Elise Burns is the Founder and CEO of Evette Staffing, a company dedicated to transforming the veterinary industry by offering relief staffing services nationwide. With over a decade of experience in recruiting and sales across diverse sectors like accounting, legal, IT, and healthcare, Elise brings a wealth of knowledge to her leadership of Evette Staffing. Her passion for connecting talent with opportunity is evident in the innovative staffing solutions she’s developed for the veterinary field. As the driving force behind Evette Staffing, Elise has cultivated a culture of diversity, empowerment, and collaboration, with a strong focus on creating work-life balance for veterinary professionals. Let’s dive into her journey, the story behind Evette Staffing, and how she’s reshaping the future of veterinary staffing.
Elise’s story begins with her mother, who was a recruiter in human healthcare. As a young girl, Elise found inspiration in her mother’s work, which centered around helping people and connecting them with career opportunities. Initially drawn to legal recruiting, Elise’s career path soon evolved as she explored various recruiting roles in different industries, including accounting, IT, and healthcare. However, feeling that her skills weren’t being fully utilized, she decided to shift gears and pursue a master's in social work, with plans to become a therapist. Yet, life had other plans. A move to Washington, D.C., with her now-husband meant turning down her dream job and starting over.
For years, Elise grappled with uncertainty about what she truly wanted to do. Eventually, her path intersected with the veterinary industry in a way she had never expected. Though she was not initially a passionate animal lover, Elise found herself deeply moved by the work veterinarians do and their unwavering dedication to animal care. After discovering a gap in the industry for a nationwide relief staffing solution, Elise saw an opportunity to combine her recruiting expertise with her desire to create change in the veterinary world. Thus, Evette Staffing was born.
When Elise founded Evette, the concept was simple: to provide flexible, reliable, and high-quality relief staffing for veterinary practices across the country. Evette Staffing offers a variety of flexible staffing options, including full-time, part-time, W-2, or 1099 employment, all while guaranteeing salaries and benefits like healthcare, 401(k) matching, and continuing education reimbursements.
The need for such services was particularly pressing in the veterinary field, where the demand for relief veterinarians far outstripped the available supply. Elise noticed that most relief staffing services were regional, leaving veterinary practices with limited options. At the same time, many veterinarians faced a lack of flexible work arrangements, leading to burnout and a high turnover rate. Elise realized that by introducing a nationwide staffing model with guaranteed pay, Evette Staffing could offer stability and freedom to veterinarians, addressing both personal and professional needs.
In the early years, Elise wore many hats. She was the recruiter, the saleswoman, the operations manager, and the client services representative. This hands-on experience allowed her to deeply understand every facet of the business and provided invaluable insights that would shape the company’s growth.
One of the driving forces behind Elise’s creation of Evette Staffing was her recognition of the need for better work-life balance for veterinary professionals. Many veterinarians face grueling hours, with little flexibility and high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. Elise, as a working mom herself, knew the challenges of juggling a demanding career with family life. She wanted to offer veterinarians the opportunity to work in a way that allowed them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Evette Staffing’s model gives veterinarians the freedom to choose their schedules, select the types of clinics they work at, and even set the radius within which they’re willing to travel. Whether they want to work full-time or just a few shifts per week, Evette Staffing supports veterinarians in making the job fit their lifestyle. This flexibility, paired with the guarantee of a consistent salary, was a game-changer for many veterinarians who had long been accustomed to the instability of contract work.
Elise’s approach has been particularly attractive to female veterinarians, a group that now makes up the majority of the profession. As a company that champions diversity and female empowerment, Evette Staffing’s name—a subtle nod to both the veterinary profession and the feminine aspect of the industry—reflects this commitment to inclusivity.
As Evette Staffing grew, Elise noticed a shift in the industry’s mindset regarding relief work. Where once it was seen as a niche or temporary solution, relief work has gained mainstream acceptance, particularly in light of the ongoing veterinary shortage. Many veterinarians are increasingly drawn to the flexibility and variety that relief work provides. They are no longer bound to a single practice but instead can work in different clinics, experiencing a variety of settings and expanding their professional expertise.
This shift in mindset is also reflected in the growing number of competitors entering the market. While Evette Staffing was the first to provide nationwide relief staffing, the industry is seeing more companies follow suit. Elise views this competition as a positive development, as it validates the need for relief staffing services and expands the options available to veterinarians. However, she remains committed to maintaining the high level of personal service and individualized attention that has become a hallmark of Evette Staffing’s operations.
Despite its success, Evette Staffing’s journey has not been without its challenges. When Elise first launched the company, she faced skepticism from both veterinary professionals and clinic owners. Many veterinarians questioned whether the model was too good to be true—how could they really have guaranteed pay, full benefits, and flexibility? Clinic owners, meanwhile, were hesitant about the cost of relief staffing and whether it was a viable long-term solution.
Over time, however, Elise and her team were able to demonstrate the value of their services. They showed that the cost of hiring a relief veterinarian was more than offset by the ability to maintain consistent care for their clients, avoid burnout, and prevent the disruption of services due to understaffing. As a result, Evette Staffing became a trusted partner for veterinary practices nationwide.
As Evette Staffing continues to grow, Elise remains focused on enhancing the veterinarian experience and expanding the company’s services. She has already begun exploring the use of AI and automation to streamline administrative tasks, allowing her team to focus more on the human aspects of their work. While Evette Staffing’s approach remains deeply personal, Elise recognizes the importance of leveraging technology to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Looking forward, Elise sees Evette Staffing as playing a crucial role in addressing the broader challenges facing the veterinary profession, from the shortage of veterinarians to the increasing demand for mental health support. By continuing to innovate and stay attuned to the evolving needs of both veterinarians and veterinary clinics, Evette Staffing will remain at the forefront of the industry’s transformation.
In conclusion, Elise Burns has become a pioneer in veterinary relief staffing, offering a much-needed solution to the challenges faced by veterinarians and veterinary practices alike. By blending her recruiting expertise with a deep commitment to work-life balance and personal empowerment, Elise has created a company that not only serves the needs of the veterinary industry but also nurtures the well-being of the professionals who care for our animals. As Evette Staffing continues to grow and evolve, its impact on the veterinary world will undoubtedly be felt for years to come.
