Prepare your summer, vacations and replacements.

23 February 2026

Summer in veterinary medicine is a bit like being on call on June 24: it happens every year, everyone knows it… and yet, it’s always surprising. Between planned leave, school vacations, unforeseen events (illness, injury, ER overload), and demand that doesn’t “take time off”, the difference between a smooth summer and a chaotic one lies in one thing above all: operational anticipation.

The aim of this article is to give you a simple, concrete and realistic method for securing your replacements and protecting the quality of your care – without burning out your team.

Why does summer get out of hand so quickly?

Even when the vacations are announced early, summer gets complicated for very predictable reasons:

Reduced clinical capacity (vets/TVR/ASA on leave, reduced hours).
Increased customer pressure (travel, boarding, accidents, heat, parasites, diarrhea/titis, etc.).
Domino effect: a “short staff” day → delays → fatigue → errors → absenteeism → even fewer staff.
Reactive recruitment: we look “for yesterday”, so we choose quickly… sometimes too quickly.

The solution is not “finding perfect humans”. The solution is a plan.

The simple plan: 4 pillars for a summer under control

1) Map vacations and actual capacity

Before recruiting, you need to know what you’ re really missing.

List confirmed leaves of absence (veterinary, TVR, ASA, management).
Convert into clinical capacity: number of appointments/day, surgical blocks, ER availability, hospitalization coverage.
Identify “at-risk” weeks (often: late June, construction, late July, early August).

Tip: a “theoretical” schedule may seem correct, but if you don’t have the right combination (e.g. surgery without TVR, ER without support), your real capacity drops.

2) Decide what’s non-negotiable (and what can be lightened)

A stable summer is not necessarily a summer “at 110% production”. It’s a summer where you’re in control.

Non-negotiable: anesthesia safety, analgesia, post-op follow-up, hospitalization, ER triage, basic RX/US, lab critical.
Allegeable (temporarily): certain elective procedures, non-urgent recheck slots, non-priority surgeries, non-critical inventory.

A clinic that assumes a clear “summer mode” protects its team AND its department.

3) Recruit early, but above all recruit accurately

Recruiting “a vet” is too vague. Recruiting “a solution” is much more effective.

Examples of positions/replacements to clarify BEFORE posting:

Type of practice: GP, ER, mixed.
Expected volume: consultations/h, surgeries/d, level of autonomy.
Support: TVR/veterinarian ratio, ASA, imaging, lab, anesthesia protocol.
Schedule: fixed vs flex days, weekends, on-call.
Duration: 2 weeks, 6 weeks, full summer, possibility of extension.

The clearer it is, the more you attract the right person – and the more you reduce last-minute cancellations.

4) Secure onboarding (even for a short replacement)

The classic trap: “It’s just a replacement, he’ll adapt.”

In reality, successful replacements love structured clinics.

Minimal (but solid) onboarding checklist:

Software access, codes, protocols (analgesia, anesthesia, transfusion, euthanasia, antibiotic therapy).
Logistics: pharmacy, lab, radiology, referrals, on-call, emergencies.
“House rules: customer communications, SOAP notes, consents, quotations.
Dedicated contact: 1 person responsible for questions (not “everyone”).

Even 60 minutes of well-done briefing can save hours of chaos.

For clinics: action schedule (without complexity)

Starting now

Confirm vacations and map weeks at risk.
Define your real needs: number of shifts, type of profile, level of autonomy.

4-8 weeks before

Activate recruitment: replacements + plan B.
Standardize onboarding (document + person responsible).

2 weeks before

Finalize schedules, access, protocols, critical inventory.
Inform team of “summer mode” (what to protect, what to lighten).

During the summer

Weekly micro-adjustments: case load, waiting times, team morale.
Preserve recovery: breaks, limits, consistent triage.

For vets: how to choose a replacement that goes well

A successful replacement is rarely “lucky”. It’s often because you asked the right questions beforehand.

Before accepting

What is the level of TVR/ASA support?
What are the productivity expectations?
What is considered “urgent” vs. “can wait”?
Anesthesia/analgesia protocols: standardized or case-by-case?
Who decides on customer/financial/medical disputes?

Green signals

Onboarding planned, written protocol, stable team, clear expectations.

Red signals

“You’ll see on the spot”, “we’re busy but we’ll be fine”, lack of protocols, ambiguity about roles and limits.

Recruiting without panic means above all… deciding early

Scarcity is no excuse for chaos. It calls for a different strategy: planning, clarifying, simplifying and securing.

Your summer will rarely be perfect, but it can be predictable, manageable and humane – for your team and for your customers.

If you’re integrating just one idea: recruit a solution, not a CV.

Oxilia is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

9 February 2026

Ten years of calls, shifts, unforeseen events, “the rush”, quick decisions, and above all, ten years of collaboration with people who are passionate about veterinary medicine and care, in the broadest sense of the word.

At the outset, the ambition was simple: to reduce friction. To help clinics breathe a sigh of relief when schedules overflow. To enable professionals to offer their skills where they are needed. Streamline coordination. To make the process clearer, more reliable and more human.

Over time, the mission has remained the same, but the reality on the ground has changed.

The veterinary world has been transformed: labor shortages, rising demand, case intensity, compassion fatigue, customer expectations, administrative complexity… All this creates constant pressure on teams. In this context, a company like Oxilia doesn’t have the luxury of being “just about” efficient. You have to be precise. Predictable. And useful, for real.

A pivotal year: 2026 and our roadmap

In recent months, we’ve been working (often behind the scenes) on a clear plan: to improve structure, processes and quality of execution. Not to make “more noise”, but to do better, measurably.

2026 is the year we consolidate.

We’re putting the emphasis back on :

operational rigor (monitoring, data, traceability, efficiency)
communication (internal and with customers)
process fluidity (less friction, less back-and-forth, less wasted time)
service quality (predictable, consistent, results-oriented)

This plan is not just a “corporate” exercise. It’s a strategic choice: we want every clinic and every professional to feel the difference, in concrete, everyday terms.

