Episodes

Send us a text When someone asks you to “tell me about a time when …..” this is where the STAR methodology kicks in. Situation Task Action Result Everyone dreads the "tell me about a time when you................." type interview questions because they usually don't know how to answer and/or aren't sure what the interviewer is looking for. This episode answers both of those questions and includes relevant examples taken from vet clinics. Other episodes referred to in this ep...

Send us a text 9 behaviour focussed job interview questions that job seekers roll their eyes at, and interviewers feel they must ask. One vet told me a couple of years’ back that she declined a job because she didn’t like the soft and fluffy questions “someone from HR” asked her. In the vet’s opinion the questions she was asked did nothing to prove or disprove she was a good vet. Which is a fair comment. However, what behaviour focussed job interview questions help uncover ...

Send us a text Veterinarian Dr Helen Beattie on: life after Chief Veterinary Officer at the New Zealand Veterinary Association Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Aotearoa - VAWAsome of the amazing opportunities Helen experienced as CVO NZVAsome more of the amazing people Helen worked with as CVO NZVAwhat's next and where to from herePart 3 of the three part series getting to know Dr Helen Beattie now that she's no longer the Chief Veterinary Officer at the New Zealand Veterinary Associati...

Send us a text Veterinarian Dr Helen Beattie on: Conflict, Tension & Moral DistressBooks Helen's reading and recommendsInspiration & aspirational parenting+ a bit of philosophical discussionPart 2 of a multi-part series getting to know Dr Helen Beattie before she became known to New Zealand's veterinarians in her role as Chief Veterinary Officer at the New Zealand Veterinary Association. Part 1 - episode 069 - some career highs and lows Books Dr Helen Beattie is reading or has just ...

Send us a text Dr Helen Beattie grew up on a South Island Central High Country station before going to Massey University. Her veterinary career started off in a mixed animal clinic in North Otago. Helen’s OE included working on the UKs foot and mouth response in the UK. From there she came home to Godzone and bought a companion animal clinic in Dunedin. From clinic ownership Helen ventured into teaching vet nurses at Otago Polytechnic. Not standing still on the education f...

Send us a text This week we’re looking at what vet clinics need to do to navigate Phase 2 of Omicron, what payment options you have for employees who get sick and then a lesson I had last week which, as Shania Twain would say – didn’t impress me much! At 11:59pm on Tuesday 15 February NZ officially moved into Phase 2 of the Omicron Response framework. In short, this means that positive cases need to self-isolate for 10 days (can self-release after day 10 if no symptoms for 72 hours). Close c...

Send us a text How NZ vet clinics and overseas qualified vets are impacted In real terms, what difference does this make? In some cases, it’s going to make a HUGE difference, in others, not-so much. What was MIQ – which those clinics fortunate enough to have vets enter NZ over the last 18 months or so – had the pleasure – she says, in air quotes, of footing the bill for that – well that’s still going to happen just under a different name and with a different look. SELF ISOL...

Send us a text So far, we’ve looked at the cost of employee turnover – episode 64 – how to lower the cost of churn – employee turnover by starting an Employee Retention Investment Fund at your clinic. Last week we looked at the 5-P questions – Pride + Place + Possibility + Permanency + Propel Today we’re looking at the next series of seven survey questions - in line with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs - you can ask your team – or yourself – to check the State of the Nation at your clinic....

Send us a text Vet Clinic Employee Engagement Index Questions The second of a multi episode series focussed on helping vet clinics retain the top performing vets and vet nurses in your clinic and then how to attract more vets and vet nurses just like them. Recent Employment Relations Authority determination around Restraints of Trade If you’ve been listening to Paws Claws & Wet Noses for a while you’ll have heard me comment quite a few times that Restraint of Trade clauses can stand up ...

Send us a text Vet Clinic Employee Turnover Costs & Composition Today’s show is the first of a multi episode series focussed on helping vet clinics retain the top performing vets and vet nurses in your clinic and then how to attract more vets and vet nurses like them. Specifically, today, we’re going to be looking at the cost – because it is - of employee turnover. I think the numbers might surprise you – because we’re going to be talking in real terms. When you lose a team m...

Send us a text Margie's dreams, aspirations and how vet clinics can pay their vet nurses more This is the second of two episodes where I catch up with Vet Nurse of the Year 2021 Margie Rutherford of The Strand Veterinarian in Auckland’s Parnell. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode – number 63 – I highly recommend you go and listen to that show before you listen to this, as it gives context. Today, Margie shares some of her dreams and aspirations for vet nurses. She t...

Send us a text Vet Nurse Margie Rutherford's Visions for Veterinary Nursing in New Zealand Margie Rutherford, BSC, BVT - Vet Nurse of the Year 2021 Episode 1/2 where Vet Nurse Margie Rutherford and I chat about her visions for veterinary nursing in New Zealand. Margie was awarded the NZ Vet Nurse of the Year 2021 . She was one of 16 nominations for Vet Nurse of the Year. According to NZVNA President, Amy Ross, one of the things that really stood out to her in the...

