Triage Staffing provided this article.
Travelers and recruiters go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly or Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. They’re each better when they’re together. However, even the best traveler/recruiter relationship can have a few bumps along the way. If you’re a traveler working with a recruiter, here are a few things that your recruiter wishes that you knew about them.
#1: We know you’re working with other agencies
Some travelers feel like they need to hide that they’re working with other agencies. Nothing is further from the truth. We understand that we might not have access to every job you’re interested in and that sometimes you might end up at another agency. We’ll do our best to still stay in touch—especially if we had a good relationship before. We know your assignment won’t last forever, and we’ll welcome you back with open arms.
#2: We’re real people
Just like nurses have outside responsibilities outside of work, so do we. If you contact us outside of normal business hours, it’s possible we can’t return the call immediately. We might be at a kid’s dance recital, coaching a little league game, or even on a date with our partner. We realize we are often your lifeline, and if it’s an emergency, we’ll return the call as soon as possible.
#3: Recruiters are always on the phone
Our phones are our lifelines in this industry. Our phones are constantly in our hands, in our pockets, or only an arm’s length away. Sometimes after spending all day on the phones, we go home, and it feels like we can’t speak another word!
#4: We’re not out to get you
The best recruiter/traveler relationships are true partnerships. We don’t want to send you to a crappy location, with a bad supervisor or in a department that seems unsafe. Good recruiters would rather be honest with you about what you can expect during an assignment instead of feeding you a line of candy-coated BS just to get you to sign on the dotted line.
#5: While texting is easy, a phone call is most efficient
It’s no surprise that we love texting. It’s fast, easy, and you can answer when it’s convenient for you as a traveler. But, there are a few things that need a phone call, especially as we’re getting to know each other. A phone call means we can get to the bottom of what you’re looking for quickly without a lot of time spent waiting for the other person to respond via text or email.
#6: We want you to be happy
We want you to be happy with the places you go and the facilities you work with. After all, a happy traveler is a return traveler. The last thing we want to do is send you to a hot mess that you’ll hate three days in.
#7: Having a profile ready to go means you’re first submitted
Good jobs go fast, especially in this market. If you have a profile ready to go, you’ll be the first one on the manager’s desk. One way to have this ready is with a universal Kamana profile. All your information is held in a secure portal, and you can share it with any recruiter at any agency. (Remember that part about us understanding you might be working with more than one agency?) For an even more complete profile, don’t forget to grab a referral from your most recent manager before you leave that position.
#8: Applying to the same job with multiple agencies can get you blackballed
It might seem like applying for a travel nurse job is a numbers game right now, and if you want to ensure you get a position, you should apply multiple times. No! If you apply for the same job with different agencies, many facilities will automatically reject both applications. It’s not worth a facility’s time to try to figure out which agency applied first or should be awarded the contract, so they cut them both, leaving those travelers without a job.
#9: Sending your timesheet late is a big hassle
Most agencies pay weekly for time worked the previous week, and it’s not uncommon for timesheets to be due sometime on Monday. That gives agencies only a few working days to process the timesheet, make sure all the time matches up and ensure stipends are calculated correctly. When you send in a late timesheet or send it in scribbled on a piece of notebook paper, it takes the payroll folks at your agency more time to process everything. They know that delaying a traveler’s paycheck is not an option and often work late to make sure you get paid on time. Help them help you get paid on time.
#10: We don’t control whether you’re canceled
There are plenty of reasons why someone might be canceled—lowered census at the hospital, an internal hiring campaign for staff positions, or even over-hiring travelers. Although we hate when you’re canceled, our hands are usually tied. What we can do is search tirelessly for a new position. If you’ve signed a lease, let us know, and we’ll do whatever we can to find you a position in the same general area, so you don’t lose out on your rent money. We can’t promise all the terms will be the same, but we’ll do what we can.
Bonus #11: Lavish gifts come out of your pay package
We all hear about lavish gifts during the holidays or during Nurses Week. North Face jackets, Figs scrubs, or fancy handbags are all things we’ve seen. However, companies that give gifts THAT lavish often can for one reason—they’re paying you less. These companies aren’t sending you expensive gifts because they’re being kind, it’s because they’ve taken money out of your contract to compensate themselves for your present. What would you rather have?
Bonus #12: We’re not always a fit
We know finding a good recruiter match doesn’t always happen overnight. Sometimes, the first recruiter you match with doesn’t vibe with your personality, or it’s just not a good fit. In these cases, there’s no shame in breaking up with your recruiter and finding another one. Have a chat with their manager, or use the tips in our previous article, “Breaking Up with Your Travel Nurse Recruiter.”
Looking for an agency that’s committed to treating you with honesty and candor? Triage Staffing listens to what you want and then shoots you straight so you can make the decision that’s right for you. To connect with a Triage recruiter, apply for a travel nurse job on the Triage website.
We hope you enjoyed this article on what recruiters wish you knew. Do any of these things that recruiters wish you knew surprise you? Comment below. Recruiters, do you have any to add to this list?
Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you need housing for an upcoming assignment? Click here to search our housing page.
