In today’s talent market, especially in veterinary medicine, hiring alone is no longer the win – retention is.
Most practices can post a job and generate interest, fewer can create an environment that makes great veterinarians and support staff want to stay, grow, and build their careers long-term. The difference often comes down to intention, not budget.
Retention starts before day one. The candidate experience during recruitment sets expectations early. Clear communication, transparency around schedules and compensation, and respect for candidates’ time send a powerful signal. When the interview process feels human, candidates enter roles already feeling valued.
Growth matters more than perks. While competitive pay is essential, what keeps professionals engaged is the sense that they are progressing. Mentorship programs, continuing education support, and clearly defined advancement paths consistently outperform surface-level perks. People stay where they feel invested in.
Culture is created daily. Retention isn’t built through mission statements. It’s shaped in daily interactions: how feedback is delivered, how schedules are handled, how leadership shows up during stressful weeks. Practices with strong retention don’t eliminate stress – they create trust during it.
Flexibility is no longer optional. Burnout remains one of the biggest threats in veterinary medicine. Flexible scheduling, realistic caseloads, and proactive conversations around workload are now core retention strategies, not nice-to-haves.
The most successful practices are shifting their mindset from “How do we fill this role?” to “How do we support the person in it?”
When talent feels seen, supported, and challenged in the right ways, retention becomes less about convincing people to stay and more about giving them no reason to leave.
