By Brandon Hess, CVPM, CCFP

Do you remember your first day of work, when you first entered the Veterinary field? I do, very vividly. A mentorship program could have made it much better. I was the employee that went in a week early to get my manual so that I could read, and learn all of the policies before starting. I wanted to hit the ground running so I burst through the door on my first day with all of the excitement and energy of a 5-year-old getting to meet their favorite super hero, or princess. As I walked through the practice I introduced myself to all of the staff that were in their respective areas. I smiled, extended my hand and joyfully said “Hi! My name is Brandon. I’m the new assistant!”. Most people reciprocated with a forced smile, barely making an attempt to turn their bodies in my direction to engage with me. “Could you tell me where Sally is? I was told to ask for her.” “Sally” (name changed to protect the innocent) was the floor supervisor for that day, who also would be graciously providing me a first impression I would never forget. As I practically skipped down the ramp to the treatment floor, my path crossed with Sally at the bottom. “You must be Brandon, my new assistant. Welcome to ABC Animal Clinic. I need you to bag a Great Dane in room 3. Head up there and take care of it please.” I walked into room 3 and quickly learned what it meant to “bag the Great Dane”. It was the first time I had seen a deceased dog, let alone having to “bag” one, alone.

If you have a similar story, you received the same introduction to Veterinary Medicine as I did. I like to refer to it as the “sink-or-swim-trial-by-fire-staff-who-eat-their-young” introduction. While it’s fun to say, it comes with some very unfortunate side-effects. This introduction can cause many symptoms within your practice, but the hardest to treat is something that plagues a lot of Veterinary Practices. That’s right, attrition (gasp!). Not many people survive this type of introduction, and we unfortunately lose a lot of quality staff members due to it. So, what’s the solution you ask? Well, aside from not tolerating that type of culture in your practice, one solution is to assign mentors to all new hires with a mentorship program.

What is a Mentor?

“Mentoring is a long term relationship where the focus is on supporting the growth and development of the mentee. The mentor is a source of wisdom, teaching and support, but not someone who observes and advises on specific actions or behavioral changes in daily work.” – “A Guide to Understanding the Role of a Mentor”

As I look back on my career, there is no way that I would be where I am without mentors. Employees can have mentors in your practice as well as other areas of the field. For the purpose of this blog, I will focus on internal mentors within your practice. “What’s important to consider when identifying and assigning mentors?” I’m glad you asked. Below are items to consider when creating and implementing a mentorship program:

• You should hand-pick mentors that embody the culture you want the mentee to be a part of. It’s OK to solicit staff who want to be a mentor. However, that shouldn’t be the only qualifying criteria. Putting a staff member in the driver’s seat of your bus, that isn’t qualified to be there, will inevitably crash.
• Make it something that has to be achieved, and is valued in your practice. For practices that have a levels program, make the mentor level one of the higher ones.
• A mentor and a trainer do not have the same role, but they can be done by the same person.
• An employee should have a steady mentor for 9-12 months.

According to the 2012 Training Industry Quarterly, 75% of employees that were surveyed said it took them 12 months to 2 years to become fully acclimated to their new workplace.

• Mentors should be approachable, and trustworthy. An employee needs someone that they are comfortable asking, what they may perceive as, dumb questions.
• From day 1, employers should assign a mentor to new employees. They should be one of the first people the employee meets, and they should introduce them to the rest of the team.
• As you do your 30/60/90 day reviews (you do those consistently, right?) gain feedback on how things are going with their respective mentor. If you need to move mentors around, I’d encourage you to do so. Sometimes two people just don’t click.

By creating an effective mentorship program, you will be setting the best first impression for an employee. You will be indirectly stating: “We care about you, and your success at our practice. Because we care, we are providing you a personal mentor that will be there to guide you.”