Veterinary Voices

Hosted by Julie South | Veterinary Recruitment Marketing Strategist

Business Management MarketingInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

311

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-NZ

About the show

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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 2767 min

The reputation that travels everywhere except the job ad - ep. 276

There's a clinic not too far from you right now that everyone in the profession knows about.The vets know. The nurses know. The locums know. You can see it in the turnover — always hiring, always starting over. And nobody says publicly why.In the first episode of a new series — The Elephant In The Room — Julie South talks about the reputation that travels through private chats and late-night conference conversations, but never makes it into the one place it might actually do some good.And about the clinics that have done the hard work to change things — and are still being judged for who they used to be.If either of those sounds familiar, this episode is for you.Episode notesThis episode explores why veterinary clinic reputations circulate privately — through WhatsApp, Messenger, and word of mouth — but never surface publicly where they could inform a hiring decision.Two kinds of clinics are examined:Clinics where the reputation is earned and nothing has changed — where high turnover is the visible signal and toxic behaviour continues to be toleratedClinics that have genuinely changed — new leadership, new culture, fixed rosters, addressed after-hours loads — but are still carrying a reputation that belongs to a version of themselves that no longer existsThe episode argues that the only thing that shifts a reputation is evidence: real voices from current team members, captured and published in a form that travels as far and as fast as the original reputation did.This is the first episode in The Elephant In The Room — a series examining the things everyone in veterinary knows and almost no one says out loud.About your hostJulie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and the host of Veterinary Voices. She has been in veterinary recruitment since 2019 and is known for her work in culture storytelling — helping forward-thinking vet clinics build the kind of genuine, specific culture evidence that attracts Their Kind of People long before any job ad runs. Julie has spoken on culture storytelling and employer branding at VetEXPO in Melbourne and works with clinics across Australasia and beyond who want vets and nurses to be excited about going to work on Monday mornings — for all the right reasons.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

June 9, 2026Episode 2756 min

The good stuff your job ad never gets to say - ep 275

Most clinics have their most honest conversation about culture when someone's leaving.The vet or nurse is in their last week, and suddenly — they talk. They say what they loved about the team. They describe what made this clinic different. They name the specific things that kept them there as long as they did.Honest. Warm. Specific. Exactly the kind of thing that would make the right person read it and think: that sounds like my kind of place.And the job ad? It might still be running. Still saying passionate team, supportive environment, great work-life balance. The same words it said when it went up. The same words every other clinic uses.In this final episode of the series What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do, Julie South looks at the good stuff that surfaces too late — and what it would take to capture it while it can still do something useful.If you'd like to talk about what that looks like for your clinic — email julie@vetclinicjobs.com.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

June 2, 2026Episode 27411 min

You Have a Great Culture. So Why Is It So Hard to Hire? ep 274

You have a great culture. Your team would back that up. So why is it sooooo! hard to find vets and nurses who want to work there?The answer probably isn't your job ad. It's everything that didn't happen before your job ad ran.In this fifth episode of What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do, Julie South unpacks the hidden cost of episodic recruitment — the off/on/off, stop/start/stop cycle that most vet clinics have normalised without ever questioning. The ad goes up. The ad comes down. The clinic goes dark. And the next time a vacancy opens, you're starting from zero. Again.Visibility isn't about being findable by name. It's about being present in the professional world of vets and nurses who are keeping their eye out — months or years before they're ready to apply. What's more - there's a huge difference between being visible and being believed. Third-party voice carries a weight that no amount of your own content ever will.A job ad is a moment in time. Visibility is a habit.Resources mentioned:One-hour consult with Julie — julie@vetclinicjobs.comStruggling 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

May 26, 2026Episode 2739 min

Vanilla Job Ads From Vanilla Clinics Get Vanilla Applications - ep 273

Your job ad has a requirements list. Must be a team player. Must thrive in a fast-paced environment. Must do one weekend in four. And you're hoping the right vets and nurses will read it, recognise themselves, and apply.Here's the problem. So does every other clinic's job ad. Word for word, in some cases.In this fourth episode of What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do, Julie South unpacks why requirements lists don't filter — and why vanilla clinics get vanilla applications. When every clinic looks identical, there's nothing for a vet or nurse to identify with. Nothing to recognise. Nothing that says that's my kind of clinic.The goal of a job ad isn't volume. It's resonance. One application from a vet or nurse who already knows you're their kind of clinic is worth more than fifty from people who are guessing. Most clinics are fishing with a net. This episode is about fishing with a line.Julie also introduces the concept of recognition and identification — what genuine self-selection looks like, why it doesn't travel on bullet points, and why the question worth asking about your job ad isn't "how do I make it better?" It's "is this vanilla?"Resources mentioned:One-hour consult with Julie — julie@vetclinicjobs.comStruggling 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

May 19, 2026Episode 2729 min

Why Your Clinic Values Belong Everywhere Except Your Job Ad - ep. 272

Your clinic values are genuine. The team really is supportive. You really do care about animal welfare. So why is stating that in your job ad doing absolutely nothing for your recruitment?In this third episode of What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do, Julie South unpacks why values listed in a job ad are indistinguishable from values listed in every other job ad — and why that makes them wallpaper, however sincerely they're meant.The problem isn't your values. It's the tool you're using to carry them.Julie explores the difference between a value that's claimed and a value that's demonstrated, why a job ad can only ever do the former, and what demonstration looks like in practice — from verified anonymous employee reviews to a team member telling their story on a podcast.And if you're listening and wondering how to make your values fit better in a job ad — Julie has something to say about that too. It's not the question you should be asking.Resources mentioned:Cultural Visibility Stress Test — careers.vetclinicjobs.comEmail Julie — julie@vetclinicjobs.comStruggling 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

