The ongoing crisis in access to care has its roots in historical and current racial inequities, as well as a shortage of veterinarians and vet techs. Those systemic inequities don’t just limit access to care–they also contribute directly to that shortage of veterinary professionals: unequal access to information, education and financial resources limits the number of potential future veterinarians and techs. And we may be perpetuating inequities at the individual level and losing valuable staff by the way we recruit, hire, pay and promote. Sound hopeless? The good news is, there are things we can do right now to retain the great RVTs we have and to set young people on a path to be the next generation of veterinary professionals.
In this Cal4AllCall, California Outreach Specialist, Ivy Ruiz, RVT explores ways to improve vet tech recruitment and retention with Debra Olmedo, RVT (Adjunct Veterinary Technology Instructor at Platt College), Albert Escobedo, RVTg (Director of Veterinary Operations at Humane Society of Sonoma County) and Jessica Lopez, RVT (Executive Director at the Paw Mission). The personal experiences of all four–as RVTs, directors and educators, as well as members of the Latine community–gave them insights they shared enthusiastically on the call.
Some key takeaways for hiring and onboarding:
Be transparent. During the interview process, mention that culture is important to you and acknowledge any struggles your org is going through. Albert warned that experienced RVTs will be able to spot red flags right away. “They’re going to notice things. They’re gonna see things. They’re going to hear things. They know what’s behind the cabinets. They know what’s underneath the refrigerator. They’ve seen it all before.”
Reassess the criteria for hiring. Albert noted that systemic barriers limit the ability of underrepresented people to gain experience. He suggested bringing Black, Indigenous and People of Color on as volunteers so they can gain that experience. Ivy drew on her coaching background and discussed how she actively seeks resources and tools for young ladies on her softball teams who may not have access to an equal opportunity for growth and development. Similarly, people in the animal well-being profession should consider offering support, tools and resources for growth to folks who may not have had access to formal education, or hold the experience or skills being demanded for a position due to systemic barriers. Jessica emphasized the importance of enthusiasm and a willingness to learn in potential employees rather than focusing on whether they have prior experience.
Schedule predictable work hours. Having a set schedule is a simple way to support staff lives and needs. Debra shared the challenges she faced in finding a job when she returned to work after maternity leave. Despite her eagerness to get back to work, and her willingness to work weekends and holidays, she had trouble finding a position with a set schedule so she could find childcare.
Seek out bilingual staff. Hiring bilingual staff will help you serve your community better immediately. Plus, in the long run, it starts a self-reinforcing virtuous cycle of deepening your ties to the community. Ivy noted that representation in staff and leadership is important: potential employees want to see people like them already in the organization.
Ways to retain staff
Know your employees. Recognize and support natural leaders. Spotlight opportunities for growth based individual interests and talents. Debra pointed out that not everyone wants to be (or should be) a manager. She emphasized the need to think beyond traditional management roles for career advancement, suggesting that RVTs could excel in various aspects of veterinary medicine, such as community liaison or community event planning (e.g., vaccination or spay/neuter events).
Set small goals and clear expectations. Incremental progress is a great motivator, and clarity enables action.
Foster collaboration and mentorship. Albert suggested a mentorship system where new hires could be paired with experienced staff. Jessica shared the value of implementing a mentorship program at her previous organization, which included weekly check-ins and 360-degree reviews.
Support staff development through scholarships and externships. Debra pointed out, “It’s hard for people that do not have the privilege of not working and not having additional time to be exposed to [opportunities in shelter medicine]. So I think that, providing maybe scholarships that your organization could do, or even opening up the opportunity to do an externship. You would be so surprised how hard it is to get externships. People do not want to make that accessible.”
Acknowledge and counter biases in assignments and promotion. Animal well-being organizations tend to be heavily White (84%) and non-Hispanic (86%). Ivy noted that biases and racial discrimination impact performance reviews and unfairly exclude BIPOC staff from high profile assignments, depriving the individual of advancement opportunities and depriving the organization of benefiting from the full expression of that person’s talents.
Offer equitable pay. Albert suggested tracking the impact of veterinary technicians to better advocate for higher wages. The group agreed that it would take time, but emphasized the importance of continuous advocacy.
Support work/life balance. Making sure staff have time for family, school and other commitments can be a way to compensate when salaries aren’t where we’d like them to be.
"We should be talking to our community at high schools and talking to our kids about the different opportunities that there are, because most people especially, I mean, I could speak from the Latina community. I thought it was either being a veterinarian or nothing. I did not know that there was anything in between there, and it wasn't until I was in college that I [found out] you could be a tech."
Tips for recruitment and breaking down barriers to build community:
Look at your org’s recruiting practices to see where you might be excluding folks.
Raise awareness about RVTs. Often, people don’t know that there’s a career in animal well-being that doesn’t require the time and expense of obtaining a DVM degree. Both Debra and Ivy laughingly noted they have relatives who still misidentify them as veterinarians, likely because there’s a widespread lack of visibility of the contributions vet techs bring to veterinary medicine. Jessica has visited local high schools to make sure young people know this career exists. As Albert says, “The universities that have DVM programs and the schools that have RVT programs and the schools that have veterinary assistant certification programs should all be recruiting the youngest kids out there that want to get involved in animal medicine and animal welfare.”
Visit local vet offices or local schools to find volunteers. Jessica shared her experience of building relationships with customer service reps at veterinary hospitals by bringing donuts or empanadas and just chatting. Word about her spreads around the office, and eventually, when she asks for volunteers for an upcoming community clinic, she gets more volunteers than she needs. All agreed on the importance of community involvement and utilizing available resources to address systemic issues in veterinary care.
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