Veterinary Testimonials

See what other practices and candidates say about using our services.

When we reached out to you, how would you describe where you were in your career and life at that point?

I was content but still seeking or yearning for more. At the time, I was in a job role where I was on a mission—I was trying to improve my circumstances, advance in my career, and move forward. I could see certain limitations in my environment and realised there was a lot of work needed to get to where I truly wanted to be, my end goal. The key thing for me was being open to conversation because, in life, you never know where opportunities will lead you. I was willing to listen to what the opportunity could be.
At that point in my career, I was growing and seeking more strategic involvement with management. I wanted to be more involved in the day-to-day decision-making, working closely with management to strategise. When you contacted me, I was two months into the role, so it was still early days. I had no idea if the new job would be what I was told it would be, so due to the uncertainty of my circumstances, I was open to listening. The way you approached me was personable, which made me willing to listen. It was great to have a conversation where an outside perspective on both myself and my circumstances was offered.
I had mentioned that I was looking for someone to take me under their wing—I had my own aspirations and goals. I knew at the time that the new role I had undertaken would be another step on the ladder to my long-term goal, which is to own my own practice. However, I could see that it could take a long time, and there would be many challenges along the way. One of the challenges was finding someone to guide and teach me. Although I haven’t started yet, everything I’ve heard about the company—its personal relationships, guidance, and wisdom—makes me believe that this could help me step into a director role and truly make an influence and change. I wanted to use my skillset and implement what I believe to be a better way of doing things. I felt more confident about giving you the opportunity to talk to me than I did about my current circumstances at the time.
What advice would you give to other veterinary professionals about being open to opportunities?
Just listen—you have nothing to lose. If you listen and don’t like what you hear, you can always say no. You never know how your life can progress unless you’re open to opportunities. You can seek out information, but we're always so busy, and it’s easy to say no because of that. However, you can always reschedule to a better time to listen. There is a caution, though—you could be on a mission and then get distracted, as the grass may sometimes seem greener elsewhere. Trust your judgement when listening—if something sounds like a better opportunity, talk to your family, friends, or whoever you seek counsel from, and weigh up the options. Don’t make knee-jerk reactions—you’ve got time.
One thing I liked about this process was that there was no hard sell. It was genuinely about whether this opportunity could help me. You helped me figure out whether it was something that could truly benefit me. When you found a good match, it was pretty perfect—it aligned with my values and those of the organisation’s leaders, which was pretty amazing because I would never have known about them otherwise. I wasn’t actively looking for something new since I was on a mission and fairly content with what I had. The fact that you did the legwork for me accelerated my progression. I don’t know where or how I’d be now, but I doubt I’d be entering a director role this early in my career if you hadn’t put me in touch with them, but I guess you never know what could have happened.
What was it about us and the way we approached conversations with you that encouraged you to keep chatting with us?
One key thing for me was that you had first-hand information about who I am—I wasn’t just another number. Many veterinary staff don’t want to be just another number. It’s a common feeling—we don’t want to feel like we’re just there to increase someone’s profits or fill a slot in the rota. Yes, that might be part of it, but it’s not the whole story. People want to be recognised on some level, and that was important to me. I knew the quality of work I was delivering, but I wasn’t always being recognised for it. The fact that you picked up on this and wanted to know if I was living my career to the fullest—feeling joy and reward—made me want to listen.
The fact that you cared whether I was truly happy in what I was doing showed me that there are people in the industry who are looking out for you, who want you to achieve your goals. It’s a mutual relationship—I'll work for you, and you'll help me. That’s why I was willing to engage. Your mannerisms on the phone were also important. There was something reassuring in the way you communicated that made me feel you were genuine and didn’t have a hidden agenda. That reassured me that the conversation was worth my time.
What did we help you to clarify in your initial conversations with us?
You helped me clarify my intrinsic motivation—my true goals, not just the surface-level ones. Sometimes, with the mundanity and challenges of life, we forget about our dreams and what gives us satisfaction and reward in our work environment. Whether it’s the people you're around, the work itself, or the clients you interact with—it all matters. The conversation reminded me of what I’m really looking for and made me question whether my current circumstances could truly fulfil those needs.
Even though there wasn’t an immediate follow-up or change in my circumstances after that first phone call, it allowed me to internally process the conversation. Over the following weeks, I reflected on what I was really searching for in life until contact was re-established.
What did you think about the way we introduced the opportunity to you?
I loved it. It was extremely helpful to have all the information about the company’s profile, track record, history, and values. It gave me good preparation before discussing things further in an interview with one of the partners. This allowed me to get excited about the opportunity and come to the interview with more questions that I wanted to clarify, so I could decide if this was something I wanted to pursue.
The way you presented it was along the lines of: "We know a company that shares similar values to yours and aligns with what you’re looking for." That resonated with me, especially the shared values on treating and managing people in the work environment and ultimately the standard of care that should be given to animals. For example, their fear-free approach spoke volumes about who they were.
After you heard about the opportunity, what aspects did you feel aligned with your personal and professional values?
It was the opportunity to lead a team and provide a service that I believe should be delivered in the general practitioner environment. This included building a team of people who shared similar core values in care and creating a healthy, positive work environment where everyone could feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
It was also about growing the clinic and enhancing the skillsets of veterinary professionals, including myself. I want to create an environment where people can grow and develop their skills. Although I won’t know for sure yet, I hope this opportunity allows for a collaborative approach where everyone has a voice in how things should be run. My aim is to guide the company towards their goals while maintaining high standards of care and upholding core values. I’ve seen too many times where staff become dissatisfied because they’re not being listened to, and that erodes their career joy and impacts their behaviour in the workplace. I hope this opportunity brings a fresh, collaborative approach that achieves the company's goals.
Before making the final decision, were there any hesitations that we helped you through?
Yes, you had a good phrase: "Unless you try, you just don’t know." You never really know when the right time to jump in is, and sometimes in our careers, we’re unsure when or if the right time will ever come. Ultimately, only you can decide if you're ready to take that step. You helped me realise my strengths, which definitely eased my uncertainty. The personalised feedback was extremely helpful.

