By: Chris Madrigal
Whether its your first couple days on the floor or a seasoned recruiter…it’s not more than a few experiences, perceived let downs and then all of a sudden the dreaded sense of failure, frustrations and doubt begin to creep into your psyche as you attempt to maintain your desk or struggle to build one.
Let’s not kid ourselves the struggle is real and recruiting is not for the faint of heart. Training, Corporate Culture, the “ we value you as an important addition to our Organization” blah blah… .. the sales pitch used to entice you to join a staffing agency is all legit but at the end of the day there is a valuable aspect about numbers and your pipeline to the organization. So how do we manage the balance between fun, success and outcomes? In truth, for many of us salaries are nominal amounts(some took pay cuts)which provides an incredible incentive to go out and earn it all while the promise of success is ever present and the fuel propelling all of us to dial that one more phone number, text that nurse you’ve lost heart for or juggle the idea to hang on or cut bait.
Fear and desperation is an ever present shadow lingering as you attempt to “stay positive” “ stay on the grind”. You start everyday hoping that the same success you see others enjoying will be yours as well. Not to mention the Maslownian thoughts( I made this up if its not an actual word) such as.. “ Do they know how hard I am trying?!?!” Do they know how good of a steward I am of the organization? Do they value the intangibles I bring to the organization as I’m building my desk? Or one of the best distractions I experienced…”Why is Joe(no offense to Joes out there) making so many contacts, building so many profiles and placing nurses?? What am I doing wrong? Or what is he doing so right?? I can’t see it?!?! and do I dare doubt my decision to have taken this risk of becoming a recruiter???! “
Sounding kinda bleak right…. Hold tight and stay with me .. There is a better way…. there is a light at the end of the tunnel and furthermore with experience and the right process and approach not only can you enjoy the tunnels and valleys but you can operate from a constant position of confidence, abundance and peace of mind.
I know it’s hard to believe this especially if your desk is falling apart.. or your waiting to actually have a desk.. but I’m here to tell you every call or text is a success as it delivers information/outcomes that you can respond to. It’s not the knowing that challenges us…it’s the unknown… So your still thinking.. “Chris, bro…I’m stressed and being broke is no joke…., I can’t seem to close anyone .. ” I know.. trust me, I know… I get it and have been in that place(probably too long). What I can tell you is that water seeks its own level and sure enough in the reality that your company believed in you.. you will find your niche in the market place. You can’t train a person to genuinely care about people so start there. Timing is an ever fluid dynamic in this industry so you can either chose to believe missing a nurse on a contract is the end of that relationship or you can continue providing encouragement, support and value so that the “if’s” turn into “ when’s”. Your character, effort and attitude should reflect security, trust and stability. We have to remember that your interaction whether it be via the phone or text carries an inherent tone/story.. What are you communicating to your nurse between the lines of conversation/interactions?
Whether you partner on a contract with a nurse or not is not the only goal in your partnership..in fact I believe “success” is having developed a relationship and the contract has more to do with the byproduct of a serendipitous event. I’m not talking about superficial.. I expect all the ground work to be done,…. pay package discussed, knowledge of hospital and expectations of position, location, commitment to provide exceptional service etc.. What I am talking about is that as a recruiter you can only control how you treat others, your effort and how you respond. Are you just reactive or are you proactive and leading/seeding for the next opportunity, checking in appropriately.? At some point all your nurturing and pouring into your traveler ends then it’s time to hand off that profile and then hope and pray everything “falls into place” to the point of an interview and offer.
The key to operating successfully daily is to get lost in your process and redefine daily successes. Very quickly you will discover the world of recruiting becomes friendlier, jovial, dare I say fun!! An interesting thing will also happen within your organization and your travelers experience and that is an overall state of optimism, security and trust.
See folks we are providing a valuable service to men and women who serve us the populations at large at some point in our lives in our most frightening, vulnerable and painful experiences . I cannot think of a more honorable industry where we get to love and support the ones that love and support us in those trying times. We as supporters of these wonderfully caring and strong nurses.. shouldn’t we steward faith, integrity, courage and a larger view of our role as it relates to providing our service? We aren’t here to use people , we are here to help people.
So keep the conversations going, understand you are not a fit for everyone; but you are “perfect” for the ones who you will find and those who will seek you out. Trust in the process, understand every call provides valuable information along the sales continuum as it relates to recruiting and securing contracts all while gaining loyal partnerships.
So, yes, your organization knows your trying .. but more importantly than just trying.. bring value to your nurses and within your own organization by having a deeper understanding of our industry and your role. Not to mention, give yourself space and room and don’t take yourself so serious.
When you succeed, we all succeed.
