Veterinary Voices

Julie South | Veterinary Recruitment Marketing Strategist
  • 5.0 (2)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Most vet clinics are proud of their culture. They know it's special — it's what makes them tick. What they don't know is how to share those stories in ways that mean something to other vets and nurses. That's culture storytelling. And Julie South — founder of VetClinicJobs — shows vet clinics how to do it. You'll hear real vets and nurses talking about what it's actually like to work at their clinics. Not the polished corporate version — the real moments that show how teams handle pressure, support each other, and why someone would actually want to work there. That's the kind of proof that builds trust before anyone's even looking. You'll also learn which stories to share and when, how to stay visible to great people even when you're fully staffed, and why the quiet months between hires are actually your biggest opportunity. Each episode gives you something specific to do that week — a story to share, a shift to make, a pattern to break. If you're tired of starting from scratch every time someone resigns, this podcast shows you how to become the clinic people are already watching.

  1. “We’ll Just Update Our Careers Page” — Why It Won’t Attract Your Kind of People - Staying Stuck in Recruitment - 267

    3 DAYS AGO

    “We’ll Just Update Our Careers Page” — Why It Won’t Attract Your Kind of People - Staying Stuck in Recruitment - 267

    “We’ll just update our careers page.” It’s a common response when recruitment isn’t working. It feels like progress. It’s visible. It can be done in an afternoon. BUT! A careers page sits inside a website built for a completely different audience. Pet owners. Not vets or nurses who are trying to decide whether your clinic is worth the risk of leaving where they are now. That’s a different decision. They’re not looking for polished claims. They’re trying to work out: What’s the team really like? What happens on a hard day? Are these my kind of people? If they don’t find that, they don’t stay. They keep scrolling. Looking. In this episode Julie South looks at why updating a careers page rarely changes that — and what’s missing when someone lands there. In This Episode 01:32 – “We’ll just update our careers page” 02:26 – Who your website is actually built for 05:03 – What vets and nurses are trying to work out 06:00 – What happens when there’s nothing to stay for 06:56 – Why updating a careers page feels like progress 09:45 – The difference between a door and a destination 10:41 – Two questions about what your careers page is really saying  Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    12 min
  2. "But Julie! Isn't this just Employer Brand Marketing??” — When That Assumption Blocks Recruitment Progress - 266

    7 APR

    "But Julie! Isn't this just Employer Brand Marketing??” — When That Assumption Blocks Recruitment Progress - 266

    “But isn’t this just employer branding, Julie…?” It’s a question that comes up when clinics start looking beyond job ads and into how they’re seen as a place to work. In this episode of Veterinary Voices, Julie South answers that question directly. Because while employer brand marketing and what she’s describing can sound similar, they’re designed for different situations. Employer brand marketing comes from large organisations — built to manage perception across multiple locations, roles, and audiences. Veterinary hiring decisions don’t usually happen there. They happen at clinic level. A specific team. A specific place. A particular way of working — on an ordinary day. Julie explains why that difference matters, and what clinics risk missing when they reach for a solution that wasn’t designed for how hiring actually happens in their world. Including something less obvious: What changes inside a clinic when its own people start telling its stories. Stay to the end for two questions about what someone actually finds when they look up your clinic. In This Episode 01:33 – “But isn’t this just employer branding, Julie?” 03:59 – What employer brand marketing is designed to do 06:22 – Where hiring decisions actually happen 08:12 – Why one approach can’t replace the other 09:06 – What changes inside a clinic when stories are told 10:16 – Two questions about what vets and nurses find when they look you up  Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    13 min
  3. Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Stacey Deacon - Head Receptionist - 1035

    2 APR

    Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Stacey Deacon - Head Receptionist - 1035

    Front Desk, Full Team: Stacey Deacon on How Energy Vets Works Day to Day Stacey Deacon didn’t train as a veterinary nurse. She’s a dedicated receptionist — and part of a reception team that sits at the centre of how Energy Vets runs day to day. In this final episode of the Energy Vets REAL+STORY series, Stacey shares what working on the front desk actually looks like inside a busy mixed practice in Taranaki. The reception team works across both the Inglewood and Waitara clinics, coordinating appointments, managing client expectations, and supporting vets and nurses through busy periods — including seasonal peaks like farm scanning alongside small animal demand. Stacey talks about the role reception plays in keeping the day running, how the team works together to manage urgent cases, and the constant balancing act of diaries, client needs, and clinical priorities. She also describes the team environment — where there’s no hierarchy, and vets, nurses, reception, and management all step in to help when things get busy. When asked what makes the difference at Energy Vets, Stacey points to the people — the way the team checks in on each other, works together, and supports one another through demanding days. And when it comes to fit, she’s clear: someone positive, who works with the team and can see the bigger picture. In This Episode 00:01 – Introduction to Stacey Deacon and the Energy Vets reception team 01:46 – Size of the reception team and working across two clinic locations 03:07 – The role of a dedicated veterinary receptionist 03:32 – How Stacey entered the veterinary industry 03:59 – What’s different about working at Energy Vets 04:34 – Busy periods: small animal demand and farm scanning season 05:30 – How the team supports each other day to day 06:02 – Reception’s role in managing diaries and urgent cases 07:16 – The type of person who fits at Energy Vets 08:18 – Energy Vets’ “best kept secret” 09:35 – Three words to describe the team 09:45 – What working at Energy Vets is like day to day 10:27 – Why Stacey joined Energy Vets 11:07 – Team environment vs expectations before joining 11:24 – No hierarchy: how vets support reception when it’s busy Hiring Link Energy Vets is currently looking for an experienced small animal veterinarian to join a genuinely team-oriented clinic. Learn more here:  careers.vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    15 min
  4. "But Julie! We Don't Have TIME For THIS!” — When Urgency Blocks Recruitment Progress - 265