In comparison to other agencies I’ve worked with, where the conversations felt remote and detached—"How did it go?" or "Do you want to go for it?"—our discussions felt much more engaging. It was more like, "This is who they are, this is the opportunity. Is this something you want too?" There was a real conversation. I didn’t feel like I had to negotiate or say, "I’ll only take the opportunity if I get this, this, and this." There was just an element of trust, and I didn’t even need to negotiate salary.
Were there any parts of the process that you found particularly challenging or in need of improvement?
No, I didn’t find anything particularly challenging. I felt that I could contact you whenever I needed to. In January, I felt a sense of desperation in my personal life, knowing I wanted my circumstances to change, and you were there when I needed to pick up the phone. That meant a lot to me. The timing was perfect, and I appreciated that there was no pressure. We stayed in touch just enough, and I think we asked the right questions. I can’t think of any improvements needed.
What also helped was when you shared aspects of your personal life, as it made me trust that I could succeed in this new job opportunity. Drawing on personal experience, particularly when it parallels your own challenges, helped build trust. Trust is so important in these situations, and your honesty and vulnerability made a difference.
Why is it important for vets to pursue opportunities that align with their values?
When there's a disconnect between a person’s values and the opportunities or life they’re pursuing, negativity can start to seep in and erode both mental and physical health. This can lead to a decline in the quality of care they provide to themselves, their pets, and the people around them. They may also fail to reach their fullest potential. It's about making the most of life and ensuring a good quality of life by reaching our potential in ways that align with our values.

From my experience, people in jobs that don’t align with their values, roles, or expectations eventually leave. To achieve long-term goals and growth, it’s essential that the values of the individual, the team, and the job role align. When people aren’t fulfilled in their roles, the discontent they experience can change their mood and affect those around them. I’ve seen how this dissatisfaction can create additional problems that have nothing to do with the initial issue. For example, when people aren’t listened to, they can become agitated, and later in the day, when asked to do something else, they may not communicate in their usual positive way. This creates a domino or cascade effect, leading to clusters of problems. Therefore, it’s crucial that people feel fulfilled in their roles to prevent these small issues from snowballing into larger ones.

