SERVICES
HR SOUNDING BOARD
Talk through challenging and complex HR situations, or ask a quick HR question, and receive clear direction on next steps.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Resolve a dispute or settle a disagreement through mediation, or with guidance to navigate the situation yourself.
CULTURE SHIFT
Rediscover why we do what we do in vet med, and bring the focus back to our patients, clients and working in a positive environment.
COMMUNICATION COACHING
Insightful recommendations to approach tough conversations with confidence and communicate more effectively.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Mentorship for new – and seasoned – leaders to discuss employee situations and seek guidance in a safe space.
DOCUMENTATION
DONE RIGHT
Proper documentation sets clear expectations, upholds culture, achieves accountability, and helps protect your practice from risk.
COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION
Review of a specific HR situation or employee complaint, with recommendations to correct the problem or resolve the issue.
HANDBOOK
Are you at risk because your handbook is out of date?
CAREER GROWTH
What does success look like to you? Discuss your goals and how to launch your next opportunity with resumé review and interview prep.
REIMAGINE YOUR CULTURE
Starpath starts with one-on-one interviews, providing each of your team members with an external sounding board to share thoughts, stressors and their vision for a great workplace. Feedback is summarized for the hospital leadership team with identified trends and insightful recommendations on culture initiatives. We then work with your entire team to overcome "pain points", embrace core values, and place positive culture at the heart of everything you do.
One of our greatest joys comes in helping teams rediscover “why” we do what we do in vet med, and building healthy teams focused on patient care, client service, and the hospital team.
Culture assessments can be coupled with workshops, and done remotely, onsite, or a combination thereof.
SITUATIONAL GUIDANCE
People are imaginative and independent, and sometimes the HR dilemmas that arise can be challenging. We'll act as a sounding board, and advise, guide, educate, and support through your toughest situations. You'll receive insightful recommendations and next steps. We're with you every step of the way.
We'll navigate together with your leadership team to:
approach tough conversations
manage performance concerns and set clear expectations
handle misconduct appropriately
respond to mental health issues
work through unusual or unexpected situations
COMMUNICATION COACHING
We provide personalized coaching to help you work through challenging situations. We’ll talk through your specific circumstances and give guidance and perspective. Sometimes you just need a sounding board, and the support of knowing there’s someone in your corner.
We’ll provide communication strategies so you can:
Approach difficult conversations with confidence
Resolve a disagreement or conflict
Grow your leadership skills in preparation for more responsibility
DOCUMENTATION DONE RIGHT
Documenting employee performance, good or bad, is a task that few enjoy. However, it is crucial to let people know where they stand. Well written documentation summarizes performance and conduct concerns with specific examples, sets clear expectations, and outlines goals or consequences.
However, poorly worded, unclear or incomplete documentation poses a huge risk to your practice. This can result in disengaged staff, unfair treatment, and even litigation.
We'll work with your leadership team to:
create document templates that fit your culture, are congruent with your policies, and follow HR best practices
provide guidance on necessary steps and information gathering prior to finalizing documents
review documents before they are given to an employee to sign
COMPLAINT INVESTIGATION
We can conduct an independent review of a specific HR situation or area of concern. We'll help look into employee complaints by speaking with employees directly to learn their perspective. We can also be a resource for your employees and advocate on their behalf by bringing their concerns to hospital leadership in a neutral way.
We'll provide a summary of the concern, and give recommendations to correct an issue before it becomes a major problem. It's all about creating the best work environment for your people!
SUPPORTING PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
Depression, anxiety, and thoughts of self-harm are prevalent in our world and among our people. We know that the suicide rate is unacceptable in the veterinary profession. Veterinary leaders are sometimes thrust into the position of counselor, and may be unsure how to help or how involved to be.
We can help you to support people who are struggling with mental health, from an HR standpoint. We'll help you know what you can and can't ask or do. With the right approach, we can help our people, within our boundaries.
According to Merck Animal Health Veterinarian Wellbeing Study 2020:
ONLY 16%
of DVMs suffering from serious psychological distress accessed mental health or well-being resources from veterinary organizations
52%
of DVMs distressed in the last year needed mental health treatment or therapy but didn't get it
LEAVES OF ABSENCEINTERACTIVE PROCESS AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Leave laws are dynamic, to say the least. We'll help you implement a leave of absence process so your practice is compliant with any applicable federal, state and local leave laws.
The ADA/ADAAA are complex areas with much overlap with leave laws and worker's comp, and it is easy to be confused or out of compliance. Both medical issues and mental health concerns in our people must be addressed. We can work through convoluted situations together, so you can ensure you are engaging and accommodating appropriately.
We'll help you:
implement steps to engage in the interactive process and determine reasonable accommodations
properly document your interactive process and accommodations
have a solid understanding of both the employer's and employee's rights and responsibilities
EVALUATION OF HR PROCESSES
We'll do an in-depth assessment of your current HR practices and policies, from hire through termination. We look to ensure HR strategies support your practice culture and follow HR best practices for compliance with labor laws.
You receive a detailed analysis, including:
-
recognition of areas where you shine
-
identified areas of risk
-
recommended HR best practices
-
action steps
LOOKING FORWARD WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING
We strategize together on your goals for your practice. Whether you are growing, adding new services, anticipating a decline, or looking to redefine your culture, having your people on board is key to successful implementation. We'll encourage you to remain flexible and creative in your thinking as we explore new ideas. We help develop a plan to gather input from your team and maintain clear communications with your people throughout the change process.
CAREER GROWTH & INTERVIEW PREP
Looking for your next step?
Finding a great fit is vital to your job satisfaction and career growth! Interviews are not just about a hospital assessing your skills, knowledge and abilities; it is equally important that you evaluate whether a new opportunity supports your goals.
We’ll help you:
Define what gives you fulfillment and balance in your work
Identify the hospital culture that is best for you!
Know what to ask to determine if a position is the right fit
RESUMÉ REVIEW
A polished and organized resumé is more likely to lead to an interview and job offer. We’ve conducted thousands of interviews for veterinary hospitals over the years, so we look at resumés through the lens of a practice manager.
We’ll review your resumé and provide feedback and suggested revisions to make sure your accomplishments, skills and aptitudes stand out!
ALIGN
People with
Practice Culture
EMPOWER
Leadership & Teams
with Knowledge
NAVIGATE
Unique HR Challenges
PROTECT
People & Practices from Risk