Ask almost any veterinary practice owner or manager what their biggest challenge is right now, and you’ll likely hear it: “We just can’t find good people.” The shortage of veterinarians, vet nurses, and techs has become the go-to explanation. Industry forums echo with frustration. Jobs sit unfilled for months. Applications are few and far between. And when someone promising does appear, they often vanish just as quickly. The idea that “there’s no one out there” has become a widely accepted truth.
But that truth is incomplete.
While many practices are struggling, others continue to hire well… consistently. They engage with quality applicants, including professionals who weren’t actively looking. And it’s not just luck or geography. These practices operate with a different mindset. They take a whole-of-practice approach to recruitment, one that starts long before a role is even needed or advertised and continues well beyond the contract being signed. They treat recruitment as storytelling – not just what they say, but how they say it, where they say it, and how often. They understand that being a great place to work isn’t enough if no one hears about it in the right way, at the right time.
The encouraging reality is that this approach is entirely within reach. Any practice can shift from reactive hiring to strategic attraction with a fresh mindset, approach and implementation. Great hires don’t just happen… they’re built through consistent actions and intentional moments. The practices that get this right aren’t just filling roles, they’re building a recruitment flywheel for the long haul.