Chris McKay - Vet

What was it about us and the way that we approach conversations that made you decide to use us a second time?

The way you operate is different—much more polished, professional, and targeted, without the mass production feel. You approach conversations like a skilled headhunter. After our initial introduction, I thought, 'I've just changed jobs, I'm not looking for another one right now.' But as time went on and I realised my current job wasn't meeting my needs, I contacted you to let you know I was going to have to change jobs.

You then got in touch and found me a job in X. The way you go about it is clearly different because most recruiters out there probably have thousands of people on their books and use a cookie-cutter approach. They ask you all the basic questions, get your CV, understand what you're looking for, and then just match you with whatever volume of jobs they have. But that’s not how you do it.

You conduct a more in-depth interview, getting the basics out of the way first, but then you go into more detail about what the candidate is truly looking for. You take the time to get to know the person on a personal level, understanding their interests, hobbies, and how work-life balance fits into their life. You consider the region they want to live in and how the job fits with their overall lifestyle. It's clear that you know the people at the practices personally—the head vets, the managers, everyone—because you're balancing both sides. You're considering the needs of the practice and merging those with the needs of the applicant to ensure a good fit. It’s not just about qualifications and job titles.

I've never experienced this kind of approach before. I’ve been on the books of other agencies, but when I first came to this country, my focus was just to get my foot in the door and gain experience. Now, after over 20 years of practice and nearing retirement, I’m not changing jobs just for the sake of it. Every time I change jobs, it’s a new house, a new life—it’s a whole new chapter. So it can’t just be about the job; it’s about everything. And you take all of that into account, which sets you apart.

After the first job you placed me in at X didn’t work out, I called you again, and you found me this current opportunity, which is probably the best group of people I’ve ever worked with in terms of people that run the company. While there’s always some uncertainty with the team you work due to being coming and going over the years, the group of people running this company are exceptionally experienced and hands down the best practice owners and management team I’ve ever been a part of.

Recently we went on an all-expenses trip to X, it was pretty awesome, they don’t have any problem spending money on their staff. It was action packed, they took care of everything, it was all kinds of trips, this and that, dinners, helicopter trips. It was the first company trip after the pandemic, and it was crazy.

So, when you reached out a second time around, what was missing from the job or your life even, that made you open minded to opportunities again?

I wanted to do more work with exotics, which is what I'm now focusing on with my certificate. The reason I went to the other practice was to pursue this certificate, as the owner there already had it. However, when I arrived, it was during the pandemic—I moved there in 2020, which was a crazy time. The problem was that the management structure at that practice was nowhere near the calibre of my current one. My current practice is a well-oiled machine; they know what they're doing.

Adding the pandemic into the mix made things even more challenging. I felt that the place was barely holding together, and it wasn’t a good environment for me to take on the burden of studying. I knew I would seriously have to find another job but with the same goals: well set up, better managed—not perfect, but somewhere I could actually study. So I just kept it together while I was there.

In the meantime, I took up photography and became a wildlife photographer while I was in X. It’s a beautiful part of the world with a lot of wildlife, an amazing place to live. Some of the boxes were ticked, but an important one wasn’t. It was a great place to live—really beautiful, with waterways, rivers, lakes, award-winning parks, and lots of wildlife. I had a great time outside of work. Everything else outside of work was perfect, but the work dynamic was the one thing that didn’t align.

It wasn’t a total waste of time—I’m someone who doesn't like wasting time, period. Life is too short.

So given your experience at that previous practice not being the best experience in comparison to your current practice, what made you still decide to use us as a company given your first experience at that practice wasn’t right for you?

It wasn’t your fault—I knew it wasn’t your fault. At the end of the day, unless you go in and see a serious deficit in management, that’s the practice owner's responsibility. It's a character trait of theirs, and I know this because other team members mentioned it. When I handed in my notice, the manager left, the new grads left, and another nurse left. What does that tell you? It wasn’t me—I wasn’t the problem.

