06: Smart Hiring Strategies: How to Find and Retain the Right Pet Care Team with Doug the Dog Guy

Pet Marketing Unleashed Podcast

Finding and retaining great team members for your pet business can feel like an impossible task, and there's so much struggle around identifying the right candidates, navigating employment laws, and building a team that truly represents the values of your business. Maybe you've tried hiring before but struggled with finding people who truly care about your clients’ pets as much as you do, or perhaps you're considering your first hire but feel overwhelmed by the whole process.
In this episode, we welcome Doug Keeling, founder of The Pawsitive Hiring Course–a leading expert in pet industry hiring and team management. He turned his experience as a pet care business owner into an educational platform helping others build strong teams. Doug now guides others through the complexities of hiring, having helped over 120 pet businesses build reliable teams through his Pawsitive Hiring Course.
In the episode, we chat about:

• Why most pet businesses fail at hiring (and how to avoid these common mistakes)
• The essential foundations you need BEFORE you hire
• How to write job posts that attract quality candidates who align with your values
• The employee vs. independent contractor dilemma
• Solutions for managing overnight pet-sitting services
• Practical strategies for keeping your team engaged and motivated long-term
• The future of hiring in the pet industry and how to stay ahead

Ready to build your dream pet care team? Tune in to our conversation and discover proven strategies for hiring and retaining great pet care professionals.

Links mentioned:

• Doug's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/DougtheDogGuy
• The Pawsitive Hiring Course (Use code PMU to get 10% off): https://dougthedogguy.co/hiringcourse
• Connect with Doug on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dougthedogguyofficial

• Read the episode’s blog post for more: https://www.petmarketingunleashed.com/06
• Pet Marketing Unleashed website: https://www.petmarketingunleashed.com
• Join our FREE FB Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unleashedpetpreneurs
• Pet Marketing Unleashed IG: https://www.instagram.com/petmarketingunleashed

Chapter

1. 06: Smart Hiring Strategies: How to Find and Retain the Right Pet Care Team with Doug the Dog Guy (00:00:00)

2. How did Doug start creating content about pet care? (00:03:12)

3. His popular video on hiring pet sitters (00:04:01)

4. Development of the hiring course (00:04:30)

5. Foundational hiring strategies and identifying quality candidates (00:06:42)

6. Red flags to watch for in candidates (00:09:55)

7. Setting expectations for pet industry work (00:12:43)

8. Importance of having a solid business foundation before hiring (00:14:18)

9. Tips for writing effective job ads (00:22:02)

10. Handling overnight pet care services (00:34:27)

11. Creating positive onboarding processes (00:39:29)

12. Employee retention strategies (00:41:57)

13. Future trends in pet care hiring (00:48:30)