Celebrating 10 years… and preparing for it

A 10th anniversary is also an opportunity to do something we rarely do: take a break to say thank you.

To all the clinics that have placed their trust in us.

To all the professionals who have embarked on sometimes-demanding mandates.

To the administrative teams who juggle a thousand priorities.

To the partners who challenged us (often with good reason) and helped us improve.

Thank you all. We sincerely thank you.

And because an anniversary isn’t just about looking back…

Surprises in 2026 (yes, really)

To celebrate our 10th anniversary in style, we’re planning several surprises for 2026.

We want to keep some of the mystery (we’re allowed to be a little dramatic), but here’s the spirit:

useful new features, not just “new” ones
improvements you can feel: simplicity, speed, clarity
initiatives designed for the field, not for PowerPoint slides

Some announcements will come early in 2026, others later. The idea is to make 2026 a living year: a succession of improvements and new features, at the pace of what brings the most value.

Stay tuned: our 2026 surprises are coming soon.

Veterinary Shortage : 5 Lessons from 2025 to Better Plan for 2026

12 January 2026

2025 didn’t “create” the veterinary workforce shortage in Quebec and across Canada — but it did make its effects more visible, more frequent, and more costly, especially when a clinic faces an unexpected departure, a team reorganization, or a surge in urgent cases. Going into 2026, the question is no longer whether the shortage exists. The real question is: how do we protect continuity of care and clinical capacity when resources are scarce?

Where does the shortage stand, factually

In Canada, Job Bank (based on the Canadian Occupational Projection System) indicates a significant shortage risk for the veterinary profession nationwide over 2024–2033. The same source highlights key structural indicators: approximately 12,600 veterinarians in 2023, 34% of workers aged 50+, and a reported median retirement age of 66.

In Quebec, the OMVQ documents a critical dynamic: mobility. Over 2019–2023, 42% of veterinarians (1,121 professionals) changed workplaces at least once, for a total of 1,879 moves. More recently, the OMVQ reported that in 2024, Quebec had 2,804 member veterinarians.

What 2025 changed on the ground: a “statistical” shortage became an “operational” shortage

Even when the “total number” of professionals looks acceptable on paper, real capacity depends on very concrete factors: schedule availability, tolerance for on-call duties, team composition (veterinarians, RVTs/technicians, reception), leadership stability, and process friction (triage, case handoffs, client communication, follow-ups). In 2025, many clinics experienced a simple reality: deliverable capacity can drop quickly, even with only a small reduction in staffing.

Large-network movements amplified instability in 2025

In 2025, organizational changes within large networks (leadership, internal structures, reassignments) contributed to increased mobility and team reshuffling. When a region is already “tight,” a few strategic moves can create imbalance (reduced hours, longer delays, more pressure on emergency services, overflow to neighboring clinics). This isn’t a judgment — it’s what constrained systems tend to do under pressure.

Indirect but real impact: tariffs and economic uncertainty

Even if our industry isn’t the primary target, 2025 was marked by trade tensions and tariff measures that fueled uncertainty in Canada. Exports and supply chains were affected, in a context where tariffs imposed under the Trump administration were part of the broader economic conversation. On the business side, EDC published 2025 analysis on how tariffs affect supply chains and input costs.

For clinics, the impact is mostly indirect: higher or more volatile costs, longer lead times, increased caution around equipment purchases, and greater client sensitivity to discretionary spending.

What clinics have to absorb: 4 very concrete consequences

On the ground, the shortage rarely shows up as “we have no veterinarian.” It more often looks like:

Reduced coverage (days/evenings/nights)
Longer wait times and more transfers
Unstable workload (peaks + catch-up)
Higher burnout and turnover risk, which reinforces the cycle

Why flexible staffing is becoming a clinical strategy (not just HR)

The key takeaway from 2025: relief coverage is no longer just a short-term “band-aid.” Done well, flexible staffing becomes a continuity tool — keeping surgeries on schedule, preventing last-minute cancellations, supporting emergency coverage, stabilizing hours, protecting vacations/sick leave, and reducing chronic pressure on core teams.

Oxilia’s role: turning relief coverage into planned capacity

In a shortage-driven market, the goal isn’t just to “find someone last minute” (even though that still happens). The goal is to reduce volatility. Concretely, Oxilia positions itself as a partner that helps clinics:

Secure coverage (relief shifts, planned blocks, targeted reinforcements during high-risk periods)
Standardize execution (simple processes, clear expectations, continuity of information)
Streamline coordination (less administrative friction = more clinical time)
Forecast capacity more effectively (proactive planning instead of constant reaction)

Preparing for 2026: the right question isn’t “how many people,” but “how much stable capacity”

In 2026, the clinics that will perform best won’t be the ones that “successfully hire once.” They’ll be the ones that build resilient capacity: realistic schedules, planned relief coverage, minimal standardization, and a retention strategy that protects the team (and therefore the quality of care).

2025 taught us one thing clearly: the shortage is a fact — but disorganization isn’t inevitable. The difference comes down to planning and execution — and that’s exactly where Oxilia aims to be useful.

Best Practices for Relief Veterinarian in Larger Vet Organizations

1 December 2021

Are you a relief veterinarian preparing to join a larger organization? Here’s how to get off to a galloping start.

Navigating a large veterinary network is a different concept from working at a local clinic. Relief veterinarians who are enlisted to support larger vet organizations may find the prospect of joining a larger corporate family to be intimidating. By reviewing the best practices in this sector, they can quiet internal concerns and confidently approach their first day at the larger organization.

Consolidation is becoming more common

The veterinary industry is undergoing a sea of change; the ongoing pandemic has led to sudden technological changes across the industry, and the practice of corporate consolidation is growing more common with each passing year.

