Reignite Your Veterinary Team’s Passion: 3 Proven Strategies to Combat the ‘Great Detachment’

Struggling with team disengagement? Learn how prioritizing clarity, care, and career development can transform your veterinary practice, improve employee satisfaction, and strengthen your clinic’s mission-driven culture.

A focused and engaged work team is the foundation for business success. 

Unfortunately, the latest Gallup employee engagement survey reveals that workers are neither engaged nor satisfied, making business growth even more challenging.

Gallup reported in mid-January 2025 that employee engagement in the U.S. dropped to its lowest point in a decade in 2024, with just 31% of employees engaged, matching the levels last seen in 2014. Similarly, the percentage of actively disengaged employees rose to 17%, echoing 2014 figures. Professional services were one of the sectors in which engagement fell the most. 

This 2% decline in engagement since 2023 underscores a concerning trend of growing employee detachment, particularly among workers under 35. This shift highlights the increasing challenge organizations face, including veterinary clinics, in retaining and motivating their workforce.

While these findings are unsurprising to many veterinary clinic owners and managers, Gallup’s 2024 survey highlights troubling declines in key elements critical to employee satisfaction and performance. Among the 12 engagement factors measured, three experienced the steepest drops:  

• Clarity of expectations: Only 46% of employees clearly understand what is expected of them at work, a significant drop from 56% in March 2020.

• Feeling cared for as a person: Just 39% of employees feel strongly that someone at work cares about them, down from 47% in March 2020.

• Encouragement for development: Only 30% of employees strongly agree that someone at work encourages their growth, a decline from 36% in March 2020.  

Employees of all ages seek clarity, meaningful relationships, and development opportunities. Unfortunately, many managers fail to deliver on these core needs. Compounding the issue, only 31% of managers report being engaged at work, undermining their ability to support their teams

Gallup has dubbed this the “Great Detachment,” meaning more of today’s employees are not satisfied with their current job and are seeking another.

Step 1: Provide Job Clarity

Research reveals that businesses thrive when team members have clearly defined roles, feel genuinely cared for, and are connected to the company’s mission and purpose. When employees know their opinions matter, engagement and productivity soar. 

It’s a simple yet powerful formula: clarity, connection, and contribution drive success.

Evaluate how well you’ve communicated each team member's job expectations and priorities. Job descriptions, regular performance reviews, and routinely reviewed SOPs can go a long way toward bridging expectation gaps and providing job clarity. 

Providing job clarity improves profitability and productivity. According to Gallup’s research, improving the clarity of expectations from today’s levels to best-practice levels can lead to a 9% increase in profitability and an 11% improvement in work quality.

Step 2: Connect with your Employees 

The survey uncovered a concerning trend among younger veterinary team members: only 39% feel that someone at work genuinely cares about them. Even more alarming, the connection to their company’s mission has plummeted from 38% in March 2021 to a record low of 30% in February 2024.  

These numbers should give us pause as veterinary leaders. The heart of every thriving practice lies in its people, and when team members feel disconnected or undervalued, morale suffers, as do productivity, client satisfaction, and patient care.  

So, how can we rekindle that sense of purpose and belonging? First, help your team see how their daily efforts contribute to something bigger. Take time to explain how their roles tie directly to your clinic’s mission, whether improving the quality of life for pets or strengthening the bond between people and their animals. Share stories of success and real examples of how your practice has made a difference in the lives of pets and clients.  

Next, encourage team members to share what makes them proud of their work. Create space in meetings or team huddles to highlight personal victories, client compliments, or cases that reminded them why they joined this profession in the first place. These moments of shared pride can be powerful motivators and help build camaraderie.  

Finally, take a hard look at whether the employee experience aligns with your clinic’s stated mission and values. Are you fostering an environment that reflects the compassion, care, and excellence you strive to provide your clients? If not, it’s time to make changes. A mission-driven culture starts from the inside out.  

Step 3: Support Job Development and Personal Growth

Encouragement is the engine of engagement and fuel for productivity. Yet, according to Gallup, only 30% of employees in 2024 strongly agreed that someone at work actively supports their development, a drop from 36% in 2020. For veterinary leaders, this is more than a statistic; it’s a call to action.  

Supporting your team’s growth goes far beyond building skills; it’s about showing that you genuinely care about their future. When you invest in your employees, you’re investing in their loyalty, motivation, and the long-term success of your practice. Whether you fund continuing education, schedule regular job check-ins, or foster mentorship opportunities, even small steps can have a significant impact.  

There’s an old saying in leadership: "A great leader is measured by how many people they promote." Some of my proudest moments in the past 30 years aren’t tied to personal accolades; they’re rooted in watching team members grow, thrive, and often move on to bigger opportunities. If you genuinely care about your people, you want them to succeed, even if that means cheering them on as they leave your practice.  

Take a moment to evaluate how your clinic supports professional and personal growth. Are you creating a workplace where your team feels supported and encouraged to reach their full potential? 

By taking these steps, you can reignite your team’s passion and ensure they feel valued, not just as employees but as essential contributors to your practice’s larger purpose.