Episode 1006 - High Street Vets Team Showcase Transcript

Julie South [00:00:05]: What does it take to create a workplace? A vet clinic so compelling that people choose to come back to commute daily with young children and students who travel eight hours just for a placement.

Hi, I'm Julie South and you're listening to Veterinary Voices, the podcast dedicated to growing the number of veterinary clinic employers of choice through showcasing those clinics that are doing it best and through empowering vet clinic employers to hire fast and right.

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This is episode 1006 and we're continuing our High Street Vet Surgery showcase. Today we're hearing from three team members whose stories perfectly capture what makes this Rockhampton clinic extraordinary.

Megan, who left for family reasons but was personally invited back by Dr Jocelyn. Mikayla, who's successfully balanced motherhood and career through genuine workplace flexibility. And Madison, a fifth year vet student who travelled from Brisbane specifically to experience what other students had raved about.

Together, their perspectives reveal the workplace culture, the clinic culture that's created remarkable loyalty and has attracted veterinary professionals from across Queensland and across Australia.

We start with Megan, whose journey back to High Street Vets began with a phone call from Jocelyn.

Megan [00:02:01]: My name is Megan. I'm currently the customer service representative at High Street Vets. I have previously worked in other roles here at the clinic. Veterinary nurse for four years and then I took a little bit of a break and now I was invited back by Dr Jocelyn to take on a bit of a new role.

Julie South [00:02:22]: A lot of people don't like going back, Megan, because they sort of think, you know, it's, oh, it's a backward step. Is that how it might have been? Did that thought go through your head?

Megan [00:02:32]: No. Basically I came back to High Street because I really like the team here. I took a break for personal and financial reasons. At the time I left High Street, it was just prior to my mum and my dad becoming quite unwell.

So I took a break to sort out family, family issues and I did give notice at that time, but my intention was always to come back and I did come back for a little while and did some nursing, but unfortunately Jocelyn at that time couldn't offer me the hours I needed with my added financial responsibilities at that time.

So I went and worked elsewhere, just for a little while. So about six or eight months then I got a phone call from Jocelyn and asking would I be interested to come back to the clinic.

Julie South [00:03:21]: Fantastic. So what is it like coming back? What's the team?

Megan [00:03:26]: It was like coming home. Yeah, sorry, yeah, was like coming home I was a little bit apprehensive because it was a new role and I wasn't really up to speed with all of the administration stuff because I was more of a hands on girl at the back.

But yeah, basically when you're coming to a totally new workplace you don't know anyone. You don't, you know, you have that little bit of insecurity. But coming back to High Street, I knew all the girls, I knew what to expect. Although there had been some changes and role, I guess revision for some of the girls here and some we had some long term staff members leave. But yeah, it was like coming back home.

Julie South [00:04:08]: What does customer service mean? What does that role do?

Megan [00:04:12]: Well, I think it's really important. You're the first point of contact when people come through the door when they're stressed with their animals. I really like that aspect that you get to talk to them first. You can help relieve some of their fears and their anxieties about their pets and what's going to happen.

Also, having been a nurse and privy to everything that goes on out the back, I guess I have a bit more of an insight than someone who is purely reception based. I can give people a little bit of information about what they can expect that will happen when they leave their pets with us.

And you know, people these days love their pets so much, they really do have genuine fears about what's going to happen to them out the back. So I guess I can talk to them and relieve some of those fears.

Megan [00:04:58]: Explain in layman's terms. I guess you can say, you know, in a way that people understand and talk to them and find out what it is that they're actually stressed about. Are they just stressed that they're going to be in the cage or are they stressed about the procedure, that sort of stuff. So that part of it I really, really enjoy.

Julie South [00:05:15]: Are you a Rockhampton woman born and bred?

Megan [00:05:20]: No, no, I'm from South Coast, New South Wales. So I had previous experience. I was at my previous clinic for nine years as a veterinary nurse. Also did some grooming, so about five years of pet grooming. And I was also in pet retail for eight years.

Julie South [00:05:37]: How's it been coming to Rockhampton as an outsider? The reason I'm asking that question is because it's a high probability that your next vet that we're helping, you know, you find here your next vet will be from outside Rockhampton, maybe even outside Queensland.

