What Does Your Clinic Do to Make New Employees Feel Welcome on Their First Day?

• What Does Your Clinic Do to Make New Employees Feel Welcome?.pdf (109.0 KB)

EVT asked 3 veterinary professionals how their hospitals welcomed and oriented new employees their first day—and beyond!

 
Vilen Vlasov, Hospital Manager, VCA Main Street Animal Hospital, San Diego, CA

"At VCA Main Street Animal Hospital, we do 3 things to help new employees feel welcome. We start off with a BBQ or potluck where we close the hospital, and we all socialize and share our personal stories with each other. Sometimes we have team building events to further bond everyone. I also pair new employees with the most qualified staff in their department to guide them in our standards of patient care and client service. Lastly, I emphasize an 'open door' policy by making sure they know they can come to me, the doctors, or other personnel—including people at the corporate office—with any questions or concerns."

Colleen Fox, DVM, Pet Care Veterinary Hospital, Virginia Beach, VA

"The dynamic pace at Pet Care Veterinary Hospital can be intimidating to new employees. To maintain our fast pace, minimize client wait time, and deliver the extremely high level of care to which Pet Care aspires, staff members must perform at peak efficiency: utilizing teamwork, communicating effectively, and trusting each other. To help this endeavor, new employees are welcomed at rounds and given time to introduce themselves, and share with the staff how they came to Pet Care. They are also assigned staff mentors in order to learn our hospital’s procedures, and to see the high level of patient care, compassion, and professional excellence that is expected from all staff members."

Anthony DeCarlo, VMD, Chief Executive Officer and Hospital Co-Owner, Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, Tinton Falls, NJ

"Making new employees feel welcome extends beyond just their first day at Red Bank Veterinary Hospital. Our welcome and orientation process takes a full week. Our primary goal for new staff members is to help them develop personal and professional relationships with the current employees. In order for us to carry out our passion for helping animals, we must develop interpersonal relationships with one another so we can work as a team. During orientation, new employees are given the opportunity to meet with all departments (medical, administrative, technical) so they can learn the hospital dynamic and develop an appreciation for how everyone's job contributes to the greater good of helping patients.