Beyond the Hire: Why Animal Health Needs More "Relationshipping," and Less Recruiting

Is your animal health company constantly chasing new recruits? A recent survey revealed that 61% of animal health companies are unable to meet their hiring targets.¹ Open roles translate to increased workloads for existing staff, with resulting stress and the risk of burnout or poor performance. In fact, 52% of animal health employees reported feeling overwhelmed by their workload, at least part of the time.² It’s no surprise, then, that the emphasis is on fast hiring – but is that really the most effective approach for the long haul?  

Stop recruiting, start relationshipping

Recruiting often focuses on filling a specific job as quickly as possible. It’s short-term thinking, prioritizing speed over finding the best fit. As the saying goes, sometimes companies are just looking for any horse that can pull the load. This urgency can make companies lose sight of the long-term aspects of hiring: securing employees who align with the company culture, will thrive, and will contribute to the company's success for years to come. At Animal Health Jobs, we advocate for shifting the mindset from recruiting to ‘relationshipping.’

Relationshipping: the long term view

What if your search for candidates emphasized building relationships instead of reviewing resumes? Relationshipping takes a longer-term view of talent acquisition, making external recruiting for immediate openings just one aspect of a broader succession planning strategy. If your company is among the 52% that emphasize personal contacts to find top animal health talent, you’re already touching on the concept of relationshipping.¹ Relationshipping in the recruitment process involves spotting target talent, building meaningful relationships, and then using what you have learned as you fill open roles.

Spotting target talent

Relationshipping is everyone’s responsibility. Any employee can identify potential future talent. Industry conferences are particularly fertile fields; look out for exceptional speakers and engaged audience members asking insightful questions, then follow up with a face to face conversation.

The interview process is also critical. What do you do with the excellent candidates who just missed out on receiving an offer? These so-called ‘Silver Medalists’ represent a valuable talent pool worth staying in contact with.³ Hiring managers who commit to genuinely keeping in touch with these near-miss hires will find it easier to contact and potentially hire them when the right job comes along. Some recruiters say that this process helps reduce hiring time by as much as 30 days, a significant time frame when 60% of animal health companies need between three and six months to fill a role. ^1,3

Cultivating connections

Once you've identified a potential top candidate, nurture that relationship. Maintain contact; aim for a substantial conversation or meeting at least annually. Explore what motivates them and how they would like to shape their career. What jobs in animal health excite them, and why? Consider introducing high-potential individuals to key decision-makers within your company. Keep in touch with former employees who were considered ‘regrettable losses.’ There are benefits to bringing back these so-called ‘boomerang hires’.⁴

The payoff of patience

Relationshipping requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to investing time in building connections. However, the payoff is significant: reduced turnover, improved employee morale, and a pipeline of qualified candidates ready to step into key roles. In the competitive animal health industry, where talent is a prized asset, relationshipping provides a strategic advantage.

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References

1. Animal Health Jobs Survey of Hiring Practices. Autumn 2022. Published 15 February 2023. https://animalhealthjobs.com/blog/4532/animal-health-jobs-survey-of-hiring-practices.
2. Cultural challenges: Results of the Animal Health Jobs Spring 2024 Attitudinal Survey. Published 20 December 2024. https://animalhealthjobs.com/blog/5446/cultural-challenges-results-of-the-animal-health-jobs-spring-2024-attitudinal-survey.
3. Liberman, V. A focus on filling roles is killing recruitment. ERE Meda Digital Spring 2022 series. Published 17 March 2022. Accessed 26 April 2025. https://www.ere.net/articles/a-focus-on-filling-roles-is-killing-recruitment.
4. Keller, J. R., Kehoe, R. R., Bidwell, M., Collings, D., & Myer, A. (2021). In with the old? Examining when boomerang employees outperform new hires. Academy of Management Journal, 64(6), 1654-1684,