Megan [00:05:59]: Yeah, well, I was actually surprised. I found Rockhampton people in general to be quite welcoming and although I'm from a tiny little town in New South Wales. It could be a bit cliquey there, but I found Rockhampton as generally quite welcoming, more like a big country town than a city.

And there is quite a lot of diversity here compared to where I was from. So that, I guess that creates a bit more of a feel of, I don't know, just, yeah, diversity, acceptance of people who are slightly, you know, maybe different to what you are used to, which I found very refreshing.

Julie South [00:06:40]: What sort of person do you think would fit best into the team?

Megan [00:06:45]: I think everyone here is very genuine in their care and their love for animals. We all have a good laugh. We all. We all enjoy, you know, each other, like, camaraderie with each other when we're never too. We never take ourselves too seriously, you know, even when it is stressful, we always like to have a bit of a joke at the end of the day or whatever.

But, yeah, we're all very dedicated and our love for pets and people really does shine through.

Julie South [00:07:12]: I think Jocelyn has been very supportive of her team pursuing specialisations with a lowercase S special interests, as opposed to being a specialist for you. How has that been, watching the clinic grow?

Megan [00:07:31]: Very interesting. Like I said, I was from a small little country town, so we didn't really have any specialists or any, you know, everything was referred away. So seeing people actually get referred to our clinic and seeing those specialised cases, very, very interesting.

And I think it gives us a point of difference. Dr Virginia, seeing some of those complex eye surgeries and things that she takes on, it's just, I guess because I've come from a nursing background as well, you never lose the interest. So I'm always ducking out the back, what's. What's happening here, you know, that it's just amazing, amazing to see that we can offer such specialised surgery in our clinic.

Megan [00:08:19]: Yeah. So that's awesome.

Julie South [00:08:21]: Is there anything that you would like, somebody who's listening to this, a vet who's listening to this, or maybe a nurse, you know, further down the track when you're looking for a nurse, thinking, yeah, I'd like to find out more about that clinic, but I'm not sure if it's my fit. What would you say to them?

Megan [00:08:43]: That's a pretty tough question. Yeah, I guess for me, when I applied here, I applied at pretty much every clinic in the Rockhampton area and got calls back, call back for most of them.

The reason I was attracted to High Street and ended up accepting the original position here was there was room for growth, personal growth. It was very, very different to the clinic I had come from. I felt it would give me the opportunity to learn far more than even though I'd had eight years experience in my previous clinic, you know, we only offered very limited services, but what we can offer here with just the amount of equipment and things that are available to us here at High Street, I felt it would push me to learn more and it did.

So I think that would be one of the greatest advantages of coming to work at High Street. You do get to see a lot of different cases and avenue for learning is. Yeah, Jocelyn's very supportive of that.

Julie South [00:09:52]: As you just heard, Megan's story about being welcomed back showcases and highlights something absolutely critical and crucial about High Street Vets and that is that this team genuinely cares about their people's life circumstances.

This philosophy, this ethos extends far beyond just rehiring former employees. Our next team member, Mikayla, discovered this firsthand when she became a mum.

As a vet nurse living 40 kilometres away in Yeppoon with a partner who works fly in, fly out in the mines, Mikayla faced the challenge that many parents know only too well. How do you balance career with family responsibilities? Here's how High Street Vets handled that conversation.

Michaela [00:10:51]: My name is Michaela, I am a veterinary technician here at High Street Vet Surgery in Rockhampton and I am currently employed as a part time vet nurse.

Julie South [00:11:01]: Thank you. Mikayla, how long have you been at High Street Vets?

Mikayla [00:11:05]: I have been here for eight, nearly nine years now.

Julie South [00:11:09]: Was it your first job?

Mikayla [00:11:10]: It was. So how it came about was I did veterinary technology at Gatton University and then I came to, I live in Yeppoon so I came to Rockhampton as needing placement, got here first up off the bat which was lovely and then went back, finished my degree and then came back six months later obviously applying for a job in CQ region and they were happy to snatch me then and there and I have not turned back. I've been here ever since. So I've been very privileged and lucky in that aspect.

