VI AAEP News February 2022


WELLNESS


Zap the generational gap! Tips for embracing the unique strengths of younger veterinarians


By Meagan Johnson


Equine practices risk losing young vets to small animal practices when the toll of long hours, no days off and less pay leads to burnout. In this article, we will examine some small steps you and your practice can take to keep young equine veterinarians committed and devoted to the care of horses.


Meagan Johnson


Feedback is my favorite word Younger generations have a higher


desire for feedback and collaboration than previous gener- ations. • Greater than 65% of Generation Z (born between 1997–2012) want weekly feedback at a minimum (and preferably more often).1


• 74% of millennials (born between 1981–1996) name collaboration as one of the top two priorities they want in a workplace.2


What can practice managers do to create the culture of feedback and collaboration millennials and Generation Z crave?


Over 70% of Generation Z are motivated to go above and beyond when they feel their


employer cares about their welfare.4


than 80% want to work for someone whom they can relate to both professionally and personally.


Greater


An HR manager I recently interviewed told me he abolished the yearly review. He said, “Young people do not care about feedback that is a year old. They care about the day-to-day rela- tionship they have with their employer.”


One tool he uses to solidify the employer/employee relationship is the Stay Interview, which helps managers understand why people stay and why they leave. Additionally, it is an effective tool that allows people to feel heard and their opinion has value.


Some sample Stay Interview questions:3 • What do you like most about working here?


• What kind of feedback would you like about your performance that you are not currently receiving?


• What have you felt good about accomplishing during your time here?


• When was the last time you considered leaving your job and what was the reason you thought about leaving?


To learn more about what questions to ask and how to conduct a Stay Interview, search “stay interview questions” in Google.


Give younger veterinarians a mentor According to a Deloitte study, millennials who are at their current job or organization for longer than five years are two times more likely to have a mentor. And according to PriceWaterhouse Cooper, 98% of millennials feel that working with strong mentors is very important.


We often think of a mentor as someone from our personal life—a coach, a teacher or a community leader. Today, younger people are looking for mentorship in the workplace. According to a study by Springtide Research Institute, over 70% of Generation Z are motivated to go above and beyond when they feel their employer cares about their welfare.4


Greater than 80% want to work for


someone whom they can relate to both professionally and personally.


WLB (work-life balance) Young practitioners want and expect a healthy balance between work and personal time. This does not mean they do not love their jobs. Young equine veterinarians have chosen this career because they are passionate about horses and their welfare. Here are four steps to take to ensure everyone in your practice is experiencing WLB equilibrium: • 50% of Millennials have children. They want family- related benefits such as childcare providers and paid parental leave.


• Holistic wellness initiatives. Help your young practi- tioners with stress management. Provide wearable devices (i.e., fitness watches), mental health support and accessible healthy food options. (This also ties into the Generation Z desire to work for someone who cares about them.)


• Tuition reimbursement. The younger generations have more student debt than previous generations. Additionally, they are experiencing higher levels of financial stress than older generations. Even partial assistance is a great stress reliever to someone who is just beginning their career.


continued on next page


Meagan Johnson is a professional speaker and generational enthusiast who writes and speaks about the ever-changing multiple generations and the best practices of the organizations who employ and sell to them. She delivered the keynote presentation at the AAEP’s 2021 Annual Convention.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84