Often, the best way to determine what is happening within a certain industry or profession is to ask those who are working within that industry or profession on a daily basis.
This applies to both the Animal Health industry and the Veterinary profession, and it was the primary reason why The VET Recruiter conducted a comprehensive survey of Animal Health and Veterinary professionals this summer. The results of this survey were enlightening. They confirmed some things that we already suspected, and they also brought to light a few realities which we had not considered to this point.
The Veterinarian Shortage
I’ve written many articles about the shortage of veterinarians not only in the United States, but around the world. (In fact, it was the subject of my first article for Animal Health News and Views.) However, the notion that there is a veterinarian shortage in the job market has been the topic of debate.
But that wasn’t the case when reviewing the results of our survey.
We asked survey respondents to indicate whether they work in the Animal Health industry or whether they’re a veterinarian. According to those in the Veterinary profession, an overwhelming 94% of them believe that there is a workforce shortage within the profession.
While that shortage has been well-documented—and discussed—a workforce shortage also apparently exists within the Animal Health industry. That’s because almost as many Animal Health professionals (90%) are of the opinion that there is a shortage of skilled professionals within their field. Based on these numbers, it appears as though the shortage of skilled professionals within Animal Health extends beyond the sphere of veterinarians and other staff working in Veterinary clinical practice.
Job Tenure and Mobility
Another trend within the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession is that of job tenure. And this trend mirrors the one that is occurring in the larger employment marketplace and job market. Specifically, it has become customary for professionals to switch jobs more and more frequently and without fear of being labeled a “job hopper.”
In terms of our survey, 41% of those in the Veterinary profession have been with their current employer for less than two years. On the Animal Health side, 35% of professionals indicated the same. However, what about their thoughts regarding the frequency with which they change jobs? Once again, the results for the two groups is similar.
In fact, the same percentage of veterinarians (41%) that have been with their employer for less than two years is the same percentage that believes changing jobs after one or two years is acceptable. So those numbers line up perfectly. Not only that, but 34% of veterinarians deem it acceptable to change jobs after three to five years. Put those together, and a staggering 75% of veterinarians believes that it’s okay to switch jobs after a minimum of only three years.
On the Animal Health side, 39% of professionals think that it’s acceptable to leave their job after only one to two years, and 49% would consider a job change after three to five years. Once again, when you combine the numbers, they illustrate that 88% of survey participants in Animal Health believe that switching jobs after three to five years is acceptable.
It used to be that anyone who changed jobs every five years would be labeled a “job hopper.” Now, that is no longer the case.
Being Open to Opportunity
Based upon the statistics we’ve analyzed so far, you might think that the majority of people in our survey would be open to exploring new career opportunities—and if so, then you would be correct.
On the Animal Health side, 73% of professionals are open to exploring new opportunities. 42% of survey respondents in the Veterinary profession indicated that they’re open to doing so. This is especially important due to the lack of veterinarians who exist. Not only is there a shortage, but those veterinarians who are in clinical practice are not as open to pursuing new employment as those working in the Animal Health industry.
However, what’s also interesting is the large percentage of professionals who work with a recruiter. Of the Animal Health professionals currently open to opportunities, 69% of them have worked with a recruiter for personal employment. That’s roughly seven out of every 10. And on the Veterinary side, of the veterinarians who are open to opportunities, 49% of them have worked with a recruiter for personal employment. Which equates to one out of every two.
Male vs. Female
Since 2009, there have been more women veterinarians in the Veterinary profession than males, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and women’s representation has continued to rise since that year. And according to our survey, 77% of the veterinarians who responded to our survey were female.
However, there were some other interesting discrepancies. Despite being a minority within the profession, 76% of male veterinarians play a part in the hiring process. This, of course, means that they’ve advanced to a more senior level with their employer. In addition, 57% of male veterinarians have worked with a recruiter for personal employment, while only 28% of female veterinarians have worked with a recruiter for personal employment.
This latter statistic is mirrored on the Animal Health side, with 72% of male professionals have worked with a recruiter for personal employment, while only 49% of female professionals have worked with a recruiter for personal employment. The conclusion that can be drawn is that working with a recruiter can help you advance your career.
The most glaring example of this is illustrated within the Veterinary profession. While men are a significant minority within the profession, they are a significant majority in terms of being involved with the hiring process and making decisions regarding that process. This is something that I’ve seen first-hand. In my more than 25 years as a recruiter, it’s been my experience that men are more likely to say “Pick me, pick me!” when vying for a new job, whereas women are more passive in their pursuit of opportunities.
Final Analysis
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, our survey results confirmed some things that we already suspected, but they also shed light on some hidden realities of the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. The main takeaways, though, reside in the former category as opposed to the latter one. In other words:
• There is a talent shortage in the shortage in the Veterinary profession, specifically with veterinarians.
• Professionals in both the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession believe that it’s acceptable to switch jobs in an ever-increasing shorter amount of time, continuing to dispel the “job hopper” myth and set a new standard for the job market.
• A sizeable percentage of professionals are open to exploring new opportunities, but this is more the case within the Animal Health industry than the Veterinary profession.
Overall, these survey results paint a compelling picture of the job market, especially within the veterinarian job market. They confirm and underscore the challenges that exist for employers, but they also shed some light on the best ways to meet and overcome these challenges so that organizations can successfully secure the talent they need to be successful, both now and into the future.