With the numerous opportunities and lots of information in travel nursing, the greatest resource you have as a travel nurse is your recruiter. However, depending on their travel nursing agencies, the recruiters can be different.

Not all of them have the same requirements or assignments for you. However, nursing travel agencies ensure that all the recruiters are transparent and have a high wok and moral ethics.

Are you a first-time travel nurse and are nervous about finding the best recruiter? There are a number of qualities that you can look for in a recruiter that will help you decide if they are the best for you.

Timely responses- A good recruiter should respond to you in good time. The longest time you have to wait for a response is 48 hours.

Honesty and transparency- Some of the recruiters may be on the job to act as salespeople. However, good recruiters will tell you everything you need to know without lying or keeping some information from you.

Trustworthiness and dependability- It is important to choose a recruiter that you can trust will always be there for you and will do their best to ensure that you are comfortable in your work station. You need a recruiter who will take care of your needs as an individual.

Accessibility- Since travel nurses mainly work in areas that they are unfamiliar with, they need a recruiter who they can get in touch with easily, either on the phone or by email. That is important when it comes to solving some issues or answering questions. It also ensures that the nurse feels comfortable and safe in the work station.

Patience- Look for a recruiter who will not feel bothered when they answer your calls to make any clarifications or answer any questions. Also, ensure that they are willing to listen to you and all your concerns.

Experience and success- You need to know for how long your recruiter has been in the market, how many people they have worked with and how good they are at getting you a job that suits your specific needs and qualifications.

Go for a recruiter who will not only find you a good job but who can also work as a career adviser to help you with your work journey.

Tips To Find The Best Recruiter

Aside from knowing the qualities of the best recruiter, there are some other tips that will help you choose the best.

Research

There are many trustaff nursing travel agencies, and all have different things to offer. It is best to take your time to do your research on each of them. Some of the things you can look at include

• Pay package structures- They include tax-free stipends, hourly rates, estimated total weekly payments, and benefits. Be clear with your expectations and ask for clarifications.
• Regional vs national agencies- Depending on your travel expectations, compare regional and nationwide agencies. Nationwide will offer larger job selection locations while regional will serve localized areas.
• Benefits- Find out if the recruiter offers the benefits that you want in their contracts like referral bonuses, corporate discount on services and products like rental cars, hotels, and curbs, and health insurance.

Some recruiters cover even onboarding expenses before your assignments like drug testing and vaccines.

Decide what you want

It is important to be sure about what you want on an assignment before choosing a recruiter. Decide if you are flexible or not with the terms on the contract before signing it. You should also consider things like overtime rates, location, specialty, shifts, and cancellation policies.

That will help you find a recruiter will accommodate you and will find assignments for you based on your specifications.

Ask for recommendations and read reviews

Sometimes the best way to find a perfect recruiter is through help from your friends and family. If the recruiters have websites, the best way to know if they are good is by reading the reviews because they are honest and from people with experience.

Interview the recruiter

After identifying a few potential recruiters, the best way to choose the best is to interview them. Some of the questions you can ask include;

• Why are they recruiters?

This helps you decide if their goals are in line with yours. Some recruiters are in the market only for the money, while many nurses are there to help people. If you realize that you have differing opinions about why you are in your jobs, the recruiter is probably not the best one for you.

• What happens if anything goes wrong during my assignments?

Unfortunately, some recruiters will disappear as soon as you start your assignment, and while nobody wishes for anything to go wrong during their contract, there are a lot of uncertainties, and you will need somebody to help you out.

It helps to know that your recruiter has your back in any and all circumstances. Ask about how they plan on responding in case anything goes wrong. Also, ask how you can contact them, how soon you can get a reply and how they will help you solve the problem.

• How many nurses do they work with at once?

Unless the recruiter is highly qualified, working with more than thirty nurses at once can be challenging. Ensure that the recruiter has a manageable number of nurses to ensure that they have enough time for you.

• What is their submission process?

Sometimes recruiters may submit nurses to a position or company without their permission. Clarify with the recruiter if that ever happens and be sure to have it included in your contract to avoid being submitted to the same position or institution you had difficulties with.

• How many people will you be working with or contacting beside them?

Having several people to contact will not only help you when you face challenges with your contract, but they can also help with issues like paycheck shortages. Ensure that you ask your recruiter for the people you can talk to in different emergency situations.

• What makes them different?

This may sound like a cliché question, but it may be the difference between you working with a good or bad recruiter. Whether it’s their work ethic, their working style, principles, goals, or their experience, there is always something that will help you choose between two recruiters.