Ep. 73 How to Fix Your Dog Daycare Hiring Problems with Better Pay and Smarter Pricing

Are you still offering “just enough” to new hires – and then wondering why they ghost you?

Could an increase in prices help you land that five-star staff member who actually sticks around?

And how can enrichment services help you pay better, retain more, and build a dog daycare your team actually loves?

In this episode, Dom is joined by recruitment expert Joe Latona from Walker Scout for a no-nonsense look at what’s really happening in the pet care hiring market. Joe shares why job offers are getting turned down more often, how even a $2/hour wage bump can change your candidate pool – and why premium facilities get more applicants and better retention, without giving you, the owner, an extra headache.

Dom and Joe discuss the surprising role that enrichment services now play in attracting (and keeping) quality team members. Later in the episode, you’ll also hear directly from Enrich U member Sarah Stevens from K9 Adventures on how themed enrichment boosted staff morale, client satisfaction, and brought in an extra £600/month in sales – just from activities that are now the highlight of her team’s workday.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why Good Staff Say No – The surprising truth behind why top candidates turn down your offer (even if the job looks great).

• The $2 Difference – How a small wage increase can drastically improve both quality and quantity of applicants.

• Pay More, Stress Less – Why higher wages reduce turnover, attract better people, and make hiring feel easy again.

• Enrichment as a Hiring Tool – How activities designed for dogs actually boost staff engagement and candidate interest.

• Price to Afford Greatness – Why your prices must rise before your team can – and how attracting affluent clients make it possible.

Thanks for tuning in!

To learn more about Dom’s coaching programs and how to build a premium pet care business, visit: www.petbusinessmarketing.com/diamondnow

Huge thanks to this week’s amazing show sponsor, Gingr. Gingr provide pet care software that simplifies your day-to-day. Book a free demo today by going to www.gingrapp.com/petpodcast

Big thanks to this week’s guest, Joe Latona from Walker Scout, you can find out more about Joe by going to www.walkerscout.com

Thanks also Sarah Stevens from K9 Adventures for sharing her Enrich U success story, check out Sarah’s daycare at www.k9adventures.co.uk

Episode Highlights:

[00:51] – Dom introduces the episode and teases the key current hiring trends Joe will unpack.
[01:50] – Dom shares some upcoming promotional days that can help daycares generate more revenue – and more client love.
[06:07] – Joe Latona joins the show and shares why the hiring market is tougher—and why slower offers are getting punished.
[07:20] – Joe explains how candidate quality is tied to wages, and why 5-star hires often walk away.
[12:28] – Dom connects premium pricing to better hiring, higher wages, and long-term scalability.
[15:37] – Joe shares a few examples of his clients taking the leap to offering competitive packages and seeing serious results off the back of it.
[21:40] – Joe reveals how better pay actually widens the talent pool and gives daycare owners more choice.
[24:28] – Dom and Joe discuss how enrichment creates job satisfaction for your employees, not just extra revenue.
[28:55] – Joe breaks down how you can showcase your enrichment and facility culture within your job listings.
[35:44] – Sarah Stevens shares how Enrich U improved staff buy-in, boosted sales, and made her daycare stand out.