Burton Sits Down With TriNet Nonprofit Customer Pets in Need

Burton Goldfield: Hello, I'm Burton Goldfield, president and CEO of TriNet.

Today I am so pleased to have with us Laura Toller Gardner, CEO of Pets in Need, an amazing nonprofit organization that provides animals in the Bay Area with loving care and lasting homes. Her company, Pets in Need, is a valued longtime TriNet client.

Laura, welcome to the program.

Laura Toller Gardner: Thank you, Burton, for having me. It's really a pleasure.

Burton: Well, I am excited for you to tell us a little bit about pets in need and the mission that they're on today.

Laura: Thank you. Pets in Need is a very dynamic community of staff, professionals, volunteers and supporters who envision a world where animals have the love and care and respect that they need in families, in homes. And we do this because we know that not only do animals thrive in families and in homes, but people do as well when they have animals in their families. So it's a win-win for everyone.

Burton: Now, that's fascinating. You're saying families that have pets are healthier and happier?

Laura: They are. And it's great because research is starting to catch up with what we in the rescue world have known for decades. There’s starting to be some great research that talks about when a family includes a fur family member who is healthy and happy. The human family members are also healthy and happy, and the research is showing that engaging with and having relationships with family animal members, reduces hypertension, reduces heart disease, chronic stress and the like.

Burton: That is fascinating. So, tell me this. You have an interesting background which has nothing to do with animal rescue. How did that happen?

Laura: It's a great question. Professionally, my background is executive leadership in health and human services for families and youth.

Burton: Right.

Laura: That's me professionally. Personally, vocationally, I've been an animal rescuer for the last 40 years.

Burton: Wow.

Laura: So coming to Pets in Need marries the two and is really a dream job for me.

Burton: And you've been on board for…

Laura: About 24 weeks.

Burton: 24 weeks. How has it been so far?

Laura: It's been terrific. It has been really wonderful. The staff, the community, the volunteers, everyone has really greeted me warmly. And we wasted no time. We dove right in. And I am really proud of the staff. They have been absolutely willing to go with me. We're doing a good deal of strategic planning around budget, around program development. We're really looking at all of our areas of excellence. In some places we're going back to core competencies and other places we're looking forward and we're expanding forward. So it's really been a great deal of achievement in, I think, a fairly short period of time.

Burton: And what is the most challenging part of your job?

Laura: Yeah. For sure it is making sure that we have the staff resources that we need. Hiring is critical for us. Talent acquisition and talent management. We're in the Bay Area. It's really a challenging marketplace and we need staff. We need a medical staff as well as animal care and professional staff. And I would say that honestly, when I look short- and long-term, that is one of our greatest challenges but also a great opportunity.

Burton: And how do you ensure that happens? Is culture a part of it? What are what are the key components?

Laura: Yeah, culture is huge, as you all know, because you’re at TriNet, you have a phenomenal culture.

Burton: Thank you.

Laura: You do. Culture, really, it eats strategy for lunch. People stay especially in our in our industry because they feel valued because they can see the impact of their work. Compassion fatigue is very common in our in our industry. So the experience you have with your colleagues, with the management of the organization, is really critical and we're doing some really solid work there.

And we're going back to basics on a lot of that, too. We're getting clear about our core values and we're really looking at how we communicate internally as well as externally and then frankly, how folks are appreciated, compensated and the benefits they get are critical. And that's where TriNet comes in for us. And it’s a game changer because of what you are able to source for us in terms of the benefits.

Burton: Right.

Laura: We have some of, either some of the best, if not the best benefits in the humane world in the Bay Area. So that's how we compete.

Burton: Excellent. And I was going to ask you how you compete in one of the most expensive areas in the country. And that's a key component, I assume.

Laura: It is. It's primary for us.

Burton: So who is your customer? Is it the furry animals or the people that adopt them?

Laura: Yeah, it's everyone. And that's an interesting situation to be in when literally everyone is your client, your customer. The animals are primary. Their well-being is our first priority. Right behind that is the importance and the caretaking of the people who love them.

Burton: Right.

Laura: As well as the greater community. Because when communities understand the value of healthy, happy animals in families that make families healthier, the entire community is upleveled.

Burton: Right. So community has many different facets, meaning it the overall supporting community, the donating community and actually the adopting community.