Younger veterinary professionals at the start of their careers are increasingly faced with a choice between smaller organizations and larger, more corporate networks. It was recently pointed out at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine that enticing salaries and benefits are increasingly luring new industry talent toward larger vet organizations.

Those relief veterinarians who are entering a larger organization for the first time must prepare for a different cultural environment than what they may be used to. Veterinary locums who are used to quickly acclimating to smaller clinics must recognize that it may take longer to integrate into a larger organization.

Avoiding burnout as a relief veterinarian

Veterinary locums attempting to integrate into larger organizations should focus on avoiding personal burnout while easing the burdens of their colleagues. It won’t always be possible for you to prioritize the bottom line. Instead, your focus should be on the wellbeing of your fellow professionals who you were brought in to support during a period of high demand.

To that end, relief veterinarians should learn to recognize the common symptoms of burnout. Emotional fatigue, physical exhaustion, botched patient care, and lackluster communication from a professional who’s normally quite dependable are all warning signs to be aware of.

Be prepared to juggle the contradictory objectives of avoiding personal exhaustion while lightening the load of other workers. You may be required to work at strange hours to ensure permanent staff aren’t kept awake for days on end, for instance.

When your own personal wellbeing is ensured and a positive workplace is being fostered for all, it’s far easier to deliver relief value to the larger organization you’re temporarily assisting.

The powers of observation

You’re about to join a much larger organization with a dynamic company culture you could be totally unfamiliar with. Harnessing your powers of observation to understand and acclimate to the local culture will be essential to your success.

Politely inquire about:

Office étiquette. Seek details about dress standards and the work environment.

Schedule expectations. When exactly will you be working? Which vets in this network need the most relief? What’s the expected duration of your employment?

Communication standards. What tools will you be using to communicate? You’ll want to become familiar with their Slack setup or any other internal messaging system.

The parameters of your job. Never be afraid to ask questions, as relief veterinarians should be readily prepared to digest new information and implement it into their routines. Don’t know if something is your responsibility? Ask about it.

Mistakes to avoid

Relief veterinarians must walk a fine line between temporarily helping an organization and disrupting their established routines with changes to the system. There are some crucial mistakes that could damage your future relationship with this veterinary organization if you don’t take steps to avoid them ahead of time.

Antagonizing permanent professionals. Your role is to provide relief to full-time veterinarians at this organization. Generate discord in the office or stress in the clinic, and you’ll end up harming the same professionals you’re trying to help.

Providing inconsistent levels of care. Fail to meet the standards of care at this new organization and clients will quickly become angry. Take care to familiarize yourself with the local standards of care and never cut corners during treatment.

Taking all the blame. While you don’t want to irk permanent employees, you should never unjustly accept blame for something that wasn’t your fault. Relief veterinarians make ideal scapegoats, given their newcomer status at an organization, so be sure to stand up for yourself if blame is being pinned on you for no good reason.

Tolerating abuse for a paycheck. Working conditions are tough right now; an ongoing shortage of veterinarians and heightened consumer demand means we’re all a little overworked right now. That’s no excuse for tolerating abuse from senior leaders. Never accept a hostile workplace in an industry that’s sorely in need of your talent.

Breathing a sigh of relief

Relief veterinarians who are concerned about an approaching gig should try their best to avoid stressing out. The vast majority of veterinary professionals you’ll soon be working with will be incredibly grateful for the support you’re about to provide. Clients will also doubtlessly breathe a sigh of relief when they see their pets are in your good hands.

Finding success as a relief vet depends on avoiding burnout, both in yourself and in others. It demands a respect for the organization’s pre-existing practices and a willingness to maintain stellar standards when treating patients. Perhaps above all else, it takes an agreeable personality and professional competence to successfully integrate into a larger network.

Ready to deliver relief? Keep these practices in mind as you move into a large vet organization and soon you’ll be providing valued assistance to our overworked veterinarians.

Thank you to our partner Veterinary Integration Solutions (VIS)

Veterinary Integration Solutions (VIS) enhances veterinary businesses by bringing proven processes, modern technologies, and the deep domain expertise to the rapidly growing veterinary consolidation market.

The Top 5 Tax Concepts to Know to Be a Self-Employed Veterinarian in Canada

22 July 2021

The Top 5 Tax Concepts to Know to Be a Self-Employed Veterinarian in Canada

As a self-employed veterinarian, you will enjoy a host of benefits, including a more flexible schedule and the hourly rate of your choice.

While the idea of running your own business is exciting, managing your finances might not be so. It can easily put a damper on your ambitions to start a new business.

All of that paperwork can seem like a chore, from the stress of filling out the right tax documents to knowing when to file your tax returns. Don’t let this get you down!

With knowledge of tax rules, regulations and the right tax concepts, you will be off to a good start in your career as a self-employed veterinarian.

Here are the top 5 tax concepts to know to be a veterinarian self-employee in Canada:

Learn how taxes work

As a self-employed veterinarian in Canada, your business income and your personal income are one and the same. Although there is no separate income tax for your business, you still face tax obligations.

You are required to report to the Canada Revenue Agency all income you receive that appears as part of your personal income on your tax form.

Thus, you will have to pay income tax (where each part of your income is taxed from 15% to 33% depending on your income as a veterinarian) and contributions to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) (9.9 %) which will be used for your retirement.

Regarding consumption taxes, you are not required to charge taxes as a self-employed person unless you charge more than $ 30,000 during a period of 12 consecutive months. If you exceed this threshold, then you will be required to obtain a tax number and add this amount to your professional fee invoices. Note that employers recover a large part or even all of this amount each quarter.

Your hourly rate should help you meet your tax obligations

Paying taxes is part of your financial obligations as a self-employed veterinarian. You should therefore not align your hourly rate with that of your salaried counterparts.

In reality, it is their employer who takes care of the tax obligations of their business. It goes without saying that your hourly rate should be higher as a freelance vet.