Julie South [00:11:46]: That's the second time today I've heard reference to the CQ region. Is that Central Queensland?

Mikayla [00:11:52]: Yes. So Rockhampton, Yeppoon area in Gladstone and stuff. That's central Queensland? Yeah.

Julie South [00:11:58]: How far away is Yeppoon?

Mikayla [00:12:01]: Yeppoon is about between a 30 and 40 minute drive. So it's about a 40 kilometre drive. Yeppoon is north versus so I drive south to Rockhampton.

Julie South [00:12:11]: What's life like for you as a vet nurse at High Street Vets?

Mikayla [00:12:17]: My role for myself has changed. A little bit through the years I've gained my experience and things, becoming a full time head nurse, which I previously was. Then I did that for about five, six years and then I fell pregnant and had a baby and went on maternity leave for about five to six months and then I actually came back just part time working two to three days a week, which I'm still currently doing now with my one and a half year old.

Julie South [00:12:47]: There's a lot of sometimes stigma attached in some clinics to part timers. You may, not necessarily you, I'm not saying this is you, but some part timers who are parents need to do the school pickup, they need to do the school drop off, they're not always there when everybody needs to or other people need to open or close. How is the culture at High Street Vets for you as a part timer?

Mikayla [00:13:20]: It is incredible. I can't even explain how fortunate I am to have Jocelyn, who was a mother, to be my boss and have that willingness to just discuss options for my employment as a mum.

So I obviously have to travel half an hour, 45 minutes to even get to work, let alone my son goes to daycare in Yeppoon, then I have to finish work and drive all the way back to Yeppoon to even pick him up. So before even coming back on maternity, after maternity leave, just sitting down and talking to Jocelyn about these are the hours that he's in daycare.

This is what I'm kind of looking for timeline wise because after you have a baby, my partner is a miner, so he's week on, week off, so he's not always home, so it's sometimes just me. So just really, just that open communication as to really explaining to Jocelyn what I would really like for my life and how to run my family, but also lining that up with what Jocelyn would like as a boss and as my employer.

So it's give and take both ways, but just being able to communicate that and making a plan before even coming into work. It's not like I came in and it was just expected of me to go back to my full time back from 7:30 till 5:00 o'clock, that's it.

Mikayla [00:14:53]: She's so open with both of us working together. So I can still be here and be employee here, but be a mum at the same time. Just having that open communication all the time. And it's still going now he's in daycare a lot more now and still some days when my partner's at work that Noah is sick and I just have to let Jocelyn know.

I'm sorry. I know I'm meant to work this Friday. Noah's sick, I've got no one to look after him. I can't come in today or I've got to leave early and just.

Mikayla [00:15:24]: She knows that. She's a mum, she's been there. We just have that trust in us that we're not lying where we want to work. That's why we're here. I think that just open communication and trust we have here is just so valuable. You can't put a price on that.

Julie South [00:15:40]: I understand from Jocelyn that being on the emergency after hours roster is not compulsory. Are you on that roster?

Mikayla [00:15:50]: I'm not on the roster as such. I can definitely help out my struggle just for my family side of things. I have to travel a minimum from Yeppoon into rocky. By the time I say get out of bed to get ready, it's about a 45 minutes until I get to work. Then I also have my son.

If my. If my partner is at the mines, it's just me, so I need someone to look after him. So for my side of things, I can't perform that yet until.

Mikayla [00:16:24]: Unless Danny, my partner, is at home and can look after him. But also just the distance for me, I think I'm kind of. Other girls are closer that are more willing to do it at this stage, but I can do it. It's just more for me, the distance side of things. It's about 45 minutes for me to get to the clinic.

Julie South [00:16:43]: The reason I ask that is because after hours is the bane of veterinary professionals lives. And given a choice, most vets, most nurses would not put their hand up to do the after hours and those who don't. In a clinic where others do, there can be a stigma attached, there can be pressure. Jocelyn has told me that's not how it is, that if somebody can't do after hours, they can't do after hours. And she's fine with that and the rest of the team is fine with it. Is that how it is?

