Recruiting, Onboarding, and Training in Veterinary Medicine

Many veterinary professionals enter management without formal training in hiring or staff development. Recruiting, Onboarding, and Training in Veterinary Medicine provides a practical manual from three certified practice managers who share real-life scenarios and decision-making strategies drawn from direct experience. Coverage spans every stage of the employment relationship, from recruitment through retention and employee transitions.
Role-specific training programs for kennel staff, reception, veterinary assistants, credentialed technicians, management, and remote positions are broken down into structured time frames covering Day 1-30, Day 30-60, and beyond. The book also addresses building a culture of success, measuring team performance, hiring for cultural fit, and creating a workplace where professionals stay.

Readers will find:

Actionable strategies for recruiting qualified candidates across both corporate partnership and private ownership veterinary practice models
Guidance on designing a customized onboarding system tailored to specific roles, responsibilities, and individual practice workflows
Methods for aligning individual career development paths with team needs to support long-term professional growth
Practical approaches to managing employee performance conversations, role changes, and separations with clarity and consistency
Insights into strengthening customer service excellence across the entire team to improve client satisfaction and staff engagement
Veterinary practice managers, clinic owners, regional managers, and team leaders will find this book directly applicable to their daily operational challenges. By providing structured programs and real-world examples, it equips current and emerging leaders to build cohesive, high-performing veterinary teams.
About the Author
Jenny Matthews, CVT, CVPM, is a certified veterinary technician and certified veterinary practice manager who focuses on training and developing technical staff while managing general business operations. Her hands-on experience building training programs from the ground up informs the structured, role-specific guidance throughout this book.

Laura Koger, BS, CVPM, is a certified veterinary practice manager whose expertise lies in the growth and overall development of veterinary practices. Her strong customer service background emphasizes both staff support and client satisfaction, bringing a dual perspective on team performance and practice success.
Natalie Clawson, RVT, CVPM, is a registered veterinary technician and certified veterinary practice manager who specializes in staff development, human resources, and inspiring team members. Her deep experience in workforce planning and employee engagement strengthens the book's practical, actionable approach to building cohesive veterinary teams.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Culture
Chapter 2: Effective Hiring Practices
Chapter 3: Interviewing
Chapter 4: Making the Offer
Chapter 5: Employee Files and Handbooks
Chapter 6: Training the Trainer
Chapter 7: Onboarding
Chapter 8: Training for Kennel Staff
Chapter 9: Training for Reception Staff
Chapter 10: Training for Veterinary Assistant Staff
Chapter 11: Training for Credentialed Veterinary Technician Staff
Chapter 12: Training for Veterinary Practice Manager
Chapter 13: Training for Veterinary Office Manager
Chapter 14: Training for Veterinarians
Chapter 15: Rethinking the Veterinary Team
Chapter 16: Reviews and Check Ins
Chapter 17: Conflict Resolution
Chapter 18: What To Do When People Leave
Chapter 19: When We Got It Wrong