Remember that you will have to pay, among other things, your accounting, insurance, rent and utilities costs. Therefore, you should be earning enough money to pay your taxes, expenses, and bring a good chunk of the money home.

Thus, to calculate your hourly rate, you must take into consideration your years of experience, your consultation and surgery skills but above all you should take stock of the income you generate at the veterinary establishment because it is on this index. that you can base your hourly rate.

Set Money Aside

It goes without saying that you will need to put some money aside so that you can afford to pay your taxes. Ideally, you could make a deduction on every check you receive.

Otherwise, you’ll have to offset a hefty tax bill at the end of the year. By setting aside a minimum of 25% of your income, you will be able to pay your taxes as a self-employed veterinarian.

Have your proof

As a self-employed veterinarian, you are required to keep all meticulous documents that document your expenses and the goods you have purchased.

These documents include bills, journals, receipts, mortgage documents, credit statements and financial adjustments.

With your important documents in hand, you can provide proof for a review by the Canada Revenue Agency or a tax audit.

Have the right accounting software

Even if you are a smart vet, you can’t do it all on your own. To ensure that you are managing your taxes well, it is best to tailor the best accounting software to your business practices.

This is a simple tool that will save you time and tell you how much tax you owe. FreshBooks, QuickBooks, and Sage Business Cloud are examples of accounting software that will save you the chore of filing returns.

The Bottom Line

There it’s done ! Tax concepts that will help you navigate your path as an independent veterinarian.

However, don’t forget to consult an accountant, who will advise you on the best way to process your tax returns. He will explain to you the issues relating to labor tax as well as the factors that make you competent for the taxation of income.

It can also help you fill out complex tax forms. An accountant will also explain to you the legal tax obligations (if any) you will face in your new practice.

You still need to earn the trust of your customers and build a positive professional reputation. This can only be done with a lot of hard work, dedication and passion for your career.

To find out if the professional corresponds to the status of self-employed worker or employee, see the article Employee or Self-employed? from the Canada Revenue Agency.

Are you looking for a way to simplify the management of your small self-employed veterinarian business?

OXILIA is here for you!

We’ve got all the tools you’ll need to take your headache out of administration and finances and focus on what really matters – your professional practice.

Veterinary and RVT Jobs in Quebec, Canada

Considering a career as a veterinarian in Quebec, Canada? Wondering how much you’ll make? Whether you’re interested in full-time or locum work, we’ll help you unravel veterinarian salary data and hourly rates, and help you understand how it stacks up to neighbouring provinces.

Being a Veterinarian in Quebec

Like all Canadian provinces, becoming a veterinarian in Quebec requires a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) to practice. This is two years of pre-vet study which is then followed by five years at a Canadian veterinary college. It is worth noting that Quebec is the only province that requires five years instead of four.

Acquiring a DVM is competitive: veterinary colleges only graduate about 350 students a year. But with hard work, passion, and a little patience, you too can turn your love for animals into a viable career.

Like all careers, there are different structures of payment. Veterinarians can work full-time at a clinic, part-time at a clinic, or practice locum work. Locum means you travel to clinics all over the province on a case-by-case basis, and therefore are responsible for establishing your own rates. We’ll address each structure below.

Full-time Veterinarian Salary in Quebec

A full-time veterinarian that works at a clinic in Quebec makes, on average, $103,406 per year. While it’s a healthy salary (and among the highest across the country) it’s important to remember that taxes in Quebec are also the highest in Canada.

Also, let’s not forget that this figure is an average. Publicly recorded salaries are as high as $150,000 and as low as $40,000 depending on a variety of factors including how long the vet has been practising and what sort of animals they work with. In all likelihood, you will not be earning 100k> in your first few years of employment as a veterinarian in Quebec.

Locum Veterinarian Salary in Quebec

Surprisingly, working as a locum veterinarian may be a more lucrative choice. Locum veterinarians in Quebec make, on average, $81.25 per hour. With a 40-hour work week, that brings you to $169,000 per year before taxes.

Locum veterinarians set their own hourly wages. Therefore, it’s up to you to understand and honour your skill set. When you’re travelling, you also need to account for mileage, hotels, and other incidental expenses that may arise. Some locum veterinarians decide to set day rates instead of hourly wages.

And for accounting? Dr. Caroline Brookfield recommends you get that sorted ASAP. Tax season can be more complex when you’re in charge of your own business. Thankfully, there are tools and services (like Oxilia) that can make your life easier.

What about becoming a Registered Veterinary Technician?

If you want to work with animals but do not want to undergo the rigorous schooling and training required for a DVM, you can opt to be a veterinary technician instead.

RVT’s are what nurses are to doctors. They are responsible for a variety of tasks in clinics and work very closely with animals. Just like being a veterinarian, this job can be done in one single clinic or in locum.

In Quebec, an RVT degree requires 2-3 years of schooling at an accredited college. After graduation, you can expect to make $23.58 per hour at a single clinic. This is less than you would make in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia!

A locum RVT makes more in Quebec than they would in Ontario ($24.52 v $23.50) but less than they would in all neighbouring provinces.

In conclusion, Quebec is a great place to be a registered veterinarian. The most lucrative career option for this province is to be a travelling vet that works in a variety of clinics. Vet techs, on the other hand, make less both travelling and stationary than most other provinces. When you add Quebec’s taxes to the mix, it’s not the most viable option.

With all that said, your lifestyle choices and what you get out from the work is as important as money for many in the field. There is more than one path for you; let your love for animals guide you and you won’t go astray.

Headhunters or Oxilia: which recruitment strategy suits you best?

13 January 2021

Veterinary recruitment: headhunter or Oxilia?

Recruitment is a major issue for veterinary clinics. Candidates are sometimes recruited even before they leave university, given the numerous openings! With full-time employment, it is not uncommon for a job offer for a veterinarian or AHT to remain for months in the classifieds without a candidate coming forward.