At the end of the day, how could you, as a headhunter organisation, know for sure? You might interview the practice owners and hear all these great things. You might even visit, but people can put on a show for you. How much time can you really spend there? How many visits can you do to truly know what's going on?

One way to address this is to speak to people who have left the practice and find out their reasons for leaving. Maybe take an average of the feedback from a few of those people.

What did you think about the way we introduced the opportunity to you, and how did it compare to looking at job adverts?

It’s much better than looking at adverts. It’s kind of strange—I always get the impression that when I speak to one of your team, you know the people from the job and have a relationship with them. So you know how to approach the practice on behalf of the person, based on what they like and need, which makes it more personal. We would have a chat about the opportunity, and you would talk about the practice owner, their family, or whoever, and you can tell there’s a personal relationship there. It’s more than just a set of stats on a piece of paper and a list of needs. She’s not just submitting staff requests through email—you’ve spoken to the people, you have an idea of what they’re like. I get that impression, even without asking directly.

What advice would you give to someone in a similar position to you, if we approached them based on your experience with us?

I have a well-established history of changing jobs. At the time you contacted me, I had just changed jobs and wasn’t in the right headspace. But given my track record, I knew it could come in handy in the future. So even though I wasn’t ready to move at that time, I didn’t want to burn any bridges, which is why I went through with it.

At the end of the day, unless you’re really deeply anchored down—which I’m not—I don’t have a family, I move often, I don’t even have pets, and once my lease is up, I can move. Some people might be unhappy but have their roots put down so deeply that uprooting themselves is hard, and that factors into their decisions. But I don’t have that. I live a nomadic kind of life, so it’s a bit tricky, it’s a bit different.

I also have a different approach to life. I’m one of those people who always likes to take opportunities. If something seems feasible, if it could get me somewhere or help me do something new or something I want to do, I’ll take the opportunity. I know full well it’s a leap of faith because it’s not always going to work out. Most of the time, it doesn’t, but I always end up somewhere that offers something better. Despite all the chaos, I always gain something, and if I leave with more than I came in with, that’s great, and I’m happy with that. But not everyone sees life that way.

Some people want everything to be perfect. The grass may look greener on the other side, but there’s always a catch with every job. Nothing is ever perfect—even where I am now, it’s not perfect, but it’s a better environment for me to study in, nowhere near as chaotic, and the practice owners are awesome. So while I don’t think each move will be perfect, I’m still willing to make a change if it will improve my situation. I can move on and keep moving forwards. I feel sorry for those who can’t do that. At the end of the day, you either do it or don’t complain. If you’re not going to move and you’re not happy, and you spend all your time complaining, either move or just shut up.

How has this experience compared to traditional recruitment agencies?

Traditional agencies are cookie-cutter. They’ve got a huge volume, and I see the emails and the vacancies—there’s a massive amount of vacancies. There’s a shortage of staff, so I don’t understand why people don’t want to move because there are so many jobs. It’s just a matter of using the right service to find the right job. I get these emails with a whole list—region jobs, management jobs, clinical director jobs, all sorts because I’m considered senior now. I just look at them to get a feel for what the industry is doing, even out of curiosity. But it’s all cookie-cutter.

They have too many vacancies to go through the process you do. They can’t offer a tailored service. They can find you a job, but it’s not going to be tailored to your life—it’s not going to be a life-tailored job that considers all aspects of your life. They market it based on the standard stuff you see anywhere, like the rota, transport links, etc. But they’re not getting to know you as a person—what you like, your hobbies, how the job will affect those. You have to sort that out yourself with a traditional agency; it’s just a conventional process. That’s why you intrigued me from day one—from the first chat, it wasn’t conventional, and that really intrigued me. That was my first experience of anything like that.

Were there any specific interactions that stood out to you during the process with us?

The one thing that impressed me the most was that regardless of how special the need is, you’d still look into it or try to address it. In other words, nothing is off the table. You’re able to work on it and get some sort of solution, even if it’s not perfect.

