talking with nurse recruiter....advice?

[spacey]

Hi.......

I'm looking to re-enter the workforce after having time off with family. I have a great deal of experience in NICU and some in peds. I want to negotiate a great position with wonderful benefits (haha!.....of course I do!) and I am going to go through the hospital's nurse recruiter. Does anyone have any experience with recruiters? How much leeway do they have to offer things? Is there a tactful way to "demand" things? What are the most negotiable issues?.......pay?.....benefits?.....schedule?.....time off? Ideally I would work part time and still get benefits......not be pulled off unit......and not work exclusively nights. (I know...I live in a fantasy world!) But...I'd like some feedback on how to approach the conversation with the recruiter. I do have some time and another option or two so I would be willing to walk away if nothing is right.

thanks!......spacey

[spacey]

come on guys.......i've heard nursing recruiters are the gateway to happiness (ha).....but seriously.....has anyone had any experiences with one? i have no idea how much "power" they have. i've heard of people who have left the hospital....and come back and negotiated a much better position than they could've gotten had they stayed. thoughts.......anyone?

[llg, PhD, RN]

In most cases ... nurse recruiters have minimal ability to offer you special benefits, schedules, etc. Managers and administrators decide those things. However, the recruiters are gatekeepers. They can advise the managers not to grant you an interview or to give you only a courtesy interview or to "be careful with this candidate because ...."

My recommendation is to use the recruiter as a source of valuable information and "court her" as someone who can help you get the job you want. You want to make a good impression by not appearing to be too demanding. Your emphasis should be on getting information about the hiring process, employee benefit package, etc. and not appearing too demanding. The proper time for negotiating special perks, etc. comes AFTER you have impressed them so much with what you have to offer them that they might be willing to give you something special in returen, NOT BEFORE.

Also, how long have you been out of the nursing workforce? If it's been a while, you may not have as strong a negotiating position as you think. People sometimes struggle when they return after a long absence and the hospital may be hesitant to negotiate much until you show them that you bring more to the job than the average nurse.

Let us know how it works out,

llg

[MackNJacks mom]

Great post llg! I agree. Nurse recruiters at my facility don't have much to offer. I think of them as gate keepers as well. My advice would be to get the job you want at the faciltiy you want, then move toward getting what you want. I didn't know benefits and time off were negotiable ever. I have been a nurse for a little over a year and I have the schedule I want. I think you can get most anything if you make yourself indispensable. I only have experience at this one facility so I could be way off base. Good luck finding the job of your dreams!!