Five Step Guide to Hiring Staff at Your Dog Daycare & Kennel

Hiring staff for a dog daycare or kennel is a critical task that requires careful planning and execution. With the right people in place, you can ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the dogs in your care, while providing exceptional customer service to pet owners.

If you're in the need of staff, it means one thing for sure. That you've grown past the opening stages of your business and are entering new territory. For that, I think a congratulations is due!

Enough with the chatter. Let's get to business. Here is a 5-step guide to hiring staff for your dog daycare or kennel:

1. Define Your Business's Current and Future Needs

The first step in hiring staff for your dog daycare or kennel is to define your needs. Consider the number of dogs you will be caring for, the services you will be offering, and the hours of operation. This will help you determine the number of staff members you will need and the skills and experience required for each position. If you're a grooming facility, you're most likely going to have to hire on a second groomer once your schedule fills up. If you're a boarding facility, you might just need to hire a semi-manager that can help you run the business when you're not there. You also might just be looking for general staff to clean cages, fill food bowls, etc. Defining your needs will help you figure this out.

2. Create Precise but Flexible Job Descriptions

Once you have defined your needs, you can create job descriptions for each position. Job descriptions should include a clear overview of the duties and responsibilities, education and experience requirements, and any special skills or certifications required. You want to make sure that your job descriptions are precise enough to only attract the right candidates, but also flexible enough that you won't hire someone that is unwilling to do the other aspects of the job.

3. Utilize Online Job Listing Sites

Utilize job listing sites, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, to reach a wide audience of potential candidates. Be sure to post detailed job descriptions, including compensation and benefits, to attract the right candidates. If you're in a smaller market, it might make more sense to just use word-of-mouth to find your first employees. Most small-town people aren't going to be looking online for jobs. They're going to be talking to friends. Put the word out that you're looking for a manager/groomer/etc and let the universe work for you.

4. Screen Potential Candidates for the Right Fit

Screening candidates is an important step in the hiring process. This includes conducting phone and in-person interviews, checking references, and verifying certifications and qualifications. Be sure to ask questions that will give you a good understanding of a candidate's experience and suitability for the job. You'll also want to make sure to contact their references to make sure that they are who they say they are. Consider references with a grain of salt though, since they're most likely a friend or acquaintance of your potential hire.

5. Make a Hiring Decision

Finally, after reviewing all of the candidate applications and conducting interviews, it's time to make a decision. When selecting your staff members, it's important to consider not only their qualifications and experience, but also their communication skills, professionalism, and ability to work well in a team environment.

Hiring staff for your dog daycare or kennel is a critical step in ensuring the success of your business. You most likely started your business as a one-person operation and now you're looking to expand business. By taking the time to carefully plan and execute your hiring process, you can find the right people to care for the dogs in your care and provide exceptional customer service to pet owners.

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