Georgia Veterinary Rehab (A Gripe)
Georgia Veterinary Rehab
op·por·tun·is·tic
/ˌäpərt(y)o͞oˈnistik/
adjective
exploiting chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a general plan or moral principle.
I’ve got a gripe. We lost an employee to Georgia Veterinary Rehab. (If it was an isolated incident I’d be fine with it.)
She went over on an internship for her RVT training and then one of GVR’s employees quit. So Georgia Veterinary Rehab offered her a permanent position. Beat my payroll by a bit. Inherited a fully trained, experienced tech. A good one.
In fairness:
I knew she’d leave when her RVT was done because that degree commands a higher pay rate. And she had a brighter future elsewhere with that training. I get that.
But I didn’t figure on another business sniping an employee from another business. Especially from a business I wanted referrals from!
The great thing is that when you snipe an employee from another business you don’t need:
- To train them
- To check references
- To wonder if they’re any good, after all, they’re already employed!
- To figure out a pay rate, just add a dollar to what they’re making.
You could staff an entire clinic by sniping employees from adjacent businesses, and never have to train anyone from scratch.
But also, alienate the businesses you want referrals from, which is counterproductive.
And you might say “All’s fair, right? Her opportunity at Georgia Veterinary Rehab was better.”
And I’d say “That’s true, and I’m happy for her. BUT – Sniping employees is frowned upon, especially when your business depends on referrals from the businesses you’re sniping from – and just plain crappy. AND – If I was the only business Georgia Veterinary Rehab stole employees from, I’d just be personally offended and probably have nothing to comment on.
But I spoke with the owner of another business who has lost MORE THAN ONE employee to Georgia Veterinary Rehab. It’s just tacky.
So then, when I consider referring to Georgia Veterinary Rehab, what might I do?
If their business-acumen allows them to actively recruit a base of employees that have been pre-trained and pre-qualified from other businesses while still in their employ, do you think they would be adverse to taking CLIENTS?
I don’t.
By the way, Blue Pearl / Georgia Vet Rehab is a multi-location corporation. (Chain / franchise) and this is an example of a corporation putting a burden on the “mom and pop” competitor. But ‘it’s for the shareholders’, right? Georgia Veterinary Rehab has no control over the way they “have to” impact the little guy. The business acumen is a product of a corporate mentality in which “dogs eat dogs” and frankly I wouldn’t stoop to that literally, not even to save my business. But that’s why corporate play-book veterinary medicine is going dominate in < 10 years.
If I was the only business Georgia Veterinary Rehab stole employees from, I’d just be personally offended and probably have nothing to comment on.
If I managed that business (Georgia Veterinary Rehab), I would not hire a tech from another business until:
- They quit the other business
- And applied to mine without recruitment.
All’s fair if Georgia Veterinary Rehab placed a Help Wanted ad. I totally get that. But canvassing other businesses for their pre-trained animal technical personnel is tacky.
So that would be my last referral to Georgia Veterinary Rehab and that’s OKAY because they’re not the only highly qualified rehabilitation practice for dogs and cats.
Atlanta Animal Rehabilitation and Fitness (Go there)
- Dedicated to increasing function, decreasing pain and improving quality of life.
They’ve never taken an employee from me (or any other business), probably too classy to even do so, and they do a great job, and they’re associated with Dr. David Filer, known for owning and operating the best and oldest speciality surgical practice in town. (Not a mass production veterinary chain)