The First Conversation You Should Have With Your Locum Recruiter

Whether you’ve already dipped your toes into locum work, or are just starting to think about making the transition, you know that recruiters exist to help you book an assignment with ease. But as experts within the staffing field, recruiters can also offer a wealth of information about the locum market. Having a productive conversation with your recruiter not only helps them to help you in finding the perfect placement, but can also give you a leg up in both insight and competitiveness. All you have to do is ask!

Top 3 Questions to Ask Your Locum Healthcare Recruitment Agency as a New Locum Provider

What does your locum healthcare recruitment agency's internal process look like?

Any locum provider with multiple sets of eyes on the market can tell you that, similarly to how no one recruiter is the same as another, neither are their agencies. Different staffing companies will have varying internal teams, support staff, processes, and protocols. For example, while Barton recruiters work with providers and account executives work with clients in tandem to fill openings as a team, another agency may have one recruiter manage the process full circle. Understanding your recruiter’s internal team structure helps in foreshadowing the type, and amount of support and communication you can expect.

The same can be said for learning what a recruiter will need after receiving your initial CV to present you as a candidate for openings. Generally, your recruiter will ask for additional information such as references and malpractice or work gap explanations. This is because their main goal is to position you as competitively as possible, procure you the highest locum salary, and more importantly, book an assignment with you! Learning about that process on the front end allows for more time to gather materials, and give references a heads up proactively.

How often and where do you see locum tenens jobs that match up with my preferences?

Every locum provider has their ideal job imagined, and it’s a recruiter’s job to do their best to find it. However, because locum tenens recruiters only have specific client needs, locations, and budgets to work with, they may not always have the perfect fit ready to go when and where you need it. While there is always room for negotiation and accommodations to be made, sometimes there simply is no work-around for solid client needs.

Understanding first how often your locum recruiter sees those potential fits sets realistic expectations on both ends for the amount of opportunities they will have available for you moving forward. The most ideal roles — think Hawaii or the Virgin Islands in the winter, will go faster than others. More often than not, your recruiter will have opportunities that are almost just the right fit, with a few exceptions. Hearing about these “near fits” opens up valuable conversations about both your potential flexibility, and non-negotiables. This, in turn, aids your locum recruiter in navigating future negotiations with clients on your behalf, and in better tailoring the openings they call you about.

What’s more, the crucial question of where the most potential matches are located helps you to think about where you want to work as a locum, and allows your recruiter the opportunity to begin positioning you for recurring locum tenens opportunities before they even reopen by proactively obtaining additional state licensures for future use.

What sets you apart from other locum tenens doctor and healthcare recruiters?

As mentioned above, recruiters are anything but a “one size fits all” deal.

Every medical locum recruiter will have somewhat of a different approach to making and maintaining relationships with their providers. One thing they do have in common, though, is that no matter their methods, they want you to work with them, and if asked, will tell you exactly why you should.

Apart from providing insight on what benefits your recruiter and their agency has to offer you, asking this simple question can lay the foundation for a strong and long lasting business partnership you can rely on.

What Can You Do for a Great Experience with a Locum Tenens Recruiter

The locum world moves fast, and is full of opportunities that are open one minute and filled the next. Even the best recruiter in the game can only get so far in finding you the perfect job if they are unable to reach you, so remember to answer your phone when your recruiter calls, and keep an eye out for their emails.

Recruiters will reach out as soon as they can but we do work with hundreds of highly skilled locum tenens providers like you! Stay up to date on the market by signing up for job alert SMS texts and emails, and follow our socials to be in-the-know about everything locum tenens.

About Karina Kagramanov

As the Content Marketing Copywriter at Barton Associates, Karina conceptualizes and creates engaging written and video content for Barton and its two children companies, Barton Healthcare Staffing and Wellhart. They joined Barton in March of 2021 after graduating from UMass Amherst with Bachelor degrees in Integrated Business & Humanities and Communication. They are currently pursuing their Masters Degree in Digital Marketing at Southern New Hampshire University. In their free time, you can find Karina training at their local boxing gym or learning how to cook a new pasta recipe.