The pandemic has upended business as usual for most industries, which means leadership in the post-Covid era will likely look very different, regardless of the sector. While veterinary practices face a unique set of challenges, there are some universal trends to watch.

Korn Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm known for its leadership expertise, recently outlined its “10 Key Talent and Leadership Trends for 2022,” which are summarized below.

Trend: Workers are quitting and changing professions

The report found that 55% of professionals believe employee turnover will increase in 2022 and 36% of professionals say they plan to take a different job in the near future because the pandemic allowed them to re-evaluate what they want and the change they need.

A third of respondents—31%—said they would leave their job even if they didn’t have another one lined up.  

What you can do: Talk with employees regularly to anticipate any potential resignations. If you can’t offer financial incentives to get them to stay, offer intrinsic ones, such as the opportunity to learn a new skill. At the least, manage your own expectations and draft an ongoing Plan B.

Trend: The gold is in current employees

Savvy businesses are investing in existing employees to keep them. That means not only professional support, such as new skills development, but also personal support, such as coaching and mentoring.

What You Can Do: Ask current employees what they want and offer it. That can include something as simple as supporting team members to pursue special projects that interest them.

Trend: Reinvent your practice

Disruption is challenging, but it also offers opportunities to think outside the box and outside your own limiting beliefs. That might include adding a new specialist to your staff or investing in equipment to offer additional services. Part of disruption is determining an unmet need that is being overlooked by your competitors.

What You Can Do: Brainstorm strategic partnerships with other businesses and organizations, network with veterinary schools and training programs, and research innovations that other practices are implementing which you might use as inspiration for your own solutions.

Trend: Health and wellness are a priority

Burnout is the name of the game as the pandemic continues. But combatting that requires more than short-term initiatives and perks. It demands a culture shift that eases the awkwardness of having difficult mental health conversations

What you can do: Add a new competency to your leadership development: Get comfortable discussing mental and personal health. If you don’t know how to facilitate those conversations, hire a coach or consider contracting with a therapist for staff needs.

Trend: Collaboration is key

 If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we’re all in this together and we must learn to create workplaces where collaboration and shared goals are paramount.

What you can do: Think about a “we” culture as you plan for 2022. That means both staff and management come together to identify goals and determine how best to work together. The result is not only clarity and staff buy-in, but also reduced feelings of isolation and hopelessness.

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