OVMA Focus Magazine

H iring great team mem- bers can be a daunting task. Filling a vacant position as soon as pos- sible, finding the right fit for the rest of the team, and having the wrong candidates apply are just a few challenges management teams face through the hiring process. To eliminate some of these issues, you'll need to create a well-written employment ad that focuses on attracting the right candidates. e following are two examples of an employment ad for a veter- inary receptionist that show the difference between a job posting and a job advertisement: EXAMPLE A High-quality veterinary clinic is seeking a motivated, people-ori- ented receptionist to complement our reception team. It's a full-time position that will include some Saturday morning shifts. Duties include client contact, data entry, telephone contact, filing and assist- ing the health-care team. Ability to speak English and Spanish is needed. Salary is commensurate with abili- ties and experience. Excellent benefits are available. If you're interested in joining our team, please contact ABC Animal Hospital at (555) 555-5555 or info@xxx.com. EXAMPLE B Busy, friendly veterinary practice seeks customer care professional/ phone wrangler/organizational expert/information hoarder/paw shaker/all-around amazing per- son—also known by some as "just" a receptionist but not at our clinic! Here at ABC Animal Hospital, we're passionate about providing the best customer care. It's just one of the things that makes us the 2018 Hometown Veterinary Practice of the Year. Everything we do is guided by four principles: time, respect, experience and care. But when it comes down to it, we're only as good as the people who are the face and voice of our practice—our wonderful customer care team. Customer care experience is essential, and you'll work flexibly, covering an average of 33 hours a week over seven days. You'll need to be a natural communicator who can offer reassurance and remain calm in stressful situations, as well as an orga- nized team player who can prioritize tasks, and who has a warm, friendly telephone manner. If you're up for the challenge, and love people as much as animals, send your resume and cover letter to Lori, our customer care team leader, at lori@abc.com by Feb. 18, 2019. Where would you apply, and which hospital would you hope to hear from first? Writing an employment ad- vertisement is exactly that—an advertisement. It needs to reflect the culture of your practice, so you can attract someone who wants to be part of that culture. e practice in example B emphasizes the kind of person they're looking for by describing the practice's principles and showing a bit of personality by using humour. Example A is straightforward and would prob- ably blend in with most employ- ment ads. e practice placing the ad may receive several applications, but they may not be from the kind of people they're hoping to attract. When writing an employment ad, it's important to include the following: 1. A job title and descrip- tion that stands out. Even though job seekers may be looking for a receptionist position with administrative and client ser- vice duties, it sounds less exciting (and it's less likely to stand out) than phone wrangler/information hoarder/paw shaker. 2. Sell the position and the clinic's culture. Remember, it's an advertisement. Why should someone work for your clinic versus the clinic down the street? Include what's import- ant to every member of the team. e practice in example B does this by showing it understands the importance of the receptionist role. Mentioning perks of the job and any other appealing benefits will also help attract high-quality ap- plicants. is practice also includes its award, showing it has a strong reputation and high standards. 3. Add some personality. If you want to attract a certain per- sonality type, you need to show it in your ad. e practice in example B seems like a fun place to work in comparison to example A. It also highlights that candidates should love people as much as animals— an important point to include, considering dealing with people is a large part of the role. 4. Highlight your team's values. e practice in example B lists the four principles that guide its team in client/patient interactions, and it also shows how much it values the customer care team. What are the essential values in your practice for every member of the team? Be sure to include this in your employment ad so that more, if not all, applicants share the same values. F How do I write a standout job ad? BY TERRA SHASTRI Terra Shastri is OVMA's director of business development and strategic initiatives. The ad needs to reflect the culture of your practice, so you can attract someone who wants to be part of that culture. TAIL END / ASK THE EXPERT FOCUS ∙ January/February 2019 ∙ ovma.org facebook.com/onvetmedassoc 46 PHOTO: DIEGO CERVO / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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