Laura: Yes. Yes, indeed. And the partner community. So TriNet. But we also do a great deal with municipalities. We currently run the shelter for the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. So both the civic community and the community that makes up those communities, those individual neighborhoods, whether they have animals or not, are really important to us.

Burton: So I am in awe of the amount of facets in your job as a fellow CEO.

Laura: Thank you.

Burton: I am impressed.

Laura: Thanks.

Burton: What do you considered the top three challenges that you have right now?

Laura: It goes back to human capital. It's about talent acquisition, talent management and retention.

Burton: And you talk about having great benefits. That obviously helps attract people.

Laura: It does.

Burton: And then retaining people, it sounds like development and communications, culture is a big part of where you're going.

Laura: It is.

Burton: And is there ways we are helping you in that aspect of the job?

Laura: Yeah, in really what seemed like simplistic ways day to day, but that are very profound. We have staff of all levels of capacity in terms of digital capability and comfort. TriNet really makes it very accessible and intuitive for staff because we have folks across the across the spectrum of digital use, right? Some of them never get on a computer for our work other than to log in to TriNet, or on their phone through the app.

That makes a big deal in terms of the ease, the simplicity, and frankly, just their confidence in knowing that they can get on, they can get the information they need. If they need help, they can easily get help because some folks, they're not exactly sure even what they need to do. Right. And we have a small HR function.

Burton: Right.

Laura: You serve as our HR function. So the fact that they have confidence in TriNet and they know how to get what they need and that they can do it themselves sufficiently is really important for us.

Burton: And it's really important that we earn the trust of all of the people that we're serving because that's what we need to be as that trusted advisor, not only to you as a CEO, but every single employee at Pets in Need.

Laura: Yeah.

Burton: What does the future of Pets in Need hold?

Laura: It's exciting. It really is an exciting time. The idea that we have to deal with all the animals that come to us, find homes for them, really be progressive in our thinking is very important. But the opportunity is looking at how do we actually stem the inflow of animals to shelters. That's where the industry is looking now.

How do we proactively prevent animals losing their homes or being homeless? So, what we focus on now in large measure is called community medicine and access to care, making sure that families who may be struggling financially for whatever reason or they're struggling with their housing, they have the resources through us and the support they need to make sure that they can keep their animal in their home well cared for.

And while this sounds really simple on the surface, it's complex and challenging. When you really start to look at how do you provide the veterinary services that people need? How do you do the assessment? How do you make sure that in a respectful way you keep providing resources, food, medications, all of that? It's easier said than done, especially in an environment like the Bay Area, right?

We think everyone has access to cars and has access to easy transportation. They don't necessarily. And imagine if you need to bring your six-month-old newly adopted kitten for vaccines. You don't have a car and usually either ride a moped or a bike and now you've got a cat in a carrier. There's a lot of complexity in terms of actually delivering service and then following up afterwards.

So that is really where we are focused and I would say really diving in deep and it's going to pay off. It really will.

Burton: You're an incredibly optimistic person. The economy has been challenging.

Laura: It has.

Burton: Do you see that impacting people's ability to keep their animals? And can you stem that tide?

Laura: Yeah, that is a huge concern. That is a huge concern. Once an animal is a family member, people will do everything they can to keep their animal, which is wonderful, but they need support in doing it. And the real significant issue is housing. Folks need to be able to have pro pet housing and not have to pay an exorbitant pet deposit.

And that is really where we see folks most challenged. They lose their housing or they have to change housing and they don't have the resources then to get into something new. So from a communal standpoint, that is definitely something that needs support and attention. And we are doing all that we can on the back end to try to be supportive of that.

When we think about the economy. The thing that has kept pets and need going for almost 60 years has been the loyal dedication of our financial supporters. Our donor base is unflappable and they are committed in a way that they actually will do without. To ensure that our organization has what we need. And that has made all the difference. And it will continue to.

Burton: Well, we appreciate at TriNet the partnership with Pets in Need that goes back quite a long ways.

Laura: It does.

Burton: We appreciate the fact that you are bringing new vision and new life into this amazing organization. And on behalf of everybody at TriNet, we are so grateful that you came here today to talk to us.

Laura: Thank you. This was a privilege. And on behalf of our team, we are delighted by the partnership. And truly you allow us to do what we do. So thank you.

Burton: Thank you.