If I look at it more generally, the process is a lot more evolved, definitely more nuanced than the conventional approach. I got the impression that it’s more of a gourmet experience versus fast food. The experience is more personal—you’re not in a rat race with everybody else.

 

Veterinary Candidate - Vet

When we first reached out to you, how would you describe where you were in your career and life at that point?

I was stable in a permanent position but felt the need to explore other areas, different practices, and different ways of doing things within the veterinary profession.

What did you think about the way we introduced the opportunity to you?

You did the groundwork for me. From the first time I spoke to the practice, I could tell that you had already done the legwork. I had all the information upfront before meeting the practice, and they had all the information about me too. So, having that initial conversation was quite straightforward.

How did it compare to looking at job adverts?

Talking to you about opportunities really helped because it saved me the work I would have had to do on my own. We had an initial long conversation where you wanted to know what my aspirations and expectations were within a veterinary practice. From that conversation, you found this opportunity, reached out to them, and discussed me with them. They were interested in speaking with me, and after getting to know one another, I received an offer. It's now been almost two years.

What aspects of the process did you find the most helpful and why?

The middleman role that you played was very important. I'm not very vocal, so it saved me a lot of back-and-forth emails and stress. Your guidance was invaluable—you walked me through the preliminary interview, what to expect, and the kind of questions that might come up. It was really great, and it reduced my stress. I ended up meeting an amazing team, and I believe they are still happy.

How have the last two years been at this new opportunity since we introduced you?

It’s been an amazing experience. I found it really easy to settle into the team, especially compared to where I was before. There's recognition and encouragement, even with difficult clients, and I get strong support from the management team. This has boosted my confidence in my work. It has been, and continues to be, a good journey.

How did our presentation of the opportunity match up with reality in the end?

It absolutely did. I wasn’t expecting such a warm welcome, but they’ve been very open to listening to new ideas and always get back to you with answers. You also mentioned that if I ever struggled or had any problems, I could reach out to you, which gave me confidence. I’m not someone who likes a lot of changes in a short space of time, so the timing was perfect when you contacted me. You guided me into this new opportunity, and it was really well received.

Veterinary Candidate - Vet

When we reached out to you, how would you describe where you were in your career and life at that point?

It’s a tricky question, isn’t it? I’d say, I had really enjoyed being with my current practice as a new graduate and I’d been there for a couple of years, and felt that I had developed a lot as a vet but that I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going with things. Also having had some health issues that affected the hours I could work, I was struggling to plan for a long term career with them and struggling to work with them to find the flexibility that I needed to carry on doing as much clinical work as I could. So although I wasn’t committed to leaving, because I really did love them as a practice it also wasn’t really working for me at the time and I couldn’t see how I was going to make it work long term as lovely as they all were.

Can you remember what it was about us and the way we approached conversations with you that encouraged you to keep chatting with us?

I think, for a start, it seemed a lot more personalised than any of the other recruiters I’ve briefly spoken to in the past. I've never really engaged that much with any other recruiters, in all honesty. Typically, you get the blanket LinkedIn message of people generally saying, "We have lots of roles; get in touch, and we’ll fix you up with something." But you know they are dealing with vast numbers of practices and don’t really know what you specifically are looking for or have any particular interest in that. They’re just trying to get somebody into a job. Whereas when you contacted me, it did seem very personalised. It was slightly flattering, actually, because it sounded like you had identified that I might be a good fit for somewhere, and you were interested in getting to know me and what would actually be the right position for me.

From the conversations that we did have with you, what did we help you to clarify in your initial conversations that perhaps made you more open to opportunities?

I think you did help me reflect on the position I was in with my existing practice and realise, A: that it just wasn’t working the way I would have liked it to, and B: while I was aware that other veterinary practices wanted vets and there is a recruitment crisis, I wasn’t completely convinced that any practices would be keen to have me and be flexible enough to allow me to do the half days, which had kind of left me feeling a little stuck in my existing position. Speaking to you helped me realise that there were actually practices out there that would like to work with me and that I did have things I could offer them that would be valuable.

