The evolving workplace for new veterinary graduates

As it proceeds into the new millennium, veterinary medicine finds itself faced with a number of issues and trends that are not unlike those being encountered by other professions. The effects of supply and demand are being felt everywhere: not enough large animal and mixed animal practitioners; more practices available for sale, as aging Baby Boomers face retirement and there are fewer buyers to purchase them; a lack of adequate succession planning for practitioners; difficulty in recruiting volunteers into leadership positions in professional organizations; changing employment terms for veterinary associates; and a changing attitude among members of the emerging generation towards the role and priority of their career.

While pure market forces will always have a significant effect on salaries and working conditions, the veterinary medical profession must also recognize and respond to the changing demographic of the new generation of veterinarians. Currently, the majority of practice owners across Canada belong to the now familiar group deemed as Baby Boomers, namely, those born between 1942 and 1960 (1). These individuals are direct descendants of parents impacted by World War II; professionals in the group of Baby Boomers are generally characterized as being motivated, believing in job loyalty, seeking self-improvement, and having high expectations and willing to sacrifice to achieve them (2).

Following the Baby Boomers comes the current predominating demographic market for professionals who were born between 1960 and 1978 and have been coined Generation X'ers. There are fewer of them than there are Baby Boomers, creating an effective supply shortage among the professions, including veterinary medicine. Add in the demographic change of an increasing number of 2nd income and part-time veterinarians, less interest in pursuing mixed and large animal practice as a career, as well as more opportunities to move laterally to nonpractice roles within the profession, and the supply shortage of private practitioners becomes more acute. Job loyalty is not as much of a priority value any longer, with the average job tenure of Generation X'ers jobs being only 3 years, compared with 7 years for the Baby Boomers (1). The rules of the game or workplace dynamics in veterinary practice, as elsewhere, are being forced into change to accommodate and attempt to strike a productive balance with this demographic group as they move progressively into a predominant role in the marketplace. The career is becoming a conduit to a better lifestyle rather than the life itself. Gorden Borteck (3), manager of Human Resources at Pfizer Incorporated, characterized this group as transmitting a message saying, “I want it, I want it now, I want it big and I want it fast.” The challenge for practice owners is to come to grips with employing individuals with different beliefs than themselves and to successfully manage and motivate them.

The change in interests, priorities, and behaviors of this group in many, but not all, circumstances is a very positive thing, brought about by a change in some of their core values and beliefs:

• They are not afraid to lose a job. The effects of supply and demand and a plentiful supply of opportunities reduce the effects of fear as a motivator to capitulate to established business practices, and increase the likelihood that these practices and those who enact them will be challenged. If things don't go well, Generation X'ers, having grown up in an environment of lay-offs and cutbacks, often figure they'll just get another job. Business owners must respond by being receptive to challenge and by being informative coaches, directive leaders, and effective mentors.

• They don't respect hierarchy just because it is there. Michael Macoby (4) claims that highly educated Generation X individuals look at their employer and say, “So what if you own the business, are you going to help me or not?” Defined expectations are, therefore, critical for young associates to establish “value-added” for themselves. The written contract, now very common in veterinary associate-employer relationships, is a valuable tool to define those expectations. Generation X'ers will work hard for their income, but the outcome for their efforts must be tied to perceived value on their part, and a contract gives security to define the terms of that value.

• They want to influence the big picture. Part of the perceived “value-added” philosophy, namely, the ability to put into practice their own ideas, is far removed from the “toe the line” philosophy of 20 years ago. Business owners need to be receptive to the potential for employee frustration and be ready to increase the responsibility or recognition, or both, of their associate's position. The owner must also be willing to regulate, correct, or discipline any unacceptable behaviors or personality traits.

An ad hoc survey of 50 graduates representing the 3 Canadian anglophone veterinary colleges for the classes of 2002 shows that the marketplace is responding by redefining, often creatively, terms of veterinary employment. Changes reflect both the effects of market supply and demand (starting salaries up by 5% from 2001 to just over $50 000 per annum), as well as strategies to add value for new veterinary associates and protect practice owners' margins and interests, including:

• Approximately 35% of new graduates have a results-based formula built into their compensation package based on revenue produced for the practice.

• 25% have a capped number of hours in a given work week over which they are granted extra pay or compensatory time off.

• 75% of new graduates performing after-hours duty receive at least the emergency fee for themselves.

• 25% of mixed animal practices have a bonus clause of some sort for associates who stay longer term (over 2 years).

• 60% of practices have added paid sick time off.

• 95% of new graduate associates have written contractual agreements.

Demographics will continue to change and evolve; already “Generation Y” has been identified as the next demographic wave; however, it is Generation X that will form the predominant group of veterinarians for the next couple of decades. As long as issues such as succession planning for veterinary practices and competition for good associates remain prevalent in the market, collaboration between demographic eras on philosophical ideals and mutual interests will be required for assuring success.