Personnel Management

Making it Work in Practice

Abstract

After almost a quarter century since graduation from veterinary school, it is somewhat of a challenge to offer valuable information to an audience that does the same work that I do in a very similar work environment. The progression from employee to solo practitioner to partnership to multi- person practice is very familiar to many. We often advise the producers we serve to concentrate a lot of effort on managing feed costs because it is a significant cost of production. We should take our own advice and apply it to our own significant cost of doing business-payroll and personnel. I would like to share with you some ideas that I've done (some regrettably), ideas that are presently employed, and things I will do in the future (hopefully).

As with any large task, breaking it into manageable, smaller parts makes the whole project easier to deal with. These parts come in the form of questions that we must answer in order for present and prospective associates to understand the employers and the practice setting and mission more fully. Truthfully analyzing and answering these questions, then clearly conveying the answers to personnel, present and future, will save the practice management the drudgery of revolving door associates and spare the employees the unhappiness of involuntary career changes.