Staff retention is an organisation’s ability to retain its employees. A company with a high staff retention rate is likely to have a positive working environment that prioritises its employees and their wellbeing, making for a happier workforce that are satisfied with their roles.
Maintaining a high staff retention rate is important because it builds a strong culture within the organisation, with more experienced employees. Plus, it helps avoid the various issues related to higher turnover, such as productivity dips and the cost of recruiting new employees.
Staff retention issues in the veterinary sector
At the SPVS Congress earlier this year, delegates were informed that approximately 3,000 vets are registered with the RCVS as non-practising.
The challenge the sector now faces is figuring out how to improve staff retention for people already working in the veterinary industry, as well as improving recruitment by making the sector a more appealing area of work.
Veterinary professionals express uncertainty of their future
Findings from the recent BVA’s Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey reveal that over a third of respondents are unsure of their future in the veterinary profession, with 17% saying they would not be in the profession at all in five years’ time, and 19% reporting they were unsure.
A previous Voice survey from Spring 2023 revealed that a third of all respondents had taken parental leave during their career in the veterinary sector, though there are various other reasons for the career breaks. Unfortunately, 27% of respondents felt they weren’t supported well, or at all, upon return from parental leave.
The BVA’s findings also reveal that 48% of men felt very well supported, but only 24% of women put themselves in this bracket. Furthermore, 14% of women reported that they were not supported at all.
Online veterinary CPD training platform to improve staff retention
The importance of making the veterinary profession more appealing and nurturing is clear. The spotlight is on practices to ensure their teams feel better supported, which in turn will improve staff retention in the sector.
It is essential to ensure that practice teams have the tools to excel in their daily tasks, as well as being able to grow within the profession. This is where our new online training platform can help.
Powered by Agilio Software, iLearn Veterinary is a new training platform tailored to veterinary practices and their teams, with courses available for all roles in the practice, offering a straightforward training experience. If you are familiar with Colourful CPD, you’ll be pleased to know that iLearn Veterinary course content has been transferred from Colourful CPD after Agilio Software’s recent acquisition of the company. You can now access all Colourful CPD courses via iLearn as one subscription, streamlining CPD training and making it more cost-effective.
Implementing iLearn in your veterinary practice could help improve retention of staff, as it allows you to offer team members a great online learning platform, encouraging growth and development in their roles, making the practice a more supportive place to work.
To read more about our online veterinary training platform and access free content, check out:
Online CPD for veterinary nurses
You can book a demo of the platform here: https://agiliosoftware.com/veterinary/veterinary-book-a-demo/
Or view our list of courses for all roles in veterinary practice: https://veterinary-ilearn.agiliosoftware.com/Courses/veterinary