4 Key Ways to Select the Ideal Veterinary Practice Associates

When it comes to hiring employees, there are many opinions about the selection process. Some companies make decisions solely based on resume details, while other companies are more focused on team building and filling positions for specific strengths. After some careful analysis, we've put together four key points for selecting the best candidates for your practice.

1. Start by assessing existing team members. If you are buying an existing practice with a full staff, you will have an opportunity to assess its team members before you move forward. While you may be getting an incredible team that has great chemistry already, you may also find that some members of the team are ill-suited to your needs, or do not complement your style. In some cases, it may simply be that the older team members have grown complacent and are not performing to their best ability. You may find that you don't like the way the old team was trained and you would rather start fresh with a team of your own.The most important thing is to learn about the team members before you acting.
2. Focus on personality. Yes, schooling and experience definitely matter when it comes to running your veterinary clinic, but when it comes to day-to-day office life, you need to have a team that meshes well on a personal level. If you don't believe a candidate will have your back during a difficult procedure, or will not be able to work with customers well, then you're better off passing, even if they look great on paper.
3. Know your strengths and weaknesses. One way to begin recruiting new employees is to interview your existing team members and ask them where they feel they need the most help. This will give you a good starting point as to what strengths have been underrepresented in the past. As time goes on, you will need to fill positions sporadically as well. Knowing your personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your team members will help you identify which skill sets you are missing.
4. Consider contractors. If you find yourself in a pinch, it could be time to consider hiring an independent contractor. Independent contractors offer more flexibility during the early days of running your business. It also gives you an opportunity to bring in specialists as needed without permanently expanding your workforce.

With these four tips you can create a well-rounded veterinary team. Start by looking at the team you already have at your fingertips and identifying missing pieces in the puzzle. This will require meeting with your team members individually to learn about them, as well as talking to them about what's missing in the organization. Over time you can modify the composition of your team and bring in contractors as needed to fill gaps.