Hiring an Associate Veterinarian in today’s market has become one of the most challenging tasks veterinary practice owners and HR teams face. Despite increasing demand for veterinary services, practices across North America struggle to fill critical roles, often watching vacancies remain open for months. The reality is: traditional hiring strategies don’t work anymore for this niche, highly competitive talent pool.

In this blog, we’ll break down the core reasons why most hiring approaches fail when targeting Associate Veterinarians and share actionable strategies your clinic can implement to turn the tide—backed by Pulivarthi Group’s experience staffing some of the toughest veterinary roles in the market.

The Associate Veterinarian Hiring Landscape in 2025

The demand for veterinarians has exploded, fueled by increasing pet ownership, rising standards of animal care, and shortages from veterinary school output. Some key facts:

• Less than 1% unemployment rate among veterinarians (essentially meaning every vet who wants a job has one)
• Projected shortage of 15,000 veterinarians by 2030 (AVMA Forecast)
• Graduating classes cannot meet demand; licensing processes also delay market entry

Clinics that once posted a job and received dozens of applicants are now lucky to get one or two qualified candidates. It’s a candidate-driven market. And candidates are weighing more than just salary.

5 Reasons Most Hiring Strategies Fail for Associate Veterinarians

1. Posting & Waiting Doesn’t Work Anymore

Gone are the days when a simple Indeed or AVMA job board post was enough. Passive posting assumes candidates are actively looking, but most top veterinarians are happily employed and must be courted away. Relying solely on job boards ensures you miss the passive talent pool.

2. Generic Job Descriptions Push Candidates Away

“Full-time Associate Veterinarian needed. Competitive salary. Great team.” Sound familiar? It’s not enough. Candidates want to know:

• Specifics about workload (number of patients/day)
• Support staff ratios
• Work-life balance
• Mentorship opportunities
• Advanced technologies available

Generic postings lump you into a sea of competitors and make the role less desirable.

3. Slow Hiring Processes Lose Top Talent

We’ve seen it happen repeatedly: a clinic finally gets a great candidate—then takes two weeks to schedule an interview, another week to deliver feedback, and by then, the candidate has accepted another offer. In a market this hot, speed is survival. Clinics with fast, clear, and decisive processes win.

4. Ignoring the Emotional Side of the Hire

Salary matters, but so do emotional factors. Associate Veterinarians are highly mission-driven. They care about:

• Clinic culture
• Work autonomy
• Professional development
• Alignment with personal values (e.g., fear-free handling, holistic care)

If you treat hiring like a transactional salary negotiation, you’ll lose candidates to clinics who appeal to their heart as well as their wallet.

5. Overlooking Relocation and Flexibility Options

The best candidates might not be next door. Many practices fail to offer relocation support, flexible start dates, or hybrid options (where feasible). Offering these incentives dramatically increases your access to talent.

How Pulivarthi Group Fixes These Problems

At Pulivarthi Group, we’ve built a specialized veterinary recruitment system precisely to address these common pitfalls. Here’s how we help clinics successfully hire Associate Veterinarians:

• Proactive Sourcing: We actively engage passive candidates through relationship-driven outreach, not just postings.
• Customized Job Marketing: We craft employer brand narratives that highlight what makes each clinic uniquely attractive.
• Rapid Response: We coach clients on rapid interview scheduling and offer processes to capture candidates while they’re still in the pipeline.
• Candidate Care: We provide regular check-ins with candidates post-offer to prevent counter-offer losses.
• Relocation Assistance: We help clients structure relocation bonuses and support packages that remove logistical hurdles for candidates.

Our approach leads to real results: 87% of our placed Associate Veterinarians stay longer than 12 months, nearly double the national average.

5 Actionable Steps Your Clinic Can Take Right Now

Want to dramatically improve your hiring outcomes? Start here:

1. Audit Your Hiring Process

• How quickly are interviews scheduled after application?
• How soon are offers extended post-interview?
• Are decision-makers aligned on the job profile before posting?

2. Rewrite Your Job Descriptions

• Emphasize culture, growth paths, caseloads, mentorship, and technologies.
• Showcase testimonials from current associates if possible.

3. Engage Passive Candidates

• Don’t wait for applications. Reach out via LinkedIn, veterinary networks, and specialty groups.
• Use a recruiter who understands the veterinary space to make warm introductions.

4. Offer More than Money

• Include flexible scheduling options (4-day weeks are popular).
• Highlight CE stipends, wellness programs, and work-life balance initiatives.

5. Move Faster—with Empathy

• Communicate timelines clearly to candidates.
• Follow up even if it’s just to say “we’re still evaluating.”
• Show genuine excitement about them joining your team.

Conclusion: Winning the Associate Vet Talent War

Associate Veterinarians have options. They’re in demand. If your practice wants to stand out and actually win the race for top veterinary talent, it’s time to ditch outdated hiring habits.

At Pulivarthi Group, we’re proud to specialize in finding, attracting, and retaining the kind of veterinary professionals who not only fill your openings—they help your practice thrive.

Ready to hire smarter? Contact us today to learn how we can help you staff the hardest-to-fill veterinary roles, faster and better.