STAF153-1112: PM Focus Series: Hiring for Aptitude and Attitude

INSTRUCTOR(S): Rebecca Rose, AAS, CVT
COURSE OPEN: November 7-24, 2012
REAL TIME SESSION (RTS): Wednesday, November 14, 2012; 8:00pm-9:30pm ET (USA)
Course RTS Times in Your Area: World Clock Converter

Practice Sessions: In order to prepare you for a successful experience in your CE course, we request you attend a Practice Session prior to the first Real Time Session. Please arrive promptly at the start time; each Practice Session is up to 1 hour in length. For more information, please visit the CE Practice Area.

*The instructor for this course will be using audio which will require you to have a headset or speakers to listen. If you have any concerns regarding your computer's audio capabilities, please be sure to attend one of the Practice Sessions.

Level and Prerequisites: This intermediate course is geared toward those working as practice managers and/or toward their CVPM, but is open to any VSPN or VIN Member wishing to focus on team members as assets of their clinic, increasing efficiency and leveraging. This practice management course is part of a series of focus topics to highlight features of management in a single Real Time Session. Prior participation in the Practice Management 101 course is recommended, but not required. The course format is that of a VINgnette where interaction in the message boards discussing case scenarios will be required to enhance the single Real Time Session. Participants should plan on this more intensive study.

VSPN CE Course: Open to VSPN and VIN members. This course has been submitted for RACE approval for veterinarians and veterinary technicians and to VHMA for CVPM credits.

Course Description:
Your team is the hospital's core and fundamental glue that holds your veterinary practice together. Are you drawing in the most skilled and loyal team members? Before you begin the hiring process, take a hard, objective look at your current team, determine its strengths and weaknesses, understand the practice culture and take into consideration your hospital's Mission, Vision, and Values. Before you place a focused "Help Wanted" advertisement, consider your benefits, team audit, required skill set, and how you will integrate the new team member. Hiring for both aptitude AND attitude is the key to success. Your policies around the hiring process may need to be revisited and updated to reflect the current demands on the hiring market during the economic times. Together, we will discuss generating a stellar advertisement, hiring your next team member based upon their hard AND soft skill sets, interviewing techniques and how to involve your current team in the process. We will also cover the time needed to allow for training, transitioning, and the inevitable morphing, storming, and performing as you improve your cohesive team.

This course consists of one (1) ninety (90) minute Real Time Session, supplemental library materials, interactive message board discussions, a mandatory end-of-course test, and may include online multiple choice quizzes (after each Real Time Session). Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.
*A portion of this course will be an audio presentation, please be prepared to listen.

Upon completion of this course, the participant should be able to

• briefly discuss the cost of turnover and veterinary community statistics.
• identify what position needs to be filled, hiring strategy.
• evaluate technical skills needed to legally fill the needed position.
• objectively determine team strengths and weaknesses, how to fill in the gaps and compliment the current team.
• outline the hiring process.
• review current policies in hiring and update to reflect growing trends.
• evaluate the need for background checks, drug testing, felony charges.
• investigate credentialing and licensing.
• cross-reference you payroll budget and sustainability.
• define your benefits package for specific positions.
• generate a stellar advertisement.
• involve your current team in the hiring process.
• determine your team's definition of professional attitude.
• review resumes and cover letters.
• discuss the "dos and don'ts" of interviewing.
• define the difference between hard skills and soft skills.
• define aptitude and attitude.
• revisit, review, and consider your mission, vision, values and team culture.
• outline working interview objectives.
• involve your team of the expectations around morphing, storming, and performing.
• review phase training and mentoring options.
• design and implement new employee orientation.
• assist the new team member with transitioning.
• establish performance review expectations.
• continue to offer support and encouragement.

Course Materials: Course materials will be available in the course library prior to each Real Time Session.

Required Textbook(s): There is no required textbook for this course.

About the Instructor:
Rebecca Rose has been a CVT for several years and is a current practice consultant for Red Valley Rose Consulting, LLC. She has authored two texts on veterinary technician careers, writes peer reviewed articles, is a contributing author in a text book for veterinary technicians as well as sits on several professional councils and committees.

Course Outline:
Week 1: (Real Time Session November 14): Hiring for Aptitude and Attitude
Content: Your clients, patients and team benefit when you objectively hire for technical skill and professional attitude. Now is the time to assess your hiring strategy and understand how outlining a plan, establishing solid policies, and including the team in the hiring process is fundamental to adding new team members. Team turnover is costly, emotionally taxing, and time consuming. By creating a hiring process and including the team, you may decrease turnover and hire the best new team member for your hospital's needs. Current team members properly trained on the "do's and don'ts" of interviewing may offer valuable insight and improve long-term outcomes. Keep in mind your budget and goal for sustainability. When veterinary managers place "any-body" on the practice floor to fill a position a recipe for disaster may be in place, beware! If managers have a plan, consistently perform background checks, engage the team in the decision making process, and focus on both aptitude AND attitude, a recipe for success has been created. Upon completion of the session and interactive use of the course message boards the attendee will have tools to create a super "Help Wanted" advertisement, include the team on the interviewing process, and understand the transitioning phases to improved performance.

CE CREDITS: 2.5 (1.5 hours of lecture, 1 hour for in-depth interaction of case discussions on the message boards)

Tuition: $50 ($45 early bird special if enrolled October 24, 2012).
*Students currently enrolled in and taking at least 2 classes or 5 units at an AVMA accredited or CAAHT approved Veterinary Technician Program may be eligible to receive a 50% discount off the regular rate for this course (upon verification of student status).
NOTE: To ensure participants are ready and prepared for classes, enrollment will close when the maximum number of participants is reached or at 5pm ET the day of the first Real Time Session unless otherwise noted. If the first Real Time Session is on a weekend, course enrollment will close on the Friday before the first Real Time Session.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

1. Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member and non-member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
2. Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
3. Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
4. For further assistance call 1-800-700-INFO (4636) or email (VIN CE) CEonVIN@vin.com or (VSPN CE) VSPNCE@vspn.org. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

*Note: "This course is submitted for approval for 2.5 continuing education credits in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB RACE approval; however participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery of continuing education." Call VSPN/VIN CE at 1-800-700-4636 for further information. (Attendees are encouraged to check with their licensing jurisdiction(s) for information regarding recognition by their board).

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to the listed start date of the course. If you wish to withdraw after the start date please contact the VIN/VSPN office 1-800-700-INFO (4636) to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.
* Note: To ensure rapid handling of your request for withdrawal, we recommend that you call the VIN/VSPN office at 1-800-700-INFO (4636).

*For more information on VSPN's upcoming CE courses, check the VSPN Course Catalog.

Nanette R. Walker Smith, MEd, RVT, CVT, LVT
VSPN Content Director & CE Coordinator

VSPN CE Services: VSPNCE@vspn.org
1-800-846-0028 or 1-530-756-4881 or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01452226154
Barb Burri (Barb@vspn.org); ext. 764 (New Hampshire)
Charlotte Waack (Charlotte@vspn.org); ext 193 (Illinois)
Chris Upchurch (Chris@vspn.org); ext 197 (Florida)
Debbie Bess (DBess@vspn.org); ext 178 (Nevada)
Jennifer Withrow (Jennifer@vspn.org); ext 159 (Virginia)
Nanette Walker Smith (Nanette@vspn.org); ext 187 (Colorado)

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