H.R. Huddle

Consider three strategies for retaining a star employee who has reached the top of the job pay range.

Let’s say you employ the veterinary nurse of your dreams. Not only is she wonderful with the animals, she is compassionate with their owners. She communicates clearly with clients, she’s highly experienced in necessary skills, she’s always on time, she’s willing to do her share and more, and she avoids gossip, among other positive traits. […]

Know what to do when employees refuse to sign a disciplinary notice.

You created disciplinary policies and procedures that are clear, fair and approved by your attorney. You carefully document misconduct and poor performance, and you discuss the acts with all relevant parties. But then an employee throws a curve ball by refusing to sign a disciplinary notice. You really want the signature as proof of the […]

Testing can help identify the right person for a job, but be sure to choose the right exam and to develop a policy for its use.

Workplace culture in a veterinary practice is significantly influenced by the personalities of the people who work there. So, it makes good sense to gain a clear understanding of personality assessments and how they can benefit a practice. In 2015, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) published an in-depth piece about personality tests and […]

Practices should have clear written policies so everyone is aware of what they can do online during work hours and what is always inappropriate.

Telemedicine may come to mind when you think about internet legal issues that can affect veterinary practices. However, it’s not the only issue. Let’s examine three others. Social Media “Research” Social media makes finding information about people, including those you are considering hiring, so easy. But is searching on social media platforms for information about […]

Spoken and unspoken messages say a lot about a veterinary team’s assumptions, values and beliefs.

If you’ve owned, managed or worked at a particular veterinary practice for any length of time, you may be so used to the workplace culture that you can’t effectively define it, much less analyze its strengths and weaknesses. If that’s the case, it’s perfectly normal. Having said this, it makes good sense for your practice […]

Don’t rush to judgment, adhere to the employee handbook and be consistent in your follow-through.

When you see the term “problem employee,” what comes to mind? Perhaps someone in your practice makes negative comments about virtually every situation, whereas someone else may disappear whenever an unpleasant task needs to be done. Or maybe someone believes she has the correct answer for every situation, and she doesn’t follow procedure when it […]