Career longevity and staff retention

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Julie Innes — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 19:50:31 GMT

[quote user="Jo Dyer"]drives me mad when I hear staff being regarded as a 'cost'. Good ones are an investment for the owner, and will grow your business and reward you in so many ways.[/quote]

I genuinely believe staff are an asset, one that you have invested in. I'm betting my clients are neither up nor down about our new ultrasound scanner, but they like the fact they come in and see faces they know every time. Your staff are the face of your whole business, far more important than premises or equipment to clients. My current staff have mostly been with me for years, and some of my nurses came to me as students originally then came back. All my staff have strengths and weaknesses but I am lucky to have a fab team. I would be upset to lose any of them (although I seem to be losing lots temporarily to have babies!) I miss them, but I have no real issue with their maternity leave as I'm hoping to have them long term.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Jo Dyer — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 19:04:20 GMT

[quote user="GrooveJet"] I have yet to find an employer who sees me as anything other than a necessary expense [/quote]

It drives me mad when I hear staff being regarded as a 'cost'. Good ones are an investment for the owner, and will grow your business and reward you in so many ways.

[quote user="Julie Innes"]I just don't understand why you wouldn't try to see if you could do anything to keep a really good employee.[/quote]

Totally agree Julie. Keeping your staff happy and minimising employee turnover is so important, not least for the boss's sanity!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Julie Innes — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:07:21 GMT

[quote user="GrooveJet"]Julie, can I come work for you please? [/quote]

Groovejet, you sound like a dream employee!! If I was your employer I would treat you very nicely and try never to p*** you off! You don't live in Scotland do you?...

Seriously, though, I have a friend like you. She is an experienced and dedicated RVN, a really hard worker who loves her job. She was with her last practice for 10 years+, then a ssituation arose that upset her (which could easily have been sorted) and she handed in her notice, which they accepted without a word. I just don't understand why you wouldn't try to see if you could do anything to keep a really good employee. Sure, noone is irreplaceable, but it's surely easier(and cheaper!) to work to keep existing staff happy than to have the hassle and expense of training new staff

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Bob Russell — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 15:05:30 GMT

Final stages of changing banks so will be advertising soon (at long last). I do not intend to take a back seat for some years, prefer the consultations to surgery.

Start thinking whether you want to keep on a treadmill or start to build something to be proud of!!

Sorry Arlo, promise I will pay for a proper ad in a week or so!!!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Miriam Lodewyks — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 14:47:28 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]As an employer this is something I care about. I think there is a huge benefit to trying to keep staff in the practice- longstanding staff members who are loyal to the practice are a huge asset.[/quote]

Julie, can I come work for you please?

I see myself as one of the rare really loyal sort of employees, I have no kids, no other commitments, I define myself by what I do for a living. I love my job on the whole and would probably do it for nothing if I didn't have a mortgage, bills, car etc.

But in 20 years as an employee I have yet to find an employer who sees me as anything other than a necessary expense who can be easily replaced should my services no longer be required... or, quite frankly, even if they're just having a bad day! I just can't get my head around the lack of genuine care for the wellbeing of staff in this profession/country...

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

rhmrcvs — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 18:12:36 GMT

[quote user="Steph_13"]

I'm currently in a locum position at a private clinic where the older vet who owns and runs the business does minimal consulting and all of the operations/investigations while the assistants and myself the locum are consulting 8.30-12.30 and 1.3-6.30 which is exhausting and leadinig to very poor job satisfaction. Unsurprisingly this clinic is having serious staff retention and recruiting issues, I am on the count down to the end of my locum stint and have politely declined an offer of permanent employment and the associate is also leaving at the end of the year. All employers whether corporate or private need to treat staff equally and certainly not expect their staff to consult for hours especially if the boss isn't willing to lead by example.

[/quote]Being slightly devils advocate here, but would the other vet and / or locum get through all the ops / procedures unsupervised or maybe the owner feels its easier to get on and sort stuff.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Steph_13 — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 15:41:02 GMT

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Mark Rowland — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:02:25 GMT

I think the issue here is misperception of choice.

