By Elle Koris
A recruiter should be more than just a ghost in the machine who finds you your next assignment and moves on with their day. They should be your business partner, your advisor, and your friend. At Medical Solutions, we’re lucky to have amazing recruiters who do more than just connect care—they help their travelers navigate through obstacles and stand in their corner when they need someone to lean on. In fact, our travelers consistently rank our recruiters and the incredible service they provide as one of the top reasons why they stay with Medical Solutions. We recently asked several of our recruiters to share what it’s like to walk in their shoes. Join us as we get insight into some of the best parts, challenges, and moments in between of recruiter life.
Creating Bonds are the Best Experiences
No two clinicians have the same travel experiences, obstacles, or goals, and the same can be said for recruiters as well! Some started out in credentialing before they knew they were meant for recruiting—like Senior Recruiter and Team Lead Jennifer Stewart—and others were nurses first like Recruiter Kiara Kincaid.
Some also have a few months in the field, while others have eight years under their belt like Recruiter Jennifer Valdivia. But one shared experience our recruiters can agree on is that building honest bonds with their travelers is the highlight of what they do.
“All my travelers and I have a strong bond,” said Kincaid. “They know this is a partnership for life, and that’s what matters to me the most, not just being their “recruiter,” but gaining a lifelong relationship.”
And those tight bonds don’t just exist within the confines of a 9-5 workday or Monday-Friday—they’re any time, any day, and any holiday type of friendship.
“I have had a surprise birthday party for one of my travelers, I had someone celebrate Easter with my family, I have taken another traveler to tour the flower fields, met some for dinner, and have been invited to their farm on a road trip,” said Stewart.
For Valdivia, her connection with her travelers has even helped them get through major life events.
“I had a CT tech tell me he needed to make as much money as possible as he needed to get his fiancé a wedding dress and pay for the wedding because she had been taking care of her mom who was very ill,” said Valdivia. “Well after four assignments he was able to pay for the most beautiful wedding dress and wedding and they have been living happily ever after since.”
It’s Challenging, But Worth It
In a perfect world, your recruiter finds a dreamy location for your next assignment for the perfect length of time, and your entire hiring, credentialing, and onboarding process goes without a hitch. While recruiters do everything in their power to make everything easy, it’s not always smooth sailing. This challenge is one that Senior Recruiter and Team Lead Lucas Adams has faced before during his four years at Medical Solutions.
“There can be high highs and low lows in this gig,” said Adams. “I would say that the biggest struggle I have encountered is not being able to control the entire process and having to find peace with that.”
How fast or slow processes move along aren’t the only challenges that can fall outside of the recruiter’s control. It’s not rare for a traveler to work with other agencies or have a recruiter leave after working for them for many years. Unfortunately, though, this can cause some travelers to put up walls when they’re searching for someone else, and it can be difficult to tear those walls down.
“Sometimes the hardest thing is trying to build the trust with a traveler as they have been burned or ghosted themselves by other recruiters or agencies,” said Recruiter Crystal Jones. “I do my very best to just be honest and open and bring the best me I can.”
Why Recruiting?
Recruiting is more than finding travelers a new contract in their preferred city. It’s helping them achieve their personal and professional goals, making sure they feel taken care of so their focus can be on providing the best care possible, building connections, and so much more. For Jones and Kincaid, being a recruiter means doing everything to make a difference in a clinician’s life.
“I love being able to work with healthcare travelers to make a difference,” said Jones. “Not only in their lives, but in the lives of those they are caring for.”
“It’s being able to change people’s lives every day, whether working through a tough situation, placing them in a position to experience a different side of life, or simply just talking to people and sharing knowledge back and forth,” said Kincaid.
Sometimes it’s seeing a traveler’s growth in all aspects of their life that fuels a recruiter’s purpose.
“Hearing all of the stories about how travel nursing has changed their lives makes it all worth it for me,” said Adams. “Tons of my nurses have been able to get out of debt, pay for school, buy new houses, splurge on vacations, and so much more.”
“I love that I get to be a professional friend for a living,” said Stewart. “I know about their hopes, dreams, goals, families, and have even had some stay at my house and celebrate holidays with me. Many of my travelers come to me for advice on what to do next for work, how to address personal situations, or even spiritual growth.”
“I enjoy hearing stories from my travelers, whether it be becoming debt free, traveling the world, and meeting new people, or just watching them grow into an experienced traveler with new confidence and knowledge,” said Valdivia.
Recruiting and so Much More
While the role of a recruiter is to help you find the perfect job and place to make your career goals happen, often, it’s more than a job—it’s a calling to build relationships and be the person whom a traveler can always rely on.
If you’re ready to start your next travel adventure with a co-pilot who is there to support you where you need it most, reach out to our team! We’ll connect you with one of our amazing recruiters so you can make your career dreams a reality.
Elle Koris is a content specialist for Medical Solutions.