    31 MAR

    "But Julie! We Don't Have TIME For THIS!” — When Urgency Blocks Recruitment Progress - 265

    When veterinary clinics start looking at changing how they approach recruitment, certain phrases come up in conversation. They’re usually said under pressure. And they often stop things before they really get going. In this episode of Veterinary Voices, Julie South continues the Where Vet Clinics Get Stuck series by looking at one of the most common: “We don’t have time for this.” For clinics already stretched — covering vacancies, juggling rosters, and trying to run recruitment campaigns that aren’t working — that response makes complete sense. But what clinics picture when they say it… and what’s actually being asked of them… are not the same thing. And that gap matters. Stay to the end for two questions about where your clinic’s recruitment time is really going. In This Episode 00:58 – “We don’t have time for this” 01:54 – What clinics think “this” means 03:14 – What it actually looks like 05:28 – Where time is really going 07:39 – Two questions to rethink time and effort Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    9 min
  5. Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Kylie Lindsay - Clinic Services Manager - pt 2/2 - 1034

    27 MAR

    Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Kylie Lindsay - Clinic Services Manager - pt 2/2 - 1034

    Leadership, Succession, and Coming Home: Kylie Lindsay on Growing People at Energy Vets Kylie Lindsay began her journey with Energy Vets answering after-hours phones. More than twenty years later, she’s Clinic Services Manager, shareholder, and now a director of the Taranaki practice. In this second half of Julie South’s conversation with Kylie, the focus shifts to leadership and the kind of veterinarian Energy Vets is looking for as the clinic grows its companion animal team. Kylie describes the senior vet role as someone who enjoys teaching, builds relationships across the whole practice — including large animal vets who rotate through the companion animal team — and can bring both clinical and business thinking to the role. The conversation also explores how Energy Vets develops people over time. Kylie shares stories of nurses and vets who have left to work elsewhere — including Australia and overseas — and later returned to the clinic with new experience that benefits the whole team. Kylie also talks about becoming a shareholder and director in the business — an opportunity the existing directors created by changing the clinic’s constitution so a non-vet could join the ownership group. She reflects on how ideas from the frontline have shaped the clinic — including the team workshop that led to the name Energy Vets and the creation of a dedicated call-handling hub behind reception to improve client service. In This Episode 00:04 – Introduction to part two of the conversation with Kylie Lindsay 01:25 – The kind of veterinarian Energy Vets is looking for in the senior role 03:27 – Life outside the clinic: family, horses, and becoming a grandmother 04:25 – Why people often return to Taranaki after time away 06:07 – Staff leaving for opportunities and later returning to the clinic 07:48 – How returning staff bring new experience back into the team 08:24 – Examples of nurses who left, developed their careers, and returned 10:34 – Kylie becoming a shareholder and director in the business 10:59 – What it means to be invited into ownership as a non-vet 12:24 – “Skin in the game” and the open-door culture at Energy Vets 13:33 – Developing a shareholding pathway for future leaders 14:56 – How leadership listens to ideas from the team 15:27 – The team workshop that led to the name Energy Vets 16:39 – Creating the reception call-handling hub 18:45 – How the hub works day to day across both clinics 20:33 – Julie’s closing reflections on Kylie’s journey and leadership Hiring Link EnergyVets is currently looking for an experienced small animal veterinarian ready to co-lead the companion animal team and mentor the next generation of vets. Learn more here:  careers.vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    23 min

  6. 24 MAR

    "But Julie! We Can't Afford It Right Now!”— When Reactive Advertising Blocks Recruitment Progress - 264

    Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    10 min
  7. Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Kylie Lindsay - Clinic Services Manager - pt 1/2 - 1033

    20 MAR

    Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Kylie Lindsay - Clinic Services Manager - pt 1/2 - 1033

