By: Adam Gomez
We spend a great deal of time talking with recruiters about the importance of creating value for their travelers. Many of them understand the significance of doing it but they’re unsure how to do it.
I thought it might be helpful to lay out some ideas for recruiters and travelers to help them better understand the value of a travel nurse recruiter.
Recruiters perform a large number of tasks behind the scenes. And some may surprise even the most experienced travel nurses.
A strong recruiter with knowledge of the industry will make the process of securing a contract easier for a nurse. They will work with the nurse to help them reach their goals of traveling. And they serve as a powerful advocate for the nurse. In my experience as a recruiter the relationship between recruiter and nurse often transforms over time. Many of the nurses I worked with during my career became like family. And I’m so grateful so many nurses I worked with continue to be a part of my life today – and it’s been almost five years since I’ve recruited!
Here are just a few of the ways that travel nursing recruiters provide value to nurses:
They…
· Assist nurses in their search by setting realistic expectations based on what they’re seeing in the market.
· Assist with building a high-quality profile to improve a nurse’s chances of securing an interview.
· Share all details which are provided in the job description with the nurse (e.g., hours guarantee, cancellation policy, float requirements, shift information).
· Work with the agency’s account management team to get updates after submission.
· Continue to search for new opportunities that align with what the nurse is searching for, to improve their chances of securing a position.
· Help nurses develop a winning strategy when they’re considering multiple locations/positions.
· Serve as an advocate for the nurse and facilitate communication between the agency and the facility, or vendor, as needed.
· Ensure the nurse gets paid accurately, and on-time, each pay period. And resolve any discrepancies if they occur.
· Assist the nurse with completing the onboarding process to insure an on-time start.
· Share information about the assignment location that is relevant, appropriate, and useful to the nurse.
· Provide the nurse with tools and resources for securing suitable housing at the assignment location.
· Secure important first-day information and other information that is needed prior to reporting to the facility (e.g., parking information, timesheet process, scrub requirements, etc.
· Serve as a resource to the nurse when they must apply for a new state nursing license.
· Work with the nurse to solve problems that may come up on assignment (work-related), and sometimes with personal issues (not work-related).
· Communicate with members of the account management team to get an extension offer when a nurse wishes to extend.
· Help nurses find their next contract to minimize gaps between assignments and/or to accommodate requests for time off between contracts.
· Protect the nurse from potentially harmful situations.
· Provide career coaching and advice to help nurses desiring to advance their careers.
These are a few of the tasks travel nursing recruiters perform. There are differences between recruiters in how well they perform each of these tasks. And those recruiters who perform better than their peers in all of these areas, and many more, are delivering greater value to their nurses. If you’re a nurse looking for the “best deal”, consider how important these items are. And if you’re a recruiter, ask yourself how strong you are in each of these areas. What other items would you add to the list?