Realizing that your approach is not producing the expected results, the temptation can be great to entrust the responsibilities of finding candidates to a headhunter or recruitment agency. After all, why not call on specialists who are used to finding candidates for companies from all walks of life?

Even if an open position costs your clinic a lot of money, don’t rush into it. It is better to take the time before making your decision. You don’t want to have to start the process from scratch or hire a candidate who doesn’t fit in well with your team. The costs can skyrocket if you make a decision too hastily.

Which recruitment strategy best suits your clinic?

Every recruitment strategy has its advantages and disadvantages. Consider these three common scenarios:

You spend an enormous amount of time managing the whole process, carefully selecting the veterinarians and animal health technicians to meet, while carrying out the necessary follow-ups;
You pay heavily for someone qualified to do it for you;
You post your offer in the classifieds, without having any control over the quality of the applications that will be sent to you.

It is not always beneficial to advertise your offer to as many people as possible; on the other hand, it can be difficult to find the right candidate if you don’t reach out to enough of them. What a dilemma! In addition to the time it takes to manage the recruitment process and the budgets that need to be set aside, either to get someone temporarily to work or to post your job offer, it can quickly become a headache.

It is therefore essential that you employ the strategy that best meets your needs, according to your situation.

Who is a headhunter?

A headhunter can help you select candidates who meet your criteria. He or she is a professional who specializes in the recruitment process and helps a wide variety of companies find qualified personnel. But a headhunter is a recruitment specialist, not a veterinary recruitment specialist. He or she assists companies in a variety of industries.

So if you need support, the headhunter can be an excellent advisor to assist you in the recruitment process.

Turnkey service

Recruitment agencies and headhunters offer a turnkey service. All aspects of recruitment are managed for you.

Pre-selection of candidates

Depending on your needs, a pre-selection of candidates can be carried out in order to target specific profiles. Screening of applications can include personality tests, tests to assess their language proficiency and general knowledge, computer skill-related assessments and much more. The more details you want to obtain about candidates, the more time-consuming and expensive the process may be.

Contract management

Some agencies offer support with contract management. You are, however, entirely responsible for respecting signed agreements, with no guarantee that the chosen candidate will get along well with your team.

Management fees

From the first evaluation meeting with your headhunter or recruitment agency, a fee will be charged to analyse your file and create your profile. You will also be charged for the time spent by your assigned expert trying to help you. The more support you need, the more expensive your recruitment process will be.

Exclusivity and limited network

You must sign an exclusive agreement with your headhunter or recruitment agency. You are, therefore, confined to the networks to which they give you access. A few of them specialize in health and veterinary medicine or have experience with the pharmaceutical industry.

Pressure to choose

Although no one will force you to do so, it is not impossible that the recruiter responsible for your file will put pressure on you to choose one of the proposed candidates, pointing out to you that applications meeting the required criteria are rare or that your choices are limited in any case.

High costs

The costs of using the services of a headhunter or recruitment agency are extremely high. Their fees can amount to 25-30% of a candidate’s annual salary plus a minimum amount to use their services. It is not by chance that they are mostly hired by large organizations such as pharmaceutical companies, food industries or large veterinary groups.

Permanent positions, few replacements

If you need staff to fill temporary vacancies or requirements, you will find it difficult to find what you are looking for with a headhunter or recruitment agency. Their services are primarily used to fill permanent positions in companies.

What is Oxilia?

Oxilia is the largest virtual recruitment platform for the veterinary industry in Canada. It brings together only those animal health technicians, veterinarians and veterinary institutions whose profiles are as precise as they are varied. Our job is to help the veterinary community create connections between employers and veterinary professionals in order to optimize recruitment and enhance the intrinsic value of the community.

Canada’s Largest Virtual Recruitment Platform for the Veterinary Industry

Oxilia’s platform already has more than 1300 profiles of available veterinarians and animal health technicians to carry out ad hoc contracts, replacement appointments or to fill full-time positions.

A veterinary community that helps each other

Since our foundation, we see our recruitment platform as a veterinary community. Candidates create their profiles and make themselves available to support clinics across Canada based on their skills, career goals and personality. We create a “perfect match” between employers and candidates!

Precise profiles and an efficient search tool

Oxilia’s platform allows both candidates and clinics to create their personalized profiles. Do you want to search for a candidate yourself according to specific criteria? It couldn’t be easier as the search tool is embedded in the platform. Candidates also have access to your clinic’s profile and ads in just a few clicks.

Targeted ads with no hidden costs

Do you want to post jobs? Oxilia allows you to advertise your job offers to its entire community.

An algorithm that creates perfect matches

When you use Oxilia’s search tool, its algorithm helps you connect with the candidates that match your requirements.

A tool for meeting candidates

You don’t have to wait for a list of candidates; you can contact and discuss directly with a candidate who meets your search criteria. This gives you the ultimate control, and you don’t have to wait for the green light from a third-party to communicate with such candidates.

Available replacements

You can easily find professionals looking for a temporary gig, who are available to fill a position during vacancies or during a particularly busy period. Some professionals registered with Oxilia have adopted a lifestyle that allows them to fill in as replacements in clinics across the country as and when needs arise.

Contact management

Oxilia puts you in contact with prime candidates and simplifies the management of agreements. All you have to do is establish good contact with the candidates you are targeting or who contact you. The quality of your interactions with candidates and the speed of your answers will greatly influence the success on your search.

No exclusivity

Although we are confident that you will find the ideal candidate with Oxilia, we do not impose any exclusive agreements. This allows you to use the platform alongside your other recruitment approaches.

Affordable platform

Compared to the fees charged by headhunters and agencies, you can save between 40 and 50% on recruitment costs with Oxilia. Conversion fees are $8,000 for veterinarians and $4,000 for animal health technicians. For temporary contracts, a 20% fee is levied on the candidate’s hourly rate.

No monthly or annual charges

You only pay when you hire a candidate, whether it is a full-time position or a replacement contract. Registration is completely free!

