How to maintain morale of your veterinary team?
Are you concerned team morale is low in your veterinary business?
Vets, veterinary nurses and support staff are the life blood of your business and it is imperative to maintain motivation and morale.
To appraise morale, look for clues in staff behaviour.
- Has energy in the clinic dropped?
- Are staff relationships fractured?
- Have there been more errors and/or a drop in quality of work?
- Is there less communication from your team and a drop in desire to share opinions?
- Has employee retention dropped?
Multiple internal and external stressors can impact team spirit. Demotivating factors include lack of recognition, poor communication, unfavourable client interactions, high levels of stress or workload, poor rostering with insufficient breaks, unclear job expectations and lack of advancement or continuing education opportunities.
There are factors within management’s influence to positively improve staff morale.
- Demonstrate to the team how management is engaged to improve working conditions. This might include sharing appropriate recruitment updates if short staffed, modifications to workload or rostering, plans for equipment upgrades and maintaining zero tolerance for inappropriate client behaviour.
- Increase communication with all staff members. Encourage employees to ask questions and share ideas during staff meetings. Support collaboration within the team. Listen and then listen some more to what staff have to say. Provide feedback opportunities both to and from employees.
- Demonstrate gratitude and appreciation daily. Recognise the efforts of your staff and value their work and input.
- Invest in growth and professional development. Be actively involved in supporting and encouraging career progression.
- Regularly review remuneration and employment agreements. Be transparent about future opportunities for progression.
High-morale vets, veterinary nurses and support staff are energetic, resilient team players who show initiative, love their job and learning, and know how to balance work and life. They bring positive energy to work and support their colleagues when things get difficult. These employees are internally motivated and will present their best selves to your customers and their pets.