By this I mean that we are in a profession which has become more like a standard retail profession. Ie the same product can be got cheaper elsewhere. It matters not that one price may be a loss leader :)

It (from the clients perspective) probably started from the existence of charity vet organisations (Its free there so why are you charging?).

Haha plus we love animals so why do we charge?

(errrr we have children too etc.)

Indépendant employers have to streamline as best as possible as a result i suppose. IMO

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

grumpyoldman — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 22:23:32 GMT

There is a problem with the downward pressure on the bottom rung services . It comes from the franchises and corporates who seem to stick people on hamster wheels and down skill the practices they buy. The way to go is to invest heavily in CPD and training ,and offer more diverse services, or sell while you can at he top of the market before the interest rates go up and all that venture capital starts to get nervous about poorer returns and shrinking markets.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Rob Loxley — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 19:56:03 GMT

[quote user="Liz Barton"]I'd love to start a revolution in terms of vet nurse services, which I strongly believe people should PAY FOR[/quote]

The grooming parlour will certainly be charging to clip fluffy's claws!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Neil Wheadon — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 06:09:55 GMT

[quote user="Richard Carter"]think employed assistant is closer to £190-240/ day with other paid things like RCVS/VDS/paid leave, CPD, national insurance, pension top up etc to be added on top[/quote]

So the actual figure is ??

Those additions could easily add up to £60/day. Locums should charge more than employees shouldn't they? Remember we have more overheads, that rate of £240/£275 or £300 has to pay for RCVS/VDS/Pensions/Accountants, so in reality if you take the true figures into account an employee goes up and a locum down.

Neil

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

bevs2251 — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 02:06:11 GMT

UK 300 pounds on par with Aussie locum rates $550-$600/10 hour day, regardless how busy. Can be full booked or very quiet. I have worked out my hourly permanent part-time rate based on 20% of that.

Yes, as professionals, we deserve much more, like doctors and dentists, but we are seen as a "luxury" profession, and there is a limit to what people will pay for their pets, and no medicare for pets ! We deserve more than doctors actually as we do so much more than they do !

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:16:20 GMT

Lots of points to reply to:

...yes, £300 is the locum rate. I get paid just a little less than that as an employed vet.

....we charge for nurse appointments, and have always done.

....Clive...you're right, we do need to charge properly...but I always have. I got a complaint today though for charging £400 for a GA to stitch a 2cm wound and prescribe appropriate drugs for a greyhound. (Done in my bloody lunch hour too, ungrateful sods!) You can't please some people! If you can reconcile giving us better wages with maintaining a good level of access to vet care, I'm all for it.

...I also hate late running clients ..it does make the list run late for ages...haven't found a solution to this.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Liz Barton — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 20:58:01 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]5-10 minutes over vaccinations and 'healthy' pets, which leaves me 15 minutes (or more) to deal with the genuine problems[/quote]

You must have well trained clients who arrive on time! The problem I have experienced is clients usually arrive on or after their appointment times, so this does happen on a rare occasion, but is certainly not the norm.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Liz Barton — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 20:53:12 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]£300 (normal vet daily rate these days)[/quote]

Is it???? I'm being seriously short-changed. Average UK FT experienced vet salary approx £43,000 so £175/day (ish). I can scrape £300/day as a locum in affluent area, but was paid 60% of this as a salary... even doing OOH work.

https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/182/3/62.1

I'd love to start a revolution in terms of vet nurse services, which I strongly believe people should PAY FOR. RVNs are highly trained, often degree holders, who consult all day FOC. Their expertise should be valued by the public and paid for; which would take the pressure off the vets as sole earners. How to get all practices to do this simultaneously so people don't flock off 'down the road' is another matter!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Clive Ansell — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 18:32:25 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]Expecting to do less than 20 consultations a day but be paid £300 (normal vet daily rate these days) for your time is, in my opinion, ridiculous. Most practices can't afford it and clients certainly couldn't. [/quote]

