Social Media for Veterinary Employee Retention

Nothing is harder for a veterinary practice than having an employee quit. You dedicated so much time and effort to finding, hiring, and training them, only to see them leave - which means starting all over again. And now you’re short-staffed - with all the challenges that entails. While it’s impossible to avoid resignations altogether, social media can be a valuable tool for seeing it happen less often.

It starts with recognizing and highlighting your employees on your social pages. Yes, you know how hard your employees work, but have you demonstrated your appreciation lately - beyond the occasional pizza? Veterinary employees are day-to-day heroes. Celebrate them! Applaud them! It can be formal - an Employee Highlight or Employee of The Month post; or informal - a photo of a tech going above and beyond to calm the fears of a frightened dog. The point is to recognize the amazing work they do - elevate their chosen profession. These types of posts deliver a powerful message, conveying the culture of your practice and serving as testimonials to your practice values - and they can arguably be one of the most effective means of boosting employee retention.

The logic is pretty straightforward. When you make it a point to shine the spotlight on your employees, demonstrating how much you admire and appreciate them, it sends a clear message that they are truly valued and wanted. And that kind of recognition and appreciation goes a long way in making them want to commit to your practice for the long term. A 2022 study by the global management-consulting firm McKinsey found that one of the top-two reasons people quit their jobs is because they don't feel valued by their employer.

Imagine fostering a culture where every employee knows you’ll be featuring them and their coworkers on social media - where celebrating and supporting each other's achievements is the norm. That’s a compelling scenario for loyalty to your practice.

Elevating your employees has side benefits as well. When you feature your employees on social media, they’re usually excited to share the recognition with their friends and family. It gives them something tangible to show off and brag about. One place they’re likely to share is on their own social media! And here’s the side benefit to this - they are introducing a whole new group of potential clients to your practice - a practice that shows it truly values its people.

That’s why we call it #vetsocialforgood. Recognizing your employees for their hard work is not only the right thing to do, it helps promote a positive and supportive working environment, makes your employees want to stay and thrive with you - and you might even get a few new clients along the way. (We haven’t even talked about the potential employees that will see your values and want to work there!)

So, get ready to spread the love and let your employees shine brightly. You’ve got this!