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Here is another of my short-form articles on based on a thought for the day. I’ve decided to call them ‘terrier bites’.

This paper summary appeared in the 6/13 March issue of the Vet Record and what stood out for me was that the attributes that employers considered were most important for employability are EXACTLY the same as what job seekers look for in EMPLOYERS! Who would of thought!

When I am assessing a veterinary practice for characteristis that attract me as a job seeker, I’m looking for:

  1. Honest and ethical behaviour. Examples include no misleading assertions at interview including lies of omission, a lack of pressure to sell to clients things they don’t need (such as having unreasonable financial-based targets), or practices boasting about getting round the rules or even doing something outright illegal. The interview is the classic time that both sides are stretching the truth to their own advantage but there has to be a boundary beyond which it becomes dishonest.
  2. Open and continuous communication. The practice recognises that communication can be hard to achieve within and between teams, and so they have developed workable strategies to tackle this with everyone having a clear understanding as to what they are expected to contribute. An example of this would be providing feedback, ideally on a frequent basis, and it being constructive, and listening to employees issues and suggestions.
  3. Knowing when to ask for help. I would be looking for an employer who actively delegates and shows leadership that empowers employees to put into place solutions and trusts them to get on with it with a little oversight i.e. not a micromanager. An employer that shows their humanity and humility.
  4. Willingness to learn. A willing to listen to someone who has area expertise beyond their own, to consider their suggestions and implement them. A willingness to continue to improve and accept that change is inevitable.

Hang on, if both sides are looking for the same characteristics in the other, why is it still so common to find a disconnect?