Yes, it is ridiculous. A more realistic rate would be at least £400 - £450 per day for a highly qualified, highly skilled experienced professional. Locum Doctors and Dentists earn far more

veterinary fees are comparatively low and need to rise, still seeing <£100 bitch spays, <£5 urinalysis and <£25 consultations out there!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Richard Carter — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 17:35:08 GMT

think employed assistant is closer to £190-240/ day with other paid things like RCVS/VDS/paid leave, CPD, national insurance, pension top up etc to be added on top

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Sammy82 — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:06:24 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

Expecting to do less than 20 consultations a day but be paid £300 (normal vet daily rate these days)

[/quote]

Is this truly the going rate for an employed vet these days, for an 8-10 hour day, or is this the locum rate? I would need to work a19.5 hr day for that on my current salary (small animal, no OOH, 10 yrs qualified), feeling rather underwhelmed if this is true!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 13:57:31 GMT

[quote user="Julie Innes"]I possibly sometimes go a bit too far to accommodate my staff and feel they walk all over me at times! but at then end of the day I want them to be happy and fulfilled, as unhappy, stressed staff are not good for business, or for me![/quote]

Absolutely...but please be careful. I also accommodated staff at the expense of my own time (and sanity) but people who you think appreciate it can just be in it for themselves. People generally go to work to earn a living, and it is rare to find true loyalty.

I didn't burn out from vet medicine...I still love my job....but I certainly would never manage people again. I guess I'm just not the right character for it...I struggle to say no.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Julie Innes — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 08:52:18 GMT

As an employer this is something I care about. I think there is a huge benefit to trying to keep staff in the practice- longstanding staff members who are loyal to the practice are a huge asset.

I possibly sometimes go a bit too far to accommodate my staff and feel they walk all over me at times! but at then end of the day I want them to be happy and fulfilled, as unhappy, stressed staff are not good for business, or for me!

I hope they see that I work as hard as anyone else. I am flexible if they need bits of time off/ to change consulting hours now and then. I make sure that everyone gets at least an hour for lunch. Noone is expected to stay late, and if they do I either pay them for that time or give them time off in lieu. We all have our rants and raves about annoying clients, and I try to be supportive.

We need to look after each other in our profession!

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Gillian Mostyn — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:56:56 GMT

[quote user="Evelyn Barbour-Hill"]Longer consultations do not equate to less work.[/quote]

Yes they really do. Whether they mean less income depends on how you charge your clients. There is a limit to how much fee generation can be squeezed into vaccinations and EAG appointments before clients start noticing!

What usually happens for me is that I take 5-10 minutes over vaccinations and 'healthy' pets, which leaves me 15 minutes (or more) to deal with the genuine problems. (And I can assure you my clients don't feel rushed. I have happy clients. )

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Evelyn Barbour-Hill — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 02:36:05 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]So employees want to do less work (longer consults, shorter sessions) [/quote]

Longer consultations do not equate to less work.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Alistair Graham-Evans — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 23:14:41 GMT

Considering the maths.

Does the 20% rule still apply?

ie A vet on a daily rate of £300 should be generating at least £1500 income ?

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Tricia Goulden — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 21:29:52 GMT

You need to look at the bigger picture and consider the personality, emotional stability and needs of individual employees. It is not simply humane treatment of staff. It is professional HR management where employees are given career plans, including competent appraisals and personal development plans. Some people are fascinated by veterinary medicine/surgery and relish long, challenging days. Other people are kept afloat by their outside interests. Communication is the key here.

RE: Career longevity and staff retention

Anthony Todd — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 20:11:46 GMT

Trouble is that it is simple maths, and only division at that.

Pet owning clients are stable, or declining. [confirmation needed??]

Vet practice numbers increasing [massively!]

Pets can only be spayed once, and vaccinated annually, at the most.

Serious diseases are well controlled.