Oxilia: your digital recruitment agent

With Oxilia, the search for a candidate is similar to the process of buying or selling a house through a real estate broker. Like the latter, Oxilia gives you the means to get in touch with more candidates who meet your search criteria and gives you the tools to simplify the recruitment process, while leaving you in control of the relationship.

It is true that no one can showcase your veterinary clinic better than you and confirm that the candidate will integrate well into your team. Oxilia is the matchmaker that seeks to generate quality relationships between you and the candidates.

Contact our team to see how Oxilia can help you find the ideal candidate for your clinic. Would you rather start the process immediately and at no cost? Register and create your profile now!

What are the signs that it’s time to quit your job? | Oxilia

11 January 2021

What are the signs that it’s time to quit your job?

Occasionally, it’s normal to be less excited about getting up to go to work. Even in your dream job, the daily tasks and responsibilities can become overwhelming. Everyone needs to take a step back from time to time.

However, it is not normal for this situation to continue. If the thought of going to work gives you hives, you get irritable when you are asked about work, or you feel increasingly tired and depressed at the thought of going back to work, it may be time to consider making a change.

7 clear signs that it’s time for a change of atmosphere

Your need for a change of atmosphere can be emotional, psychological, physical or a mixture of all three. Are you truly fulfilled professionally? Does your job allow you to move forward to achieve your career goals? Do your current assignments limit your lifestyle and ambitions? Are your relationships with other employees strained?

It’s time to ask yourself some questions and take a step back to see things clearly. Here are 7 situations that are often experienced by veterinary professionals and that require professional reflection.

Your work no longer motivates you

Do you go to work reluctantly every day? The only thing that motivates you is watching your news feed on Facebook and Instagram for the latest videos of popular cats? But if your emergency patients on Monday morning can’t keep your attention anymore, you’re probably ready for a change.

Your work no longer challenges you

Learning something new every day is a great way to stay motivated. If you feel that your work no longer allows you to learn something new and no longer stimulates your curiosity, it can become tricky. Veterinary medicine is not an assembly line! It requires a desire to learn about new approaches, the latest developments in the veterinary field and the latest tools. If your routine prevents you from fulfilling your potential by solely engaging in tasks that no longer stimulate you or practices that no longer encourage you to evolve, it’s probably time for you to take on new challenges so that you can rediscover the pleasure involved in your job.

The feeling of being neglected

You have been working for your employer for quite some time and would like new challenges. You have taken the time to communicate clearly and repeatedly your desire to assist the clinic’s veterinary surgeon, but a new employee is given this opportunity instead. Worse yet, your employer asks you to make phone calls to confirm upcoming appointments. It’s a perfect cocktail to lose your motivation and cause frustration! If you are looking for specific responsibilities, Oxilia can help you find engagements where you will be entrusted with the challenges you would like to assume.

Your work environment resembles a reality TV show

Do you feel like you’re watching another episode of a soap opera every day at work? A little animation can help break the routine, but having to deal with drama and bickering in a team can quickly turn into a nightmare. Sometimes, a simple personality clash can degenerate into petty squabbles. A toxic work environment is never stimulating, let alone motivating. Before the situation intensifies, think about finding a team in which you can integrate more naturally and flourish.

Your batteries never recharge

Do your weekends allow you to recover? Or do they always seem too short? Rest is more than important to perform at work. But if your breaks and holidays never recharge your batteries, there’s an issue. Unless you have a chronic health problem or fatigue is caused by a difficult personal situation, it may be a sign that your job is wearing you out.

Work takes up all the time

Do you feel overwhelmed all the time, that you have too many responsibilities and that you never manage to leave work? Or more precisely, do you feel that work never leaves you? If your work takes up all the time and your mind can never move on, it’s probably time to re-evaluate your career plan. With Oxilia, you have all the tools you need to manage your schedule, your salary and your working conditions. If you’re looking to better balance the time and energy you invest in your career, we can help you.

Your quality of life suffers

Last but by no means the least, does your quality of life suffer from your professional responsibilities and ambitions? Performance pressure is a cause of stress for many. Exerting yourself at work and juggling an 80-hour work week and a busy personal life can quickly lead to exhaustion. To take control of your career and regain pleasure in your work, get back to basics: what exactly do you want to accomplish? Do you want to work for a living or do you live for your work? Don’t let others decide these questions for you.

What if it’s just a phase?

Conditions outside the workplace, such as health problems, break-up or depression, can, unfortunately, lead professionals to sabotage their own careers. But you should not let yourself be influenced solely by your state of mind. Let’s face it, leaving a job is not a decision to be taken lightly.

Experiencing some of the signs mentioned in this article? Take a step back. Don’t give up your job at the first sign of trouble! Rather, we want to help you identify potential problems in your workplace and give you the means to change your situation.

Depression or exhaustion?

If you feel that you have lost control of your emotions or if you are in a state of distress, remember that you are not alone. There are resources that can help you rebalance your life and rediscover the pleasure of a profession you once enjoyed. The veterinary field is not an easy one and compassion fatigue can affect even the most passionate among us.

How do you change your job without upsetting your professional relationships?

Are you ready to change your job? Even if relations with your current employer or colleagues are strained, it is important to act professionally. You can’t control the reactions and actions of others, but you can turn this transition to your advantage by following these few steps.

Talk to your employer

It goes without saying, if you are thinking of changing your career or job, talk to your employer. If they don’t know what you are going through, they may be surprised to hear about your decision. Who knows, by talking openly with them, they may be able to help you find your dream job.

Give advance notice

Never leave a job by abruptly burning the bridges. Maintaining good relationships with your former employers is a great way to give confidence to the recruiters you will meet later on. To do this, give advance notice (the norm is at least 2 weeks) so that your current team has time to prepare for your departure.

Write a letter of resignation

Words fade away, but the writings remain. There is no need to write an elaborate letter in which you pour out your feelings. It is simply a matter of making your exit date official. To leave a good impression, you can mention in your letter how your position has advanced your career and what you retain from your time with the team.

