Hi Auriana- so we have definitely brought in some folks without an animal welfare background to work in our Pet Resource Center, customer service, etc. and I have actually found that their lack of inherent biases/ animal welfare background has been a positive. They can see things from a fresh perspective. They have better alignment with what the community actually wants, needs and even understands about animal sheltering and animal rescue. They ask great questions and point out gaps in our communication where we assumed someone knew things (because of our industry knowledge) that in actuality they did not.
So I would look at this as an opportunity to go through your policies and ask them what they think. Is that fair? Inclusive? Based on fact or fear? I have told these folks during their interviews that emotions run high when it comes to people and their pets, and we need their help to ensure everything we are doing is clear and consistent, so we can mitigate those emotional encounters with good policy and process.
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Alexis Pugh
Director, Memphis Animal Services
www.memphisanimalservices.comOrganizational Management
& Pet Support Services Specialist
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-21-2022 09:09 AM
From: Auriana Brown
Subject: How have you integrated new staff into the Animal Welfare field?
Hey everyone,
I am currently interviewing for two positions on my placement team, and many of the applicants are new to the animal welfare field. How have you assisted green employees in navigating the various emotional and psychological strains they may encounter as they start their journey into animal welfare, and keep them encouraged and focused on the positives vs the sad/overwhelming situations?
#EducationandTraining
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
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Auriana Brown
Placement Manager
LifeLine Animal Project
Atlanta, GA
404-490-1427
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice and
Pet Support Services Specialist
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