I was responding to another post regarding the asking of more money for a second contract at the same hospital (contract extension for another full 13 weeks) and wondered where the extra money would come from to meet traveler demands?
For example, I say that I want to stay at Hospital X, but I want to make an extra $1 an hour on my next contract. Where does that dollar come from? I know it is taken off on the travel company end, but where? Company profit portion? The money my recruiter makes off me?
The reason I asked is because I want to be fair to my recruiter. She needs to earn a living too, but when I ask for more money or better housing, will the recruiter (her personally) end up earning less on the contract?
Great question, and one that not a lot of people ask. Whenever another dollar per hour is pulled out of a contract for the traveler it could be coming from a variety of places. Most likely, it is coming out of the company's portion of the contract rate, which (since competition is so fierce right now) is usually pretty close to 'scraping by.' A lot of the times a recruiter will pull another dollar per hour out and not make money off of a traveler in hopes that the nurse/therapist will stay with them for another couple of contracts....Sometimes this happens, sometimes it doesn't.
Keep in mind this money is ALWAYS coming from somewhere, and asking for another dollar per extension is a good method, but it has to end SOMEWHERE. How many years can a traveler go if they're making another dollar per hour every 3 months? Eventually, you would have travelers that are making 200 dollars per hour. Or, if you want to look at it more realistically, you will have a company that will drop you from their roster because they can't afford you. Once you're dropped for being too expensive, you are limiting the companies that will work with you to the cut rate "i don't care if we're losing money on this guy, just get it BOOKED' companies. If a company doesn't look ahead to maintain their business and is only focused on the short-term, how much support do you think you will get from them.
The best bet is to find a balance. Keep askign for more money, expect to lose your company/recruiter eventually. Stay the same, risk making less than your potential. I recommend working with two companies on each new contract to keep everyone honest.
Luke Long, Recruiter with Cirrus Allied
678.993.2314 (direct)
"People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care."
This is interesting, and something my husband and I have been wondering. He was offered a position a couple of weeks ago but he turned it down because it was not even close to what he had asked his recruiter to look for and he still had plenty of time to find his next assignment. When she first offered the position it was nights (he is currently on days), less pay than his current job (and only a couple of hours away), no night diff, no travel reimbursement, no bonuses, and no guaranteed in unit washer & dryer (a biggy for us). So like I said, he turned it down. Once he said he didn't want it, all of the sudden she was going to be able to get us the premium housing with a washer and dryer. He still said no and then she magically came up with $2 per hour night diff. He still wasn't interested and then she offered travel reimbursement.
This scenario was so frustrating to us because we wondered what if he would have accepted it the first time? Would we have just left all that money on the table? We were just wondering why she would hold out on all of that for us? He still turned the position down because, like I said, it was specifically what he told her he didn't want. But also because now we don't feel like we can trust her. We want a recruiter that will lay it all out on the line from the beginning. We aren't in the mood to play the game with a recruiter. It should be a win-win for both recruiter and traveler. But this situation definitely didn't make us feel like she was working for our best interest.
That's a very common scenario in this modern day and age. A lot of agencies are out there trying to be as profitable as possible, and I've heard of companies playing these games more often recently. The best bet for a smell test is time. If your recruiter is desperate to get you, and this money pops up almost instantly, it looks like they might be scraping it together from their side to offer you more money. If it's taking a long time or your recruiter is suggesting you let the job go, then most likely they are giving you what they can give, and would have to ask the client for more.
At the end of the day, a slick recruiter would be able to work both ends of that spectrum and keep you in the dark about how much money is available and from where, but if you're looking at a highly competitive rate and the recruiter is ready to walk away from the deal, then you know you have something to work with. If your recruiter is desperate to close that deal, then get him to the "no." What I mean by that is, find out what's off limits, and get a compromise somewhere in between. It's the best way to make sure you understand how your recruiter works and to keep the playing field level.
Luke Long, Recruiter with Cirrus Allied
678.993.2314 (direct)
"People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care."
So, I am new to this and seriously considering traveling and making a company decision in the next few weeks. Does this mean I should have them tell me first what the pay rate will be and then I should negotiate up? Also with the per diem gov web site are those numbers per day when you put in the town you will be staying in. Is this what every company bases their Per diem off of? Also should i have two companies looking at the same job for me?
Thanks again for the advice,
Becca
Becca, Unless you get into the Recruiter Business, I don't believe anyone really wants to let you know how the money is allocated. Different companies, allocate the money different ways, such as CEU's, Insurance, PTO, etc. If you want to try the two company thing, best of luck with that one. Some clients will interview you, but turn you down if two companies present you at the same time. I had recruiters presenting me, that I never agreed could represent me and lost an ideal location. ( Of course 7 different recruiter's tried to place me). It's a bargaining adventure. Know what the minimum is that you need to live and bargain for better, even if it is "one buck more." All of the Recruiters know what the average OT makes traveling. They should offer you the average rate, but some will offer you less. I am a PTA, but I would say you should average 1000 to 1400 clear a week. You will be at the low end or the high end depending on your experience. Then, add in a bonus or CEUs, or PTO based on a 13 week assignment and don't forget your mileage to the next assignment. There are some great recruiters and once you work for them, they will do their best, in both of your best interests to keep you. Then there will be a loyalty bonus offered after so many hours or assignments with different companies. Research some more. The companies don't always use the government per diem rates listed for each city. Some companies will give you less, but check the government rates, as there is a minimum weekly amount. Wish you the best in traveling. If you have anymore questions, email me.
Don M. LPTA
I am a recruiter also - I work for Supplemental Healthcare. What alot of nurses don't seem to understand is that they money we pay ( at least at my company) is directly related to how much the hospital pays us. So if you work one contract with me and i pay you say 1300 a week and then you get another contract in the same area and want more money I would be glad to give it you IF THE BILL RATE ALLOWS. Bill rates are wildly different from one hospital to another in the sam area. For example in Rochester,NY I have one ICU nurse at a hospital with 60/hr bill rate and another down the street at a hospital with a 51/hr bill rate. If she went from one to the other it would be impossible to pay the same. I think the best question to ask is how the recruiter makes their bonus. I wouldnt be offended by this question at all and in fact welcome it. My commision is based on hours worked and retention. So I give the nurse as much I can because all the matters to me is that they go to the assignment and stay with me as long as possible. Obviously there is a minimum profit margin that I can go to our we can't support the contract. IF you have any questions you can contact me directly at 716-541-2644.. Happy travelling
I've been in the business for over 10 years and have even owned my own recruiting firm. Bottom line is asking for an extra dollar comes out of the company's profit. If your recruiter gives you an extra dollar on an extension the question that needs to be posed is why didnt I get this dollar in the begining? Know the area and talk to others online, etc to get yourself an idea on pay, housing and such. Then go to your recruiter and work out a rate that works for you. If you know other travelers, find out if they are happy, do they get paid well and when they talk to other nurses how do they compare with their packages? If it sounds good get the referral and usually if the recruiter is a referral you are better off than just a random. It's never a bad idea to ask for more and if you have an honest recruiter they will go as far as they can and eventually say no when its to a point they cant do it. All I know is if I got more money in my current job b/c I threaten to leave for another job, I would probably be upset b/c I would have to ask them why didnt I get this raise in the first place?