Help your team plan the transition

Whether your employer asks you or not, you have the opportunity to leave your mark on the company by developing a transition plan. In it, list your tasks, responsibilities and anything else you think will be useful for the person who will replace you. In some situations, your former employer may even ask you to help the new resource become familiar with his or her duties.

Bye bye boss?

All of these must be considered before taking the big jump. If you are looking for new challenges, Oxilia allows you to find the environment that suits you, with absolutely no obligation to stay there. With Oxilia, you determine your salary, your schedule and your working conditions.

Give yourself the freedom to manage your career in your own way and on your own terms. By opting for Oxilia when you change jobs, you benefit from unparalleled flexibility to harmonize your personal and professional life!

How do you regain control over your veterinary career? | Oxilia

8 January 2021

Taking charge of your veterinary career is not impossible.

Working in veterinary medicine is no easy task. The hours are demanding, the situations are infinite, the tasks are as diverse as they are complex. You have to manage the clinic, take care of patients and accompany their owners. Unfortunately, it is very easy to forget about yourself in your many responsibilities and get lost in your work.

At Oxilia, we understand all too well the situation experienced by veterinarians and animal health technicians. We experienced it too! It is by wishing to transform our own career that we created the Oxilia platform. More than a simple job search tool, it is a solution to help professionals in our field have better control over their careers.

Work to live or live to work?

It is not always easy to separate work from our daily lives. The two are increasingly intertwined, especially as work plays such a significant role in our lives. Employers are demanding and expect you to devote yourself to your job. But overemphasizing your job responsibilities while neglecting your well-being is the best way to develop significant anxiety disorders and compassion fatigue.

Today’s professionals want more control over their careers. Young veterinarians coming out of universities want more autonomy in managing their schedules, as well as quality time to relax. It is no coincidence that professionals have been changing jobs so often in recent years. When working conditions no longer suit them, they do not hesitate to prioritize their quality of life and professional development.

Some clinics have adapted well to this reality and offer their employees the perfect opportunity to work irregular hours. These clinics are no longer necessarily looking for an employee who will be loyal for the next 30 years. Rather, they assume that staff turnover may represent an opportunity to fill their clinics’ schedules by relying on passionate professionals, who are available when needed, to take care of the animals and welcome their owners.

Full-time jobs are of course always necessary! However, these clinics are open to welcome temporary workers to fill their schedules and support the permanent team.

It is therefore no longer a matter of “living to work”. On the contrary, Oxilia provides you with tools so that you can earn your living by working at your own pace, according to your conditions, in clinics that share the same values as you.

Showcase your expertise while travelling

By getting in touch with clinics that are looking for candidates like you, you will have much better control over your schedule, working conditions and lifestyle.

Travelling, for example, is one of the most common career aspirations today. But for many, it is an impossible dream. Family is often raised as a concern, as well as financial insecurity. With Oxilia, adopting a nomadic lifestyle is not only possible, it’s easy.

Oxilia’s platform puts you in touch with clinics across Canada. These clinics are often looking for veterinarians and animal health technicians for temporary engagements, replacements or to step in for holidays. It’s a great opportunity to earn while discovering the country! All you have to do is apply to these clinics and manage your schedule according to your availability. Oxilia will manage your remuneration and your employment contracts with employers.

Explore different clinics before making a decision

To take control of your career, you obviously need to know what you want to do with it.

Exploring the job opportunities offered by different clinics is a good way to gain a better understanding of what you want to achieve in your career. Before committing yourself full-time with an employer, it is now possible to work as a replacement in clinics in different capacities. This way, you will have a better idea of the types of clientele with whom you prefer to work, the teams with whom you feel you collaborate best, the ambiances of the clinics where you perform best, and so on.

In addition, accumulating diverse work experience can be extremely rewarding! You are not confined to one role and routine. You explore many of them in order to understand what will be expected of you later on. This allows you to develop a great deal of flexibility and to add several strings to your bow!

Work in your speciality

Would you like to work more in your speciality, but your current assignments take you away from it too often? If you’ve invested so many years of study in your specialization, it’s only natural that you would want to take on responsibilities that call on your skills.

What if it were possible to choose jobs that allow you to choose your tasks and the type of cases you will have to handle? With our virtual recruitment platform, you have the opportunity to choose jobs in veterinary clinics, laboratories or hospitals that offer you golden opportunities to put your expertise to good use by performing specific tasks or working with a specific clientele. Whether you studied surgery, cardiology, dermatology, dentistry or another veterinary speciality, you will be able to connect with employers who need your talents and skills.

All you have to do is create your profile on the platform to clearly indicate your expectations to employers and search for jobs among the thousands that are available on the platform. This way, you can direct your career in your own way, by choosing your assignments, tasks and employers.

Choose your career with Oxilia

The strength of our platform lies in the great freedom of choice it offers you. Whether you want to work in a local clinic, with large-scale agricultural producers or in a recognized veterinary hospital, our platform gives you the tools to achieve your ambitions.

Creating a profile that is easy to spot by employers with whom you would like to work
Easy-to-use job search tool to find jobs across America
Platform for communication to discuss with employers
Payroll and contract management service provided by the Oxilia team
Resources to guide you in your job search and your professional endeavours

You, therefore, do not have to resign yourself to a job in the first clinic that opens its doors if the responsibilities offered do not meet your expectations. You can dare to dream of jobs that meet your professional objectives. The choices you will have to make may require certain sacrifices, such as working in other cities or switching to different employers more frequently than your colleagues, but you won’t have to sacrifice your financial security or your career goals. Oxilia offers you the opportunity to manage your career trajectory in your own way.

Contact our team to find out how Oxilia can support you in your career!

How much does an unfilled position cost your veterinary clinic? | Oxilia

4 January 2021

A vacancy in your clinic can cost you much more than you can imagine!

