How to Choose the Right Staffing Agency to Land NP Jobs
7 Steps for Nurse Practitioners to Fast-Track Their Job Search
You have applied for several NP jobs, but haven’t yet received a call for interview. You’ve decided to up your game, and you are considering registering with a staffing agency.
According to the American Staffing Association, the nation’s staffing companies employ around 16 million temporary and contract employees – and 73% of these work full time. Research from CareerBuilder shows that:
- 66% of hiring managers feel using staffing agencies gives them access to the best candidates
- 42% of hiring companies use staffing agencies to make faster hires
- 41% uses staffing agencies to find candidates with the right skills
In addition, more than half of hiring managers surveyed expect to increase their use of staffing agencies to find talented employees.
In this article we look at a few of the benefits of registering with a staffing agency, and how to choose the right one for NP jobs from so many agencies in the market.
Why Use a Staffing Agency?
Many NPs ask themselves, ‘Should I use a staffing agency to find a job?’ Here are a few reasons why it makes sense. Staffing agencies:
- Work with a large network of companies, not only in the area or city where you reside, but also beyond it. If location is not an issue, a staffing agency may help you get a job in your desired location.
- Are experts in their local market. They understand the nature of the sector they serve, the salary that you should be earning, and which healthcare providers and hospitals would be the best fit for your personality and your career aspirations.
- Offer a range of other services such as resume building, interview coaching, career counseling, and so on. These services help you to be better prepared as a candidate. They will help you discover your strengths and weaknesses and interview more effectively.
- Help you to save time and effort when applying for jobs. Once a staffing agency understands your expectations and skills, they will monitor their clients for the best-fit roles for you.
- Have access to jobs which are not posted publicly or advertised.
Staffing consultants use their experience and knowledge of their clients to help find you a suitable role – saving the hiring company and you time and money.
How Does a Staffing Agency Work?
Hospitals and other healthcare providers use a staffing agency’s services to find suitable employees for them. They learn about the hiring manager’s requirements. They then search the potential candidates who are registered with them to connect good matches. Sometimes they will advertise jobs on their website – to which other jobseekers may apply.
If the job is contract or temporary, the staffing agency charges the hospital and pays you. If the role is full time, the hiring organization pays the staffing agency a fee or commission for finding them the right candidate.
How Do You Select a Great Staffing Agency for your Next NP Job?
Here are seven steps to find the perfect staffing agency to register with:
1. Consider the Agency’s Experience
Before selecting a staffing agency, you should know how many years of experience they have in supplying people to the healthcare sector. If the agency has been in the market for a long time, they are more likely to have a highly developed network of clients – and this means you are more likely to find your ideal NP job.
2. Make Sure They Offer a Range of Services
Check whether the staffing agency provides services such as interview preparation, resume building, career counseling, etc. These should all be free services to you, too.
3. Ensure They Offer a Range of Employment Types
Registering with a staffing agency that provides clients with a range of employee types – from temporary to full time – will maximize your potential job offers. If you are between jobs, then accepting a temporary role will help to keep your skills and resume up to date as well as act as a springboard to your next full-time role. Alternatively, you may decide to work in contract roles to improve your work/life balance.
4. Measure How Long a Recruiter Speaks to You
You should only work with a staffing agency and a recruiter who spend time to get to know you. If a recruiter spends only a few minutes speaking to you on the phone, it is unlikely that they will learn much about you – and if they do find you a new NP job, it probably won’t be right for you. A recruiter should spend 15 to 30 minutes learning about you.
5. Consider the Quality of Their Website
Websites can tell you a lot about a business. It should detail their services, be easy to navigate, provide details about their team, and offer news and insights specific to the healthcare sector.
6. Ensure You Only Register with a Specialist in Healthcare Staffing
Only partner with a staffing agency that is a specialist in the healthcare sector. Better still, drill down further and seek an agency that focuses on a small number of specific roles. This level of precision is often admired by hiring companies and attracts more relevant jobs openings.
7. Ask for References/Testimonials and Check Them
Look up reviews on Google and other online locations, such as social media and LinkedIn. Ask the staffing agency to talk you through a few examples of how they have placed jobseekers like you, and for a few testimonials.
Get on the Fast-Track to NP Jobs
Registering with a staffing agency has the potential to connect you to exceptional NP jobs that are ideal for you, whatever the stage of your career.
Here at Palm Careers, we specialize in a small range of specific roles – including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nursing clinical and leadership positions.
Our candidate placement options are locum/temporary; locum-to-permanent; and permanent.
Our staffing team has decades of experience, and we develop partnerships with our clients and candidates. We get to understand the needs of both hiring companies and our candidates to ensure we exceed your expectations.
How do you start the process of finding your next NP job with a highly respected, impeccably connected, and extremely experienced staffing agency? Submit your resume to Palm Careers today.