May 12, 2026Episode 27112 min

Testimonials vs Reviews: Why One Works and One Doesn't - ep. 271

There's a glowing quote from a team member on your careers site or in your job ad. It's positive, it's genuine — and it's doing almost nothing for your recruitment. This episode explains why, and what actually works instead.In this second episode of What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do, Julie South unpacks one of the heaviest loads clinics are asking their job ads and careers pages to carry: social proof.Specifically — the difference between a testimonial and a review. They look similar. They are not the same. And confusing the two is costing clinics vets and nurses.Julie explores why solicited quotes — however genuine — are instantly discounted by the vets and nurses reading them, why verified anonymous employee reviews carry a completely different weight, and what happens in the room when a clinic manager is first invited to let their team speak anonymously and unedited.You'll also hear what "verified" actually means, why it matters that a real human — not a bot — does the verifying, and how VetClinicJobs gives anonymous reviews their own dedicated space ahead of job ads.And at the end — a question worth sitting with. One that'll give you a more honest read of where your clinic culture sits than almost anything else.Resources mentioned:Cultural Visibility Stress Test — careers.vetclinicjobs.comEmail Julie — julie@vetclinicjobs.comStruggling 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

May 5, 2026Episode 2708 min

What AI Says About Your Clinic When Vets and Nurses Search for You - 270

If you've ever posted a job ad and wondered why the right vets and nurses aren't applying — this episode is for you.Something has shifted in how vets and nurses research clinics before they apply. They're not just Googling anymore. They're asking AI. And AI isn't reading your job ad to build its answer. It's reading everything else — third-party platforms, independent reviews, social media posts from your staff, podcast episodes featuring your team.This is AEO — Ask Engine Optimisation. And it's changing the hiring landscape faster than most clinic owners realise.In this episode — the first in a brand new series, What Job Ads Were Never Built To Do — Julie South explains:What the Google EEAT update of 2022 means for how AI weighs content about your clinicWhy first-party content (you talking about yourself) no longer differentiates youWhat AI is actually surfacing when vets and nurses search "what's it like working at [your clinic]"Why the clinics winning the AI answer aren't necessarily the biggest or best fundedStay to the end — Julie asks you to do one thing that will show you exactly where your clinic stands right now.Mentioned in this episode: julie@vetclinicjobs.com careers.vetclinicjobs.comVeterinary Voices is produced by Julie South for VetClinicJobs — helping vet clinics hire their kind of people.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

April 28, 2026Episode 26910 min

That’s Not How We Do Things Around Here” — When Tactical Solutions Won’t Fix a Thinking Problem - Recruitment Stuck - 269

"Julie - That’s not how we do things around here.”It’s one of the most honest responses Julie South hears from clinics when new ideas are introduced.In this final episode of the Where Vet Clinics Get Stuck with Their Recruitment series, she looks at why this particular response is different from the others.Because it’s not about time.Or budget.Or platform.It’s about identity.Knowing who you are as a clinic — how you operate, what you stand for — is a strength. It’s the foundation of a strong culture.But when that identity becomes rigid, it can also become a barrier.Julie shares the story of two clinics with almost identical starting points.One held firmly to “that’s not how we do things here” — and is still trying to fill the same role years later.The other wasn’t convinced. Didn’t fully understand the approach. But was willing to try something different anyway.Two different responses.Two very different outcomes.This episode looks at why some clinics remain stuck even when they know what the problem is — and why no tactic will work if the underlying thinking doesn’t shift.Stay to the end for a question about whether “that’s not how we do things here” is a decision… or a habit.In This Episode01:09 – “That’s not how we do things here”02:03 – When identity becomes a barrier02:32 – The cost of holding the line04:01 – Two clinics, two different responses04:37 – Trying something unfamiliar05:13 – What happened next (and why)06:13 – Why this stuck is different07:20 – Thinking problems vs tactical problems08:05 – When identity becomes a ceiling08:41 – One question to end the series 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

April 21, 2026Episode 2689 min

“We’ve Tried Social Media” — Why It Doesn’t Lead to Applications - Getting Beyond Recruitment Stuck - 268

“We’ve tried social media. It didn’t work.”It’s something Julie South hears often from clinics that have already put time and effort into posting, sharing, and trying to build some form of presence online.In this episode of Veterinary Voices, she continues the Where Vet Clinics Get Stuck series by looking at why social media so often disappoints — even when clinics are doing what they’ve been told to do.Posting regularly.Sharing updates.Trying to show a bit of team life.Because the issue isn’t usually effort.It’s what that effort is being asked to do.A vet or nurse doesn’t decide to apply because of a post in isolation.They’re trying to answer a bigger question.And when they go looking for that answer, what they find — or don’t find — matters far more than the post that first caught their attention.This episode looks at four distinct reasons social media keeps falling short — from what candidates actually see, to how algorithms filter content, to why disconnected posts don’t build trust over time, and why many clinics are investing effort into the wrong platform entirely.Stay to the end for a question about what your social media activity is really being asked to do.In This Episode00:57 – “We’ve tried social media. It didn’t work”01:57 – The first problem: what vets and nurses actually find03:54 – The second problem: algorithm filtering and reach05:43 – The third problem: sound bites vs serial stories06:26 – The fourth problem: platform (Facebook vs LinkedIn)07:34 – What clinics can and can’t control08:20 – A question about what people find when they look you upStruggling 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

April 14, 2026Episode 26712 min

“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 Episode01:32 – “We’ll just update our careers page”02:26 – Who your website is actually built for05:03 – What vets and nurses are trying to work out06:00 – What happens when there’s nothing to stay for06:56 – Why updating a careers page feels like progress09:45 – The difference between a door and a destination10:41 – 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