Finding qualified personnel in the veterinary field is a really difficult task. Staff shortages and the limited number of candidates available are indeed significant issues that can delay the hiring process. Whether it’s hiring a new full-time veterinarian or replacing a worker during a holiday, the problem remains the same: finding the right qualified person who is also available, which is not easy.

Many managers decide to become impromptu recruiters and use generalist platforms to post a job offer. But finding animal health professionals can be a long and uncertain process if you rely on traditional recruitment methods.

Why is it so important to optimize the hiring process?

From the moment a vacancy arises in your clinic, costs start to accumulate. Even if the person responsible for recruiting is competent, several factors can slow down the process. The daily tasks and responsibilities do not disappear! It can be even more difficult for an inexperienced recruiter to explain the tasks and responsibilities of the person to be hired for a position they have not held.

The longer the hiring process takes, the higher the costs. In addition, if an emergency arises, hiring may no longer be prioritized: this delay may hinder your clinic’s activities and affect the morale of your team.

How do you calculate the damages caused by an unfilled position?

Is it possible to calculate what it really costs your clinic if you delay hiring a new employee or a replacement for a holiday period? Most managers recognize that this is a problem but are unable to put a figure on it or quantify it.

To get an accurate picture of the situation, there is a rather simple mathematical formula that can be used to quickly determine how much an unfilled position is costing you.

(Annual profits / number of employees) / 220 working days (or the average number of days worked by your employees)
Multiply this number by the number of days it will take to complete the hiring process.
Then multiply it by the number of positions to be filled

To better illustrate this calculation, consider that your clinic has 10 employees and that your annual profits are $500,000.

500 000 / 10 = 50 000
50 000 / 220 = 227.27
27 x 30 days = $6818.10

The obtained result represents the financial impact of having a vacancy. But other costs can easily add to this amount!

Other costs involved in the hiring process

Unfortunately, declining profits are only the tip of the iceberg. To get a more complete picture of the financial losses associated with a lengthy hiring process, you should also consider:

Your team’s working time to manage the hiring process
Technological and advertising expenditure
Work overload and delays

Less easy to quantify but just as important is the psychological toll it takes on your employees, which simply cannot be overlooked. An overload of work to avoid delays and continuing to meet customer demands inevitably lead to an increase in stress. Clinics that are constantly understaffed can into an anxiety-provoking work environment, resulting in a very high staff turnover, not to mention the heavy financial and human implications of professional exhaustion that await your veterinarians and technicians.

And what does a holiday cost in all this?

Holidays should never mean a loss in the quality of the services rendered to animals. But unfortunately, this is often the case for veterinary clinics that do not have an efficient replacement process.

Finding a qualified employee is challenging enough, imagine the challenges of finding a qualified candidate for a temporary fixed-term position! Even for experienced managers, it can be extremely stressful.

Making the wrong choice: a huge loss for clinics

Recruitment comes with its share of unknowns. Choosing the right person is not easy; finding the perfect candidate is even less so. Traditional platforms don’t really offer solutions for screening candidates; often, you have to analyze the CV, go through a telephonic interview and then a formal interview. The process is lengthy and can attract candidates who may not fit in with your clinic or veterinary team at all.

It’s an enormous pressure on the person responsible for recruitment. And if, unfortunately, the process has to be repeated, it could mean the loss of thousands of dollars for your veterinary clinic, not to mention the disastrous impact on your relationships with the clients waiting for your services and the overwhelming work environment.

When it comes to quickly identifying candidates capable of fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to them and integrating perfectly into your veterinary team, Oxilia can fortunately lend you a hand.

Oxilia’s solution? Matchmaking between clinics and professionals

Oxilia’s platform does more than list veterinary clinics looking for animal health professionals and CVs. We use an algorithm that connects the right clinics with the right candidates. The matches we make are highly accurate and greatly reduce the risk of making the wrong choice.

Whether you’re looking for a full-time employee or filling a temporary vacancy, our virtual recruitment platform will help you access the profiles of animal health professionals who are exactly what you’re looking for.

More cost-effective and reliable than traditional recruitment methods, it helps you contact available and qualified candidates more quickly when you need them, you will save a lot of time spent on searching and screening and the savings don’t stop there.

Most virtual recruitment platforms cost an average of $300 to $1,000 per month or per posting, with no guarantee of success. Sometimes this is an amount to be paid on a weekly basis. Other times, you pay instead for the number of views your ads get. In each case, you have limited control over who sees and applies for your job posting, and you have to manage each step of the process yourself. If a headhunter asks for a flat fee or a percentage, the costs can quickly escalate if the process takes longer.

With Oxilia, the service fee is 20% for temporary positions. The calculation is based on the hourly rate of the staff hired; no other fees are charged for fixed-term contracts. Moreover, the payment is only made when the candidate is hired. You don’t pay to talk to a candidate, you pay when they’re put to work!

Hiring fees are $8,000 for a veterinarian and $4,000 for an animal health technician. Compared to recruitment agencies and headhunters, you save about 40% to 50%!

Save money by investing directly in results, not in a recruiter’s time or in a generalist virtual recruitment platform that does not guarantee you any success in your quest.

From replacement to recruitment, Oxilia helps you find the right candidate

Recruiting is a long, demanding and complex process. At Oxilia, we want to help you simplify it by turning it into an opportunity for your clinic.

A lengthy hiring process, candidates who do not meet expectations and an unoccupied position can have a significant impact on your clinic’s profitability. Your team’s confidence may even erode in the face of a shortage of personnel and a lengthy hiring process.

Our team gives you the opportunity to choose exactly with whom you want to work and allows you to be found by candidates who know precisely what you have to offer. We maximize the chances of a successful match between you and the professionals with whom you come into contact. We offer you a 21st-century recruitment experience at no astronomical cost to your clinic.

To know more about the advantages of Oxilia, visit our website or contact our team today!