Mikayla [00:17:23]: Oh, absolutely. And we discuss this before after hours. Like even if we're on after hours this weekend, it's a Monday, we're planning who's doing it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So we can. People who are wanting to do it, they can sort out family life timeline. And then if someone's like, oh, I've got my son's sick, I may not be able to come in, we'll have a backup plan.

So everyone. It's not just that one person just deciding yes or no.

Mikayla [00:17:54]: It's a whole team thing, so everyone knows, okay, so and so's got this and no one holds anything. If you want to go to your son's cricket game, that is fine. There's no negative things about this clinic when it comes to after hours. If you've been on after hours or you've just had a massive day, Jocelyn will actually ask, do you want to do after hours or do you want a break?

We just have such an open communication here that allows for all staff, vets and nurses to go, do you feel like doing it? Do you not? If you would like to, you're more than welcome to. It's very open here whether you'd like to do it or not. It's not pressured and it's not forced ever.

Julie South [00:18:35]: What's my last question? What sort of person do you think would fit best into your team?

Mikayla [00:18:43]: I feel someone who is just very open to communication is the biggest thing and just not feeling pressured to do anything, just feeling very, very welcomed here. We are all extremely welcoming, happy to fit in with their life. Don't feel like if you've got three kids going to struggle for the time and work balance.

Jocelyn is and all of us here are extremely open and welcoming to your life situation that it goes both ways. We help with your home life but also helping when you can in the clinic side of things. So it definitely goes hand in hand and I think we're all just very, just very welcome and just very open. Yeah, just also a very happy, happy, bright person.

Julie South [00:19:39]: Is there anything that you would especially like somebody to know that I haven't asked about?

Mikayla [00:19:46]: I think the main thing would be it doesn't, you don't have to be a mum, you don't have to be a 40 year old male or a 21 year old fresh new graduation. This position in this clinic, we're open to everyone. Whether you're still training or you've been out of the industry for 10 years, it does not matter. We are all happy to train, get you up to speed, work with you. We're just very open to whoever's happy and willing to come back or join the industry in our clinic.

Julie South [00:20:22]: As you heard, Mikayla's experience as a working mum reveals and showcases just how genuine workplace flexibility actually works. And that's through open communication, trust and a leadership team that knows what they're talking about because they've been there themselves.

But it's not just long term employees who notice high street vets culture. Our next perspective comes from Madison, a fifth year veterinary student who made quite the journey for her placement. When a student travels eight hours from Brisbane specifically because of what other students have said about a clinic, that tells you something significant.

Here's Maddie's take on her two weeks at High Street Vets.

Madison [00:21:14]: My name is Madison, I am a 5th year vet student and I'm here for 2 weeks on placement.

Julie South [00:21:21]: Thank you. Madison. What are your first impressions?

Madison [00:21:25]: It's really, it's a great team. Everyone really cares about all the animals and the clients and they all support each other and they. It's a really judgement free environment.

Julie South [00:21:37]: Did you choose High Street Vets yourself to place?

Madison [00:21:42]: Yeah, so I'm actually from Brisbane, but I. Because I've heard such great things from other students who've previously done placement here, I travelled up just to do placement here and yeah, it was definitely a really good decision.

Julie South [00:21:54]: So the other students that you heard about great things, what sort of things were they and how have what you heard match up to what you heard?

Madison [00:22:04]: Well, it's a really like respectful environment. They respect me as a person and you know, they respect what I've learnt in my study and I can ask for help but also they can ask me for my opinion, which is really nice. So they respect that I'm learning but that I also do have things that are valuable that I can contribute.

Julie South [00:22:30]: Are you doing real work?

Madison [00:22:32]: Real work?

Julie South [00:22:33]: Sorry, real. Are you doing real work on your placement or are you cleaning cages?

Madison [00:22:39]: Oh, I'm doing real work for sure. Yeah. Like they let me do a lot more than other placements. They let me, you know, hold a cat, which sounds simple, but if it's an aggressive cat, usually they won't let a student do it, but they'll ask me if I'm okay to do it and if I am, they'll, they'll let me do it.

