Life in the information age has made it exponentially easier to do almost anything. And while there are plenty of apps, databases, and professional resources at your disposal, job hunting may not be one of them, particularly for nursing jobs. While traveling nurses must work exclusively with recruiters to find the best opportunities, you might be surprised to learn just how helpful a recruiter can be for permanent nursing roles as well.
Recruiters Can Negotiate A Higher Salary
Salary negotiations can be a difficult and uncomfortable process. And whether it’s for fear of striking out or pushing the envelope too far and losing the opportunity, most candidates will often skip the ask altogether.
One of the great things about working with a recruiter for your next nursing role is that your recruiter can handle those difficult negotiations for you. A knowledgeable recruiter certainly understands the ins and outs of salary negotiations, but more importantly, they’ll know exactly how to leverage your experience to give your salary a little (or a big) bump.
Recruiters Maintain Direct Relationships With The Hospital…To Your Benefit
When recruiters work directly with hospitals to fill open positions, you can bet that they are intimately familiar with the inner workings of the hospital and the people who are charged with staffing it.
A good recruiter knows what hiring managers look for in potential candidates, and ultimately it’s the job seeker (in this case, you) who benefits from their expertise and relationship building. A good recruiter will know what skills and qualifications should be highlighted to propel you to the head of the line, ultimately making your job search shorter.
Recruiters Can Expedite The Process
Recruiters can expedite your job hunt in two ways. First, if you opt to go it alone, your application is one in a digital sea of hundreds of applications. A recruiter, however, can get your resume and application in front of a targeted audience, maybe even before the flood gates open.
Second, once you and your recruiter get the ball rolling on the application process, they can then take the reigns and expedite the process. Your recruiter can easily check on the status of your application in a matter of days or hours, instead of the weeks that you may have to wait without a recruiter on your side.
When you’re actively searching for work, time is a resource that you can’t afford to waste.
The quicker your recruiter can determine whether your application is a “go” or a “no,” the quicker you can pivot accordingly. If you know you’ll be moving on to the next stage, you can begin preparing for the interview. If the hiring manager decides not to move forward with your application, you can move on to the next opportunity that much faster.
Recruiters Save You Time
It’s no secret that job hunting is in itself work. Not only does it start with countless hours scouring job boards and responding to ads, but you’re probably going to spend a significant amount of time researching hospitals, adjusting the highlights of your resume to match the opportunity, and, let’s not forget, endlessly tweaking your cover letters.
Working with a recruiter, however, takes many of those tasks off your to-do list. Moreover, not only will a recruiter help you improve your resume, your application, and your cover letter, but a good recruiter will help you through the entire job placement process, from getting your applications into the right hands all the way to accepting an offer.
Recruiters Help Maintain Confidentiality
If you’re searching for a job while currently employed, you may not realize how important it is to keep things under wraps until you’re ready to resign officially. But if you’re applying through job boards and other databases, there’s a higher chance of your current employer coming across your information and catching wind of your plans prematurely. By working with a recruiter who has a direct line to existing opportunities, you can keep your cards close to your vest until you’ve got a solid offer in place.
For traveling nurses, working with a recruiter is non-negotiable, whereas those in search of a permanent nursing role always have a choice. If you’re looking for your next permanent nursing role and you can’t seem to get any traction in your search, it may be worth your while to partner with a recruiter. From leveraging relationships to expediting the process and negotiating a higher salary, an expert with your best interest in mind might prove to be far more fruitful.
By Maggie Litton, National Recruiter, Planet Healthcare