What did you think about the way we introduced the opportunity to you?

I think at the time, it’s always difficult when you’re potentially looking for a position; you want all the details upfront. When you don’t know which practice you’re talking about, and you’re discussing the details of what they’re like but don’t know the specific practice, that can be a slight sticking point. However, with hindsight, I completely understand why you did that. If you had led with the fact that there was a position at a certain practice in a specific location, I probably would have thought, "Oh, that’s a very long commute," and maybe remembered hearing less-than-great things about a nearby branch. That might have put me off. I think it was a sensitive and sensible way of introducing the opportunity, giving me a lot of detail about the practice without allowing me to immediately switch off. It showed me that I shouldn’t be so prejudiced about specific larger companies in the future. Overall, it was quite a sensitive approach, providing a lot of information about the practice, the people there, and their ethos and goals, which was really helpful in giving me a feel for the practice.

How did the process of getting an opportunity introduced and discussing it with someone compare to looking at job adverts?

I think it was so much better than just looking at job adverts because the issue with job adverts nowadays is that the vast majority of them are almost indistinguishable. They pretty much all offer the same things, and they all say that they’ve got a lovely atmosphere. Yet, from speaking to colleagues, I know that many of these practices aren’t necessarily the loveliest places to work. You can’t judge that from the job adverts, as there’s no actual personal detail, nothing that really gives you a taste of what the practice is like.

What I really appreciated from speaking to you is that we built up a bit of trust. I trusted your judgment on the practice as being worth considering, which makes a massive difference. Knowing that there’s someone who has spoken to these people in detail and can confirm it is a really nice place to work is a massive selling point. It certainly makes a huge difference in considering them and getting to know them better, which you don’t get when looking at online adverts.

Before making the final decision to accept the job, were there any fears or worries about accepting the job and if so, why?

I think I had a lot of fears and worries about accepting the job in all honesty. I am somebody who is a little weary of leaping into big life changes and the only practice I’ve ever worked at was my first practice and they had been lovely, they had great clinical standards, they had really happy clients… In many ways, they are sort of one of these perfect practices, obviously, no practice is perfect, though for my needs at the time and my needs now, they couldn’t sort of offer the flexibility that I needed and in all honesty they weren’t the most generous on pay and there wasn’t very much opportunity for progression. But those were all things that I could sort of set to one side and tolerate, at least for the time being and I was sort of keeping my head down and trying to keep going. So I think making the decision to actually take that leap and move practices knowing that there’s a chance that you’re closing that door to somewhere that good, but not great for you, behind you and you’re choosing to move to somewhere where you don’t know the people well, despite being on trial mornings but you don’t know the people too well and you don’t know the practice as well as your current one. It is really scary. And I think that’s always going to be scary, but I think you made it less scary than it otherwise would have been and probably the other reason why I was willing to make that jump because I think otherwise, I would have been too scared of the practice that I might have ended up in.

How did we help you through those worries and fears?

I think having someone to talk to made a big difference. Just having a sounding board and someone saying, "Yes, that is completely normal, but also we know this practice, and we know that they’re lovely," was very reassuring. You provided all the great reasons why the new practice would be helpful. It was also helpful to talk about my existing practice, discussing both the positive aspects and the ways in which it wasn’t working for me. Having those long conversations with you, where you really listened and helped me work through my thoughts, made me feel comfortable with the fact that I did need that change.

Were there any parts of the process that you found particularly challenging?

I think negotiating salary is always tricky. With the way you handle things, it was simpler because I didn’t have to do much direct negotiating. However, trying to come up with figures was challenging. You asked what figures I needed to feel comfortable, and that’s a very difficult number to determine. That part was a bit more challenging, but having your support throughout the negotiation and discussion process was very helpful.

Which parts of the process did you find the most helpful and why?

