Your Dream Job

WANTED: An Outstanding Practice Manager To Fill the Ideal Veterinary Hospital Management Position

“The job of your dreams.” Everybody would love to find one, but what does it really mean?

Challenges, reasonable hours, respect, a friendly environment? Happily, many VHMA members working as practice managers believe they have found the job of their dreams. Intrigued by their success, I spoke with some of them to determine the secret of their happiness. The theme that many touched upon was that dream jobs are created when both practice owners and practice managers are involved in the process.

The Role of the Practice Owner in Creating a Dream Job

Deconstructing Job Requirements

Before posting a job announcement, veterinary practice owners should give serious thought to the responsibilities of the manager’s position. Donna Bauman, BS, CVPM, a member of VHMA since 2001 and a Hospital Administrator for Veterinary Specialty Care in Charleston, S.C. and owner of Visions Veterinary Consulting, strongly recommends that the practice owner understand what the manager’s position entails to ensure the practice’s expectations are communicated adequately to applicants. According to Bauman, “Writing a job description is like working on a jigsaw puzzle. Open the box…what do you see…hundreds of pieces of a puzzle waiting to be connected. The pieces will not coalesce into a cohesive whole unless all the pieces are accounted for. Furthermore, if pieces are missing, the true beauty of the puzzle is never revealed in its entirety.”

Bauman adds, “When writing a job description, if an owner is unsure of the full array of tasks of the position, mutual understanding of expectations among parties is difficult to achieve, which leads to confusion, frustration and disappointment.”

Let the Thoughts Flow

A job description is best created through a free-flowing stream of consciousness: list all potential responsibilities and turn off the editing process. Once the list takes shape, it’s time to drill down to specifics.  As Bauman points out, it’s not enough to list “inventory” as a job requirement. “Inventory” to candidate A may mean ordering diet products and drugs. Candidate B interprets it to mean ordering diet products, drugs and medical supplies. Candidate C adds stocking the pharmacy and retail displays to the list. To avoid confusion, the task should be defined as narrowly as possible. 

Walking the Walk

Bauman suggests performing a “mental walk-though” of a day in the life of a veterinary practice manager. With pen in hand,  the owner should envision every  aspect of the manager’s day, from the time he or she walks through the door in the morning to the moment the lights are turned out in the evening.

Peer-to-Peer Brainstorming

Owners can add further clarification to the responsibilities of the position by consulting with others in the office to understand their perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of the practice manager. Bauman suggests asking pointed questions such as “What three responsibilities should the practice manager have in order to ensure the practice is successful?” The responses may range from insightful recommendations concerning contributions the manager can make to the office, or surprising, and occasionally erroneous, perceptions of the manager’s role.

Time for the Reality Check

Once the comprehensive overview of the responsibilities of the practice manager is complete, the end product will likely be a very long list. Keep in mind that the list is a starting point. The next step is to perform an honest assessment of the responsibilities.  Consider the following questions when editing the list:

• Are the duties consistent with similar positions in the field?

• Is there room for creativity and independence?

• Is there a balance between challenging tasks and more mundane tasks?

• Is there duplication with the responsibilities of other employees in the office?

• Is there buy-in among all members of the practice staff?

• As the owner, are you willing to provide the manager with the appropriate autonomous authority to perform the duties asked of them (with appropriate checks and balances in place)?

• For responsibilities with specialized knowledge, is the practice willing to invest in continuing education to nurture specific skills?

• And, as a practice owner, are you willing to support the potential practice manager in all the identified roles and devote adequate, individualized attention to communicating with the manager as the position evolves?

The refined and edited list of job responsibilities should clearly communicate the expectations for the position. 

The Practice Manager’s Perspective: Turning the Job Description into a Dream Job

Taking In What You See

Job applicants who receive a comprehensive job description have been given a valuable tool. Reviewing the description should involve four steps: a quick overview, a detailed analysis of qualifications in light of the requirements, an emotional assessment of whether the responsibilities will lead to professional

satisfaction, and an identification of what is not listed in the job description but should be. If the four-step review elicits mainly positive responses, a dream job awaits. If the responses are not overwhelmingly positive, there are ways to turn the position into a dream job.

The Negotiating Table

With a thorough and accurate inventory of responsibilities, the applicant can determine how well suited he is to the position. This analysis requires honesty and courage. It is the difference between finding a job and landing a dream job. The goal is not to find a perfect match, but instead to identify a practice where the applicant can make a contribution, as well as have his professional goals realized. As Bauman points out, “It’s important to raise these concerns with a prospective employer before accepting the position.” Negotiations may involve revising some responsibilities to make better use of an applicant’s skills, or negotiating training to ensure the development of additional skills. Although some applicants may consider this approach risky, it’s a risk worth pursuing if the goal is securing a dream job. 

Researching the Intangibles

Candidates applying for a practice manager’s position should look beyond the job description. Review the practice’s website but also consider other sources such as blogs and online profiles that provide a flavor of the practice. This research should provide valuable information about whether the professional environment is compatible with a candidate’s professional goals and interests.

Dreaming is easy, reality can be more difficult. It is a process to which both owner and applicant contribute. Although the search requires hard work, communication, analysis and honesty, it is worthwhile for those who have found the job of their dreams. May all your dreams come true.

Christine Shupe is the Executive Director of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association. The association is dedicated to enhancing and serving professionals in veterinary management through superior education, certification and networking. For more information, visit www.vhma.org.