I work at a veterinary hospital with a surgery service. We are an incredibly busy service with fantastic doctors. I’ve been a part of this team for a number of years now. It is to be said I am very low on the totem pole, but I’m lucky to have fought for a livable wage.
Recently we have added an additional surgeon to our service. While also losing quite literally half of our tech staff due to burnout. We have had open tech positions since I have started working at this place. I overheard a conversation with our hiring director saying, “people just aren’t applying for tech positions. People don’t want to work anymore. It’s a very different work force these days.”
The veterinary field is riddled with issues to begin with. But organizations giving poor pay to skilled workers only exacerbates the problem. As with any field I suppose.
While there is a “shortage” of techs currently. That’s not the reason why people aren’t applying. Who would want to work 60-70 hrs a week making $22/hr?( which is less than what I make as a chump)Let alone have to deal with the emotional cost of the job? It’s a high stress, fast paced environment that requires a very specific set of skills and medical knowledge. So pay people accordingly.
The fact that organizations are unwilling to pay people to have a decent living is costing them their employees. More people become unhappy with the workplace due to a constant shortage of staff. And more people quit without filling those slots. That’s how companies go under. With a final result of people completely leaving the field to search for other opportunities to put their skills to the test.