    From Client to Clinic Leader: Kylie Lindsay on Energy Vets’ Growth and Team Culture Kylie Lindsay didn’t originally join Energy Vets as a staff member — she joined as a client. Growing up in rural Inglewood with horses and other animals, the clinic (then Inglewood Veterinary Services) cared for the animals on her family’s lifestyle block. One day, while a vet was visiting one of her horses, Kylie asked whether there might be any work available at the clinic. Her timing was good. A role had just opened on the after-hours phone team. More than twenty years later, Kylie is now Clinic Services Manager, overseeing reception, companion animal services, and stock across Energy Vets’ Inglewood and Waitara clinics in Taranaki on New Zealand’s North Island. In this conversation with Julie South, Kylie reflects on the growth of the clinic over the past two decades, how teams rotate across both clinics so clients receive consistent service, and the professional development opportunities available across the whole team — including reception and support staff. She also shares one of the clinic’s quieter success stories: the number of kennel hands who have gone on to train in the veterinary industry, with several returning to work at Energy Vets after completing their studies. When asked to describe the team in three words, Kylie chooses: welcoming, supportive, and professional. Next week, Kylie talks about the type of veterinarian who fits the EnergyVets team and her own journey from answering after-hours phones to becoming a shareholder and director in the business. In This Episode 00:04 – Introduction to the REAL+STORY episode with Kylie Lindsay 01:33 – Kylie’s role and how long she has been with the clinic 02:02 – Joining the clinic after originally being a client 03:45 – Growing up in the Hutt Valley, Rotorua, and settling in Taranaki 04:34 – Raising children and schooling in rural Taranaki 08:19 – Sporting opportunities and life in the region 08:49 – Growth of the clinic since 2005 10:41 – Professional development and leadership training 12:34 – Rotating teams across the Inglewood and Waitara clinics 15:27 – How Kylie’s role evolved as the clinic grew 17:10 – Examples of team members stepping into leadership roles 19:16 – Energy Vets’ “best kept secret” — the culture 21:14 – Kennel hands entering the veterinary profession 22:57 – Former kennel hands returning to work at the clinic 23:31 – Three words Kylie uses to describe the team Hiring Link Energy Vets is currently looking for an experienced small animal veterinarian ready to co-lead the companion animal team. Learn more here: vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    26 min
  8. "But Julie! We Need Someone NOW!” — When Urgency Blocks Recruitment Progress - 263

    17 MAR

    "But Julie! We Need Someone NOW!” — When Urgency Blocks Recruitment Progress - 263

    When veterinary clinics begin recognising the reactive recruitment cycle, certain phrases often start appearing. They sound practical — but they’re often the cycle defending itself. In this episode of Veterinary Voices, Julie South begins a new series exploring the objections that surface when clinics start considering a different way to approach recruitment. The first phrase she hears most often is: “Julie, we need someone now — not in six months’ time.” When a clinic has been covering a vacancy for months and the team is exhausted, the idea of building something that takes time can feel impossible. But Julie explains why this objection often appears after clinics have already spent months — sometimes years — trying to fill the role through job advertising alone. The urgency is real. But the deeper problem is usually that recognition only begins when the vacancy appears — meaning every recruitment effort starts from unknown, under pressure. Julie explains why even a short, well-built information bridge — a clear picture of who the clinic is and what it’s actually like to work there — can dramatically change what happens after someone reads a job ad. Because before vets and nurses decide whether to apply, they will almost always search for the clinic behind the advert. What they find in that moment either strengthens conviction — or quietly ends the process. Stay to the end for a question about what “we need someone now” may already be costing your clinic. In This Episode 01:22 – The objection Julie hears most often: “We need someone now” 04:37 – The Job Application Decision Gap and the Cultural Visibility Stress Test 05:30 – Building an information bridge between job ads and applications 09:52 – Two questions about what reactive recruitment may already be costing your clinic Mentioned in This Episode Cultural Visibility Stress Test A short eight-question exercise designed to help clinics see whether the Job Application Decision Gap may be affecting their recruitment. It takes about three minutes and is free to complete. careers.vetclinicjobs.com About Julie South Julie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and host of Veterinary Voices. She works with forward-thinking veterinary clinics that want to move beyond reactive job advertising by building recruitment infrastructure that creates recognition before a vacancy appears. When vets and nurses can see that a clinic is their kind of place, recruitment stops being a start-from-scratch exercise every time a role opens. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements?  If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic.    The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    10 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Most vet clinics are proud of their culture. They know it's special — it's what makes them tick. What they don't know is how to share those stories in ways that mean something to other vets and nurses. That's culture storytelling. And Julie South — founder of VetClinicJobs — shows vet clinics how to do it. You'll hear real vets and nurses talking about what it's actually like to work at their clinics. Not the polished corporate version — the real moments that show how teams handle pressure, support each other, and why someone would actually want to work there. That's the kind of proof that builds trust before anyone's even looking. You'll also learn which stories to share and when, how to stay visible to great people even when you're fully staffed, and why the quiet months between hires are actually your biggest opportunity. Each episode gives you something specific to do that week — a story to share, a shift to make, a pattern to break. If you're tired of starting from scratch every time someone resigns, this podcast shows you how to become the clinic people are already watching.

Information

  • Creator
    Julie South | Veterinary Recruitment Marketing Strategist
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    303
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Veterinary Voices | Veterinary Podcast | VetClinicJobs | HaloBiz Limited
  • Show Website
    Veterinary Voices