I think having the flexibility to explore the position without there being any sense of real commitment was really helpful. I was able to visit for some trial mornings and really get to know them but at the same time you made it very clear when you were discussing the role initially that this wasn’t something I have to commit to immediately to be interested in it. It could just be something that we explored and discussed and got to see if it was a good fit or not rather than having sort of too much pressure on it. Whereas, I think a lot of the time if you’re at the stage of agreeing to go visit a practice it is often very tightly linked to an interview and the idea that you’re very much getting quite committed to going there and I think it was quite nice just to be able to take it a little more slowly.

What advice would you give to someone in a similar position as you and we approached them based on your experience with us?

I would tell them to hear you out, listen to everything you had to say and try engaging with you and see how far you get. You never know when the next opportunity is going to be there and you never know how much better it could be for you than what you’ve already got. Its always really difficult to have the confidence to take the plunge but I think with the service that you offer you make that process a lot easier and you make it a lot easier to find a job that’s the right fit.

Veterinary Candidate - Vet

Can you remember what it was about us and the way we approached conversations with you that encouraged you to keep chatting with us?

I’ve spoken with you over several years now, and I remember nearly getting a job through you—I even received a job offer, but the hours weren’t right at the time. This was quite a while ago. You’ve followed up since then, but never too frequently or in an annoying way, if you know what I mean. It always felt like a genuine check-in to see how things were going, rather than pressure to change jobs. I’ve always appreciated that and felt that you’re a genuine bunch that really wants to help.

From the conversations we had, how did you identify what was most important to you in your next career chapter?

You asked me about my values, what I enjoyed, and what I didn’t before even discussing job opportunities. I think that was the right approach because if you had presented this type of job to me first, I probably would have stepped away. But you really made me think about what’s important to me. It turns out that, at this stage, it’s less about the job content and more about flexibility, low stress, and those kinds of things. Identifying those factors first and then finding a job that fits those values was really really good.

What benefits are there to working with us rather than applying directly?

You are able to be that ‘middle person,’ which helps avoid any awkwardness around discussions about salary, contact details, and so on. If I didn’t like the job, I’d feel comfortable telling you that, but it might be a bit awkward to say it directly to the employer. Having you in the middle makes communication a lot easier.

What did you think about the way we introduced this company to you and how did it compare to looking at job adverts?

It didn’t really compare—it was incredibly detailed, and you picked out some really lovely aspects that you wouldn’t find in a typical job advert. Those endearing details made me think about the job as a whole. It was really nice to have so much information before I even applied or went for an interview because I felt like I had a good sense of the place before I even started.

What aspects of this opportunity ended up aligning with your personal and professional values?

The ability to help, feel valued and being able to work in a loss stress environment which has been really lovely.

Before making a final decision, were there any fears that came up for you about accepting the job?

Yes, it was mainly the nature of the job. It was clearly going to tick a lot of big boxes for me, like flexibility, low stress levels, and being part of a small company—all those things were very important to me. You’d already highlighted that, so I knew it was going to be a good move. But I did wonder if the nature of the job might be either a bit boring or emotionally taxing, but actually, I haven’t found either of those to be true.

How did the conversations that you had with us, help you with those fears?

You kept reminding me of the things that were important to me that I had already organically told you before you even mentioned the job and I did believe that this job would provide those things, so that was really reassuring.

What advice would you give someone in a similar position as you and we approached them based on your experience with us?

To identify everything that is important to them, not just the clinical factors but the big life boxes as well because that is going to make a real difference to your lives.

What aspects of the process did you find the most helpful and why?

Just the way you communicate, I always felt supported, I felt like I could ring if I needed to or if I had a question and you always checked in and it felt like the perfect time to check in to see how things are going. I felt like you genuinely cared about me.

How was this experience in comparison to traditional recruitment agencies?

I haven’t used a traditional agency for years, but definitely more personable, more bespoke and more caring.

Were there any parts of the process that you found particularly challenging or felt could have been improved?

I honestly can’t think of anything. I remember during our first conversation, the questions seemed long, and I thought, “Gosh, this is a bit long,” but now I can completely see the benefit. I think it was really crucial to go through that.

