How the Right Recruiter Makes a Difference

This National Healthcare Recruiter Recognition Day, we wanted to talk about what a recruiter’s role is within healthcare staffing and what makes someone successful in the job. We spoke with one of our talented healthcare recruiters about his experience and advice.

As an assistant regional manager, Tyler Pilarski focuses on travel nursing in acute settings. He oversees a team of recruiters and works with his own nurses as well. Most of these answers could apply to any of our healthcare recruiters, including those that staff local nursing contracts or allied healthcare professionals (in disciplines like therapy, radiology, respiratory care, etc.).

A Day in the Life of a Healthcare Recruiter

What does a typical day look like for you?

As a recruiter, you wear many hats, but it keeps your days interesting! You have to be good at time management and communicating. There’s a lot to balance as far as your nurses’ needs, administrative tasks, team huddles, training, and general recruiting efforts throughout the week.

Some tasks remain pretty much the same week to week though. We’re always working on timesheets and payroll in the mornings, Monday through Thursday, to make sure they’re submitted accurately and on time so our nurses get paid correctly.

As a recruiter, you obviously spend a large amount of time recruiting as well. Whether that’s making cold calls, reviewing new applications from job boards, or following up on referrals, they’re all important to spend time on. A recruiter is also focusing efforts on job matching as well as submitting new and working healthcare professionals to facility openings.

Confirmations are also an important part of the day for those that are starting a new assignment. This includes what training and orientation needs to be done before the nurse starts as well as completing compliance for the assignment.

What makes a good recruiter?

I think for me, the most important thing is to be transparent with the healthcare professionals you work with, while also listening to their wants and needs. I ask questions to make sure I understand what they’re looking for and then I like to give them a layout of the market, so they know what to expect.

I think travel nurses really appreciate a recruiter that is open and honest. It shows a nurse that you are invested in making the right decisions for them and not just trying to sell them on a job you need to fill.

Relationship building is also very important. We celebrate our nurses with gifts, appreciation events, and awards. I am always nominating my nurses for our Care More Spotlight award so they can be recognized for their commitment to caring.

I also get to know my nurses personally, so if someone is getting married or having a baby, I’ll send a gift to mark the milestone. I love being able to show that I care about them as an individual, not just a nurse.

What’s your advice for travel nurses?

Whether you’re trying to navigate travel nursing during COVID-19 or are just getting starting as a travel nurse, you have to figure out where you are willing to be flexible and what is most important to you. Recruiters will do everything to make sure your needs are met on assignment, but compromise in some areas will be necessary. If the destination is most important to you, you may have to be more open to what shift you take. Or if pay is top of your list, you will probably need to be accommodating to more locations.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

I’ve been at Supplemental Health Care for almost seven years now. I’ve worked my way up within the company and I’ve learned a lot during my time at SHC. I’m thankful for the leadership opportunities I’ve been given and I really enjoy my current role as a mentor for my team and an advocate for my nurses.

I love our Culture of Caring most of all. Whether I’m coaching my team to be successful or working directly with my nurses, I like helping people realize what they want so they can get to where they want to be.

At SHC, we help create miraculous moments that impact our employees, nurses, patients, and communities. It’s pretty amazing to be a part of that!