Imagine your veterinary clinic has finally filled that open position. The interviews went well, the offer is signed, and the start date is on the calendar. Then, Monday arrives. Your new hire walks through the door and hears, “Oh, you start today?” That is not the opening line anyone was hoping for.
A lot of time and effort goes into hiring a new staff member. When that effort carries into the first week of training a new veterinary employee, your new hire will feel expected and better understand how the practice works.
This first installment of Vetcelerator’s Beyond the Job Offer blog series covers the welcome on day one and the learning that follows, with practical advice on new hire management. The goal is that you, as a veterinary clinic owner or practice manager, will be able to give your new employee a clear place to start and a realistic sense of what comes next.
Prepare Before Your New Employee Arrives
The first challenge often appears on the computer. Someone forgot to set up a new employee account. Someone else thought it was ready. Your newest team member is now becoming very familiar with the login screen as they keep being asked to try and log in.
A missing login is the onboarding version of hunting for one tiny LEGO piece. You’re ready to get started, but the next step depends on something nobody can seem to find.
Before the start date, confirm your new employee’s individual system access, workspace, paperwork, and schedule are ready. Tell them when to arrive, where to park (if they are driving), and who will greet them. Let the team know who is joining and what their role will be.
Make the First Day Easy to Navigate for the New Hire
Assign a Guide
“Just ask anybody” is a kind offer, but it can be difficult to act on when everybody in the clinic is working with a patient or answering the phone. Assign a specific guide and a backup guide, and give them time to actually work with the new employee.
Cover the Basics
Walk through the everyday basics, like where supplies belong, patient workflow, how breaks are handled, who to go to when there’s an issue, and how schedule changes are communicated.
Give Specifics
“The gloves are in the drawer next to the thing” is only helpful when both people know which drawer and which thing.
Make Introductions
If the clinic cat has claimed a particular chair, an introduction to that member of management would be appreciated!
Have a Plan For Their First Week at Your Veterinary Practice
Handing someone a box of LEGO pieces and pointing to the finished model is a fairly ambitious day one plan. Even an experienced LEGO builder appreciates an instruction booklet. Have a specific plan for your new hire. For example, a receptionist might begin by observing check-ins and appointment scheduling, then practice those tasks with a colleague available for guidance. A veterinarian might need time to learn the records system, referral process, and team workflow before taking on a fuller appointment schedule.
A full orientation binder for training a new veterinary employee does not mean someone has absorbed everything inside it. Choose a few priorities for the first week that fit the role and the person’s experience level.
If the training schedule for the first week changes, explain what is moving and when you will return to it. Otherwise, “we’ll get to that later” can become a permanent part of the training program.
Before day one ends, explain the plan for the remaining shifts at the clinic that week. Consider their current level of experience and adjust the pace together. Outline what they will observe, what they can do with support, and what you expect them to handle independently.
Check In Before Small Questions Pile Up
Every day that first week, ask what your new veterinary employee found confusing and what they still need help with. Make sure they are comfortable giving you a real answer; ask it in a way where you don’t get back, “Umm, I think I am probably ok.” Let them know it is fine if they are struggling with something during their first week. You’d rather know where they still need support. Continue with brief conversations throughout the week so they can raise questions.
- By the end of the week, review what they have practiced and agree on the next priorities.
- Ask where they want more support and whether the pace is working.
Share specific feedback with your new employee and give them room to tell you what they need. “I wasn’t sure where to put the dog leads” gives you something concrete to fix. So does “I watched Jess draw blood once, but I haven’t tried it yet.” Use those answers to shape the following week’s plan for training your new veterinary employee.
Real Question for Your Team
Ask your current employees: “What is one thing I could prepare or explain sooner in the training process that would make a new hire’s first week easier?”
A Better First Week for New Veterinary Employees
During the first week, you want a new employee to understand your veterinary practice and begin contributing at a reasonable pace. Have the basics ready, make support easy to find, and agree on a manageable learning plan. We put real effort into bringing good people to our practices. Having a plan for getting them settled in deserves some space on the calendar, too. (The clinic cat may still make them earn the chair.)
If you are looking to hire for your veterinary practice, Vetcelerator has recruiting services that connect clinics like yours with qualified candidates. We would love to talk and see how we can support you through your next new hire.