Why do you believe it’s important for vets to pursue opportunities that align with their values?

As vets, we can become blinkered, thinking we have to be a typical vet for the rest of our careers, but actually, we don’t. There are many other opportunities and avenues to explore that can be just as rewarding.

Veterinary Candidate - Vet

Please can you describe the challenges you were facing before you decided to use us as a company?

There weren’t necessarily challenges; we asked around vets that we knew. We knew that if we wanted to advertise, we would want to go down the recruitment route because we needed to find someone specific.

We did put an advert out for a few weeks on a free site like Indeed, but we didn’t expect much from it. We quickly realised that we would find the right person faster by going down the recruitment route.

Did you have any concerns about using a headhunting agency?

Not really, because we went with you since Ben got one of his previous jobs through you. So, we made a beeline for your company because Ben had already used you and had a really positive experience.

Was there anything that stood out to you in particular from your initial conversation with us?

It was really nice to hear that you would be looking for a specific person for us due to our position being very niche. Also, it was reassuring to hear that you really needed to think about the decision to take us on because if you felt you couldn’t find someone for us, you would have been honest and let us know.

Was there anything about our approach that surprised you at all?

I think I was surprised, but in a nice way, by how in-depth you were at the beginning when chatting with myself, and the rest of the team.

In those initial conversations, with them being so in-depth, did you feel it provided you with more reassurance?

Yes, it was really reassuring to know that you were actually looking for someone who you thought would fit our personalities and our team dynamics.

What difference has it made to Final Rest now you have recruited an additional team member through us?

We now have two staff members who can cover for us, so it has made a big difference because we can actually take time off together without having to sacrifice the business.

What advice would you give to other businesses/practices who are looking into using a headhunting agency based on your experience with us?

I think for someone to get value out of the sort of recruitment that you do, they need to really think about the type of person they want. I believe that’s where you add your value—finding a type of person, whether that be personality-wise or the kind of work they specifically do.

The benefit is that you look for someone as a whole, rather than just someone with certain skills. Any recruitment place can find someone with the necessary skills, but it's crucial to think about the type of person you want to add to your team, including their skills, personality, and other important attributes.

That’s where they’d get the most value out of your kind of company.

Christine - Final Rest

I had started putting some feelers out, advertising for vets, and using traditional recruitment methods, and found very few vets wanting to be a Clinical Lead, which made me think this was going to be much harder than I thought it would be.

As time went on, I realised I was going to have to work quite hard to find this person, which would take significant time away from running the practice, and realised this was probably going to require investment, especially for this particular position (Clinical Director) in the location we're in (Lincolnshire), so I realised I needed help.

Everything went well throughout the process! We had good communication, good discussions about things, your history and relationships with people is very beneficial and is unique compared to recruitment agencies. You're far more detailed on the whole. I can't think of anything I would say that would enhance the process.

Meeting headhunted candidates was interesting, as I always knew they were more interested as they had been through a process with you. There's more of a keenness from the candidate compared to the average candidate because of that, and I'm willing to put in more time and energy knowing they aren't attending 20 other interviews. You have a sophisticated filtration process and that saves me a lot of time and money.

Practice Owner - Lincolnshire

We lost one of our vets and had found our normal ways of recruiting through Vet Times, personal recommendations, and Facebook weren't working. We wanted to try a new and different approach, and we found this service a refreshing option.

We went from having no candidates at all, to interview three really strong candidates who are very relevant to our practice. That was quite novel because I thought we were just never going to find anybody!
Using a headhunting service is a new experience to us, but I have been wowed by the whole process, from the level of communication throughout, to the calibre of candidates put forward.

For us, this was a great way of standing out and effectively communicating our unique selling points as a practice. The level of detail provided to the candidates about us could not be communicated in an online advert. It has allowed us to not waste time on unsuitable or inexperienced vets who are not right for our practice, and spend quality time with candidates.

They were very quickly able to gain an understanding of our business, which was really refreshing and clearly down to their experience.

They got us straight away and realised what type of candidates we'd be looking for.

Practice Owner - Barnsley

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