If I'm not, they'll talk me through how to do it and you know, they'll be there to support me and teach me how to do it. And if I'm not good enough yet, they'll do it for me and talk me through it. And if I am good enough to be talked through it while I'm doing it, they will let me do that as well. So yeah, without sacrificing patient care, they also let me participate a lot.

Julie South [00:23:21]: What's your biggest achievement so far while you've been on this placement?

Madison [00:23:25]: Well, I was really involved with this patient that had a urinary issue to do with his prostate and I really enjoyed being able to give him that support. They trusted me with knowing when to take him out of the cage and giving him food. I enjoyed being able to build that relationship with the patient and just be really involved in that.

Julie South [00:23:53]: As a student, what sort of person do you think would best fit into that team?

Madison [00:24:00]: Probably someone that's positive because the rest of the team is really positive. Someone that I think enjoys coming to work. They all really enjoy coming to work and they enjoy each other's company. I think if you kind of walk into the team, like, even in the interview, you can already tell if it's your vibe. They're really welcoming. And straight away I kind of. I felt like part of the team. Someone who likes working as a team.

Julie South [00:24:27]: Is there anything that you would specifically like a vet who's considering moving or applying for this position to know about working at High Street Vets? That's not a trick question. It just might be something you. Oh, you know, I wish I knew this when I came here. Or not.

Madison [00:24:47]: I don't think so. I mean, the most I can think is. I mean, this probably isn't a very good answer, but for me, I know that one of the things I value in a prospective clinic is the team is good. And I've said it before, the team is really good. And if it was in Brisbane, I would 100% work here. Like, it's been my favourite placement.

It's not like I haven't been, like, prepared for anything. Under prepared or something.

Madison [00:25:17]: You know, they kind of tell you what they expect and stick to that.

Julie South [00:25:21]: This podcast is listened worldwide just to give some people who have no idea the travel distance between Brisbane and Rockhampton. What sort of distance are we talking about there?

Madison [00:25:34]: Eight hours.

Julie South [00:25:35]: By car?

Madison [00:25:37]: Yeah, by car. Flight. I think it's probably two hours. It's a bit much for a daily commute.

Julie South [00:25:42]: I'll say. Yes. An expensive commute.

Madison [00:25:46]: Yes.

Julie South [00:25:47]: Okay, so it's eight hours. So, yes.

Madison [00:25:49]: The town of Rockhampton, though, like, if you are to travel here, it has everything. Although it's. It's rural, you don't really need to travel outside of Rockhampton to get everything you need. It's a big city.

Julie South [00:26:02]: Thank you, Maddie. That didn't hurt, did it?

Madison [00:26:06]: No.

Julie South [00:26:07]: And all the best with your studies and your. Your career. Yeah. There you have it. More veterinary voices from our High Street vet surgery showcase. From Megan's story of being welcomed back, to Michaela's experience of genuine work life balance as a mum, and to Maddie's perspective as a student who travelled hundreds of kilometres because of what she'd heard about this clinic.

Now, what strikes me about these three conversations is how consistently the same themes emerge. And that's open communication.

Julie South [00:26:48]: It's mutual respect, genuinely caring for people's life circumstances, and a culture where everyone, from experienced professionals all the way through to students, feels valued and heard.

For any veterinarian considering their next move, if you've now heard from multiple people at High Street Vets in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, they each tell the same story from their unique perspective.

And please remember that High Street Vets right now is actively seeking and looking for their next small animal veterinarian. I'll put links in the show notes. You can find them at vetclinicjobs.com and if you're a clinic owner listening who's absolutely frustrated with the results you're getting from your recruitment marketing efforts, if you're ready to tell your real story like High Street Vets has done, we're ready to listen and help you showcase what makes your clinic an employer of choice too.

Veterinary Voices is brought to you by Vet Clinic Jobs Direct Hiring Reimagined. No recruitment agency until next time, this is Julie South signing off and inviting you to go out there and create the kind of workplace culture where people choose to come back, where students travel hours to experience, and where everyone brings their unique gifts to make the team stronger.