Budget constraints in the public sector often leave government agencies like animal welfare organizations with limited options when it comes to recruitment. Given the competition in attracting applicants in both the public and private sector, these agencies are learning to innovate in their recruitment and retention efforts to build a diverse team that can take the organization to the next level.

This session’s instructor is Dr. Josh Fisher. He is the President of the National Animal Care and Control Association, Animal Services Director for the City of Charlotte/Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Board Chair of the North Carolina Animal Federation. He is a certified animal welfare administrator with a Bachelor’s Degree in Population Medicine, a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and Informatics, and a Ph.D. in Health Care Administration concentrating in Public Health.

The webinar discussion covered…

• The reality that animal welfare professionals historically did not deliberately intend to work in the profession but just stumbled their way into it.
• Efforts that the animal welfare sector must intentionally take to pave an actual career track and create specialization.
• The most common professional backgrounds that the animal welfare field tends to attract and have as practitioners.
• Guidelines on advertising methods and channels to get the most return on investment and reach your target demographic.
• Fringe benefits that the public sector can offer that are proven to be as effective in attracting applicants, particularly those from the younger generation who are more interested in maintaining work-life balance.
• Accommodations, conveniences, and set-ups that organizations can extend to applicants to express their interest and sincerity to have them join the team.
• Factors that serve as barriers that make it challenging for applicants to apply to a position or stay in the organization.
• Efforts that agencies can take part in or roll-out to widen the net of potential candidates through school programs, and flexible, seasonal, and part-time roles.
• The value in ensuring the agency’s demographics matches the community it is representing and serving to attract people from the community as well.
• Additional pointers to consider when trying to attract the next generation by:
  • Professionalizing the animal welfare field while also employing out of the box efforts to promote branding and increase visibility within the community.
  • Practicing transparency and being ready to have the hard conversations in terms of expectations with the job.
  • Keeping an open mind and removing the obstacles that applicants may have from being a part of the team.

Questions from the audience were about:

• How the economy impacted people’s interest in roles in the public sector.
• Leveraging cadet programs to recruit employees.
• Techniques to determine whether a person is culture-fit to an organization.
• Points to highlight in an applicant when trying to compete with an organization offering very competitive salaries.
• Online channels to post job openings on.

Other Webinars in this Series Include:

• Recruiting the Next Generation to Your Agency
• April 8: Staycations and Daycations – Building Short Term Foster Programs
• July 8: Building and Maintaining a Productive, High Volume Fostering Program
• July 22: The Care, Nurturing and Enrichment of Tame & Feral Volunteers

Audience Comments

• “Although he runs one unit of a Police Department, his procedures are spot-on when hiring ANY employee. Thank you for all the good tips.” — Roseann
• “Specific tools and ideas that were creative but pragmatic.” — Mehnaz
• “Dr. Fisher was awesome!” — Lori
• “We have to be willing to offer something to make our Agency stand out or qualified applicants will go somewhere else.” — Clifton
• “Good point about loan forgiveness.” — Cris

View our Animal Welfare Webinar  Schedule and Recordings

This webinar has been certified by the National Animal Care & Control Association and is approved for 1 Continuing Education Unit. Please refer to your NACA membership portal for current CEU submission process. Current NACA Members who attend the live presentation or watch the recording will be able to download a jointly issued attendance certificate that includes the National Animal Care & Control Association logo. Visit the NACA training page for a complete list of future trainings.