
- Benefits page: Promote all the benefits your practice offers. This includes any non-traditional benefits (such as a team gym membership, access to advanced technology, etc.)
- Job Openings page: Include all existing job openings and their descriptions here, along with CTAs that encourage people to apply. Don’t be afraid to include benefits and culture hints on this page, as well.
- Scholarships/externships page: If your practice offers scholarships, internships, and externships, a page that highlights them makes it easy for students and applicants to learn more.
We Can Help You Build a Magnetic Recruiting Website
A top-notch veterinary recruiting website isn’t built in a day. There’s still a lot you need to do to create an unforgettable experience for potential new hires and get applications from the talent you’re looking for. It’s one thing to have all the necessary ingredients, but another to know how to combine and utilize them effectively. Want the details? Get InTouch by calling (800) 493-9003.