A podcast for Veterinary Professionals

In this episode, Lucy is joined by special guest Karl Bovenizer, a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience, a cardiologist, and a Conversational Intelligence certified coach.

Karl brings a wealth of insight as we dive into the realities of veterinary recruitment and retention today. We explore why vets are leaving the profession, what they’re truly looking for from their practices, and how understanding these needs can help create more supportive, sustainable workplaces.

The conversation also looks at the power of behavioural profiling, and how it can help practices better understand their teams, strengthen relationships, and build happier, more fulfilled individuals.

Reflecting on three decades in the industry, Karl shares how the veterinary landscape has evolved, what challenges have remained the same, and how practice owners can adapt to ongoing change.

Together, we discuss practical ways to manage these shifts and create healthier, more positive environments for veterinary teams to thrive.

Watch here:

Timings:

00:00 – Introductions

00:45 – Talking about mental health in veterinary

02:56 – Why humanity in veterinary is so important

03:37 – Reflections on what the veterinary profession was like 30 years ago compared to now

05:07 – Lead by people not by numbers

06:00 – Is there less trust now, from the public?

07:08 – AI in the veterinary industry

08:51 – Are we expecting too much from people in the veterinary industry

11:58 – Are we expecting Vets to be superhuman?

13:36 – Is it now a given expectation that vets need to do more?

14:44 – A lot of vets are looking to leave the clinical world

16:40 – How can the industry change to somewhere that people want to stay

17:33 – Leadership in the industry

17:58 – The circle of safety

19:00 – Building trust in the team

22:00 – the benefits of behavioural profiling

25:33 – The hard work of building trust with your team

28:08 – What does humanity look like in recruitment?

30:00 – What are Vets looking for?

34:16 – What are the red and green flags when looking for a job?

39:25 – One wish for the Veterinary industry

42:30 – Summing up humanity in the veterinary industry

44:26 – Final thoughts

Get in touch!

If you would like to arrange a time to speak with Lucy about recruiting to your practice, get in touch here. Or book a meeting here.

Reach Karl at [email protected]