Send us a text The step-by-step framework that's guaranteed to help you live the life you want. Using the SMARTER SWOT framework I designed about 20 years ago to help clients live their lives to the full contributing their special difference to the world - at work and at home. If you’ve set New Year's Resolutions before and failed – this is for you – because we’re not going to be setting NY resolutions. If you’ve set goals before and feel like you’ve failed and they’re a waste of...

Send us a text A vet clinic's workplace toxicity negatively impacts a clinic’s ability to ever become an Employer of Choice. 10 things - 10 warning bells - to look out for at the vet clinic job interview Vet Clinics need to deal with what’s not working first in order to become a Vet Clinic Employer of Choice. Here are 10 questions to ask and the answers you're looking for: Does the leadership team inspire trust or does it rely control?Why is the position vacant?What were the wa...

Send us a text How to become a Vet Clinic Employer of Choice so that you create your own clinic's wait list of highly engaged and motivated top performers. In today’s job-seeking world, job interviews are just as much about the clinic doing the interviewing as about the clinic being interviewed. Recruitment – as we know it today - is a reactive process. It’s the thing – the hunt - that follows an event – the resignation. And it’s the hunting that’s hard work. ...

Send us a text Vet clinics experience high staff burnout, high staff turnover, some (sadly) have reputations for allowing toxicity within the team to continue, infect and affect everything that happens inside that clinic. Constructive Dismissals What conditions need to be met for the Employment Court or Tribunal to confirm constructive dismissal took place,Two questions that need to be answered,What remedies are available A couple of examples of Constructive Dismissal which have been up...

Send us a text Lately I’ve seen a few vets and clinics get caught out by believing one of the many urban myths that surround employment law in NZ so today, we’re going to put 11 of them to bed so, hopefully, YOU don’t get caught out by them too. We’re going to look at the employment law myths that I’ve heard in relation to: · Written contracts – or lack thereof · Getting fired and how many warnings are required · &n...

Send us a text This is the fourth episode in the sustainability series and today we’re with Sophie Kennedy of The Strand Veterinarian in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. Sophie is the dedicated receptionist at The Strand Veterinarian who’s just recently been charged with the responsibility of project managing the clinic’s sustainability initiatives. As you’ll hear – unlike many clinics where reception duties form part of a vet nurse’s responsibilities, at The Strand Veterinarian, Sophie’s sole...

Send us a text In 2019, Zoetis NZ set up a new internal group to examine environmental, social and governance aspects of its business, with a focus on driving long term business sustainability. In practice, Large Animal Veterinarian Kristen Baxter’s responsibilities have been primarily focused on improving the environmental footprint and looking at all areas of the product life cycle - from packaging, to transport, and to then managing product waste. Wearing her sustainability hat...

Send us a text Dr Paulo Lencioni – a companion animal vet turned computer coder turned practising accountant specialising who now works with vet clinics to grow their practices answers the question “The impact of the pandemic – vet clinics are busier – but are we treating our patients better or worse?” If you haven’t listened to the first part yet, then I recommend you do because it gives context to today. We continue with the findings in the report commissioned by Profit Diagno...

Send us a text Veterinarian Dr Paolo Lencioni - co-author of September 2021 Vet Clinic Practice White Paper “The impact of the pandemic – vet clinics are busier – but are we treating our patients better or worse?” Today is part one of a two parts where I caught up with Dr Paulo Lencioni – a Companion Animal Veterinarian turned computer coder turned practising accountant specialising in vet clinic practices - mostly in Australasia but spanning a few global continents. If you’ve been listening...

Send us a text Sustainable Vet Clinic Practice - CeeJay Donovan of Massey Vets in Palmerston North - chats about her 6 in 6 - six easy to implement sustainable practices she implemented at Massey Vets in six months and the differences she noticed. For international listeners that’s the on-campus clinic of the Veterinary Science Faculty of New Zealand’s Massey University. CeeJay has a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology from Massey, a Certificate in Science and Technology from Massey as w...

Send us a text When it comes to matters "immigration" in New Zealand there are all sorts of changing scenarios - almost weekly. Licensed Immigration consultant Katy Armstrong of IntoNZ chats with Julie South about what's news. Here's what Katy and Julie talked about: Julie's petition to have two MIQ spaces allocated each week to vets issued visas by Immigration NZ Is the median wage expected to change? If so: What difference is that going to make and when does i...

Send us a text Veterinarian Dr Liza Schneider is one of New Zealand’s leading authorities in holistic animal healthcare. In 2003 Liza established – what is today – award-winning Holistic Vets in Tauranga – located in New Zealand’s spectacular Bay of Plenty region. Holistic Vets is a fully integrated veterinary practice combining conventional veterinary medicine and surgery with complementary therapies. This was the first of its kind in New Zealand. Liza is also the f...