By: Shari Dalton
We hear often that the key to success with work is to have a positive attitude, but we disagree. The healthcare staffing industry isn’t made up of rainbows and unicorns. It’s tough no matter where you fall on the spectrum-recruiter, agency owner, traveler, hospital, etc. Keeping a positive attitude isn’t always realistic, so we say, instead of smiling through grit teeth, try having an effective attitude.
So how do I have an effective attitude? For starters, I’ll let you in on an old salesmindset-Some will, some won’t, so what, what’s next. Not everyone we call is going to call us
back. Not everyone we enjoy talking with is going to do business with us. Not everyone we engage with is going to be open and honest about what theirintentions are. We must accept that and understand that the quicker we let those things go and move on, the better our time is spent.
Now a key piece of this effective attitude is also taking a moment to reflect and learn something through our interactions. What went well? What didn’t? What can I do differently or better next time? What aspects within my control could I have harnessed to have a more positive outcome next time around? In a nutshell… “what did I learn?”
As recruiters, to hone our craft and to avoid similar situations coming up again in the future, we must always have the willingness to learn and change. There are so many aspects of the recruitment process that are within our control. We must acknowledge this and put in the effort to control those aspects.
Here’s an example-you had a great conversation with a candidate and were excited to move forward with them. It’s been 2-3 weeks and they’ve gone completely rogue on you. If this happens more than you’d like, it’s time to examine what is happening and determine whether you need to adjust something in your recruiting process. Maybe you weren’t engaged in the conversation? Maybe you missed a red flag? Did you jump to educate the prospect about traveling or your agency? Was too much of the conversation about you and not enough about them?
Whatever the case, challenge yourself to do some serious self-evaluation. Think about ways that you can be a better partner next time. What tweaks can you make in your process to create the biggest impact and take more control of the outcome?
Another key piece of maintaining an effective attitude is being self-aware of biases and stereotypes. All too often in our industry we lump travelers into certain categories. And its human nature to stay more focused on negative events. Negative events pose a risk of “danger” and so the brain is instinctively on alert for any potential threats. It can take a lot of effort to counteract the negativity. You can’t let the stereotypes and biases get the best of you. Focus on the good conversations, focus on the great travelers you know and work with. Don’t allow a few bad eggs to have a negative effect on your attitude. After all, if you’re expecting the worst you’re a lot more likely to find it!
