“Picking a nursing travel
company reminded me so much of when I went to purchase my last car,” exclaimed a
registered nurse new to the field of travel nursing.
With so many companies out there now, it seems like there really isn’t much of
a difference between picking out a car and picking out a travel company.
To prove my point, I did some research on what
makes a successful car salesman. After
visiting just a few websites on the characteristics of a good car salesman, I was
astonished at how much the recruiters that I have met had these same qualities.
A recruiter must be personable. What
do I mean by personable? They must be
pleasant in appearance and personality. No,
you probably will never SEE your recruiter, but what about their telephone appearance? Good telephone skills are a must with any
recruiter. They must have a pleasant voice,
and be someone that you WANT to talk to, not someone that you HAVE to talk to.
A recruiter must be knowledgeable. It
is not a crime not to know the answer to your question, but your recruiter must know where
to find the answer. In some research on
travel nursing companies that I have done, several times I was referred to the human
resources director who promptly answered my questions about benefits.
How much does your recruiter know about the nursing field? He might be able to sell you a car, but does (s)he
know more about an oil change or a blood transfusion?
I am a nurse because I care about people. I
want to help others in their time of need to feel better.
Sure I could give someone blood, but what kind of ethics would I have if I just
gave the person any ole blood without double checking the patients type and the blood type
and double checking the name band before giving that patient the blood. Lots easier to replace the oil in your car, than
to fix a mistake with a blood transfusion.
I’m not saying that the recruiter has to be a nurse, just that (s)he
must have extended knowledge of the nursing field. How
can a recruiter help you out when/if you get into a bind if they can’t understand
what is happening at the time. I just
don’t see how a recruiter can “go to bat” for you, if they don’t know
what they are talking about. These hospitals
are hiring travelers because they are short staffed.
Under these conditions several things can go wrong.
I would absolutely refuse to take a position if I didn’t feel like I had
support from my recruiter.
They must know their product and the competitions. In order to acquire new nurses, you have to offer
the nurse something better than the other companies.
The only way that you can do that is if you know what the other companies are
offering. Little things, like just a few more
dollars an hour or better insurance benefits can make a big difference. So what if every assignment has a completion
bonus, if you are making only $20/hour. Attempt
to find out what other companies are giving their employees at the same or a near
location, then make the deal just a little sweeter, which brings me to my next point of
knowing your “customer.”
The first thing out of a recruiters mouth should be, “How can I help
you?” So many times, what the recruiter
says is translated into, “How can you help us?”
These “headhunters” are out there to rope you in no matter what it takes,
they NEED you… they don’t have a
company without the nurse, but so many think that the nurse needs them worse. New cars look very nice on the lot, but a lot of
good they are doing the salesperson if they stay on the lot.
The recruiter that is going to get my attention is the one that says,
“How can I help you fulfill your needs in your nursing career?” Nurses travel for so many reasons. The needs for a nurse who is fighting bankruptcy
is so much different than the nurse who just bought a new car, and has a burning desire to
see the world.
Above all, a recruiter must have a great personality. I have yet to see a rude, crude, and socially
unacceptable nursing recruiter have very many nurses who work for them. Yes, there are some out there, and unfortunately
some of the nurses that I network with have had to work with them, but I have yet to meet
a person who will stay with a recruiter who is always on the down and depressed side.
Great personality also means a nursing recruiter who is not only concerned
about his/her benefits of having you work for them, but what is in your best interest. Like the company that I work for presently…
everyone shares the benefits of the nurses, there is no “fighting” for nurses
because of that great commission.
Great personality also means that when you need someone to lean on, when
the tough times come, you should be able to pick up the phone and discuss the problems you
are having. We aren’t going to get along
with everyone, and everything isn’t going to be perfect. I want a recruiter who I can call and tell that I
really don’t feel comfortable in my current situation because of even such a simple
thing as a personality conflict. I want a
recruiter who will weather out the storm with me, not jump ship and let me feel like I
have been stranded in the middle of the desert begging for water.
Know what you want in a company and go out there and get it. Through perseverance and patient you WILL find the
travel company that can meet your travel nursing goals, and not one that will sell you a
lemon of a car and then leave you on the side of the road drinking lemonade |
Highway Hypodermics
