3 Tips for Choosing a New Practice Manager for Your Veterinary Clinic

Finding the right practice manager can make or break your clinic. After all, they will be the one who oversees operations and ensures everything runs smoothly, It isn't a decision to take lightly.  

How can you be sure you're finding the right fit? Here's how to find the best veterinary practice manager.  

1. Find Someone Willing to Learn 

Veterinary practice managers have a lot of tasks to juggle, and there are always new challenges popping up. That means they'll constantly be learning.  

You need to find someone willing to learn from their mistakes and someone with a drive to improve their skills. Perhaps they're not very familiar with some veterinary equipment yet, or they don't have a lot of experience dealing with a particular software program.  

They may not master everything right away, but a strong willingness to learn and better themselves is a mark of a great manager.  

2. Emphasize the Importance of Time Management 

A veterinary practice manager wears a lot of hats, and they might jump from helping with a blood draw to taking calls and scheduling appointments. The list of tasks that need completing can seem endless, which is why good veterinary practice managers have excellent time management skills.  

The ideal candidate should be able to prioritize tasks, follow tight schedules, and delegate. This is especially crucial when starting a new veterinary practice, as it can take some time to work through all the chaos.  

3. Choose a Team Player 

Your practice manager should have excellent people skills. They'll be interacting with other staff as well as customers, so you want to hire a people person.  

When hiring vet techs and practice managers—and finding veterinary staff in general—you need to make sure everyone is a team player. Communication is key, and being transparent will help everyone learn and grow together. Being transparent and clear is especially important for the practice manager.  

You also want someone friendly and a leader that can encourage others and improve the veterinary team morale overall. When times are tough or days are busy, it's up to the manager to keep everyone together. A sense of community at work can also help with retaining veterinary staff.  

Are You Opening a Vet Clinic?  

Whether you're opening a vet clinic for the first time or hiring new staff, these tips will help you make the best decision.  

Using the right tools in your vet clinic improves workflow and efficiency and assists with retaining veterinary staff. After all, a well-organized and managed clinic will naturally attract the best of the best.  

Book a chat with an IDEXX software expert to learn how our cloud software can help your practice.