How do you become a nurse recruiter?

suzanne4, RN · Mar 30, 2006

Most nurse recruiters are not actually nurses.

Town & Country · Mar 30, 2006

I realize that but to my way of thinking the best ones would be...

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 30, 2006

My hospital has Nurse Recruiters who are actually nurses and I have been involved in their hiring process as I work closely with that department. The positions were posted along with other vacant positions in the hospital and people applied through the usual mechanisms. Interviews were scheduled, etc.

The qualities we were looking for were things like:

1. Presented themselves exceptionally well (dress, eye-contact, warm & friendly, "professional polish," etc) That may sound trite and maybe even a bit discriminatory... but in a job in which you will be representing the hospital at public events, appearance is important. Great phyisical beauty was NOT a requirement, but that "put-together," professional look was.

2. Strong supporter of the hospital, enthusiastic about the hospital and its mission. Able to discuss the hospital with a sincere positive attitude.

3. Experience in management was considered a strong plus as the Recruiters have to interview prospective employees, do some career counseling, deal with salary negotiations, work with Travel Agencies on contracts, manage their own department budget, etc. Also, recruiters have to deal with hiring advanced practice nurses as well as staff nurses, so it helps to have an understanding of such roles.

4. A BSN or higher was strongly preferred. One recruiter we hired had a Master's in Human Resources Management in addition to having been an experienced RN.

This information may not be what you are looking for, but it is one slice of the recruiting field. As another poster said, a lot of the recruiters are not actually nurses, but rather general business and/or Human Resources folks.

llg

ZASHAGALKA, RN · Mar 30, 2006

Sell your soul . . .?

Probably not an absolute requirement, though.

~faith,

Timothy.

llg, PhD, RN · Mar 30, 2006

Sell your soul . . .?
Probably not an absolute requirement, though.
~faith,
Timothy.

I believe there is some truth in that. As a recruiter, your primary job is to sell a product. Get the recruit to sign on the dotted line.

llg

Town & Country · Mar 31, 2006

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of recruiters who work for travel agencies exclusively.

I don't think working for a hospital in that capacity would interest me at all.

indigo girl · Apr 8, 2006

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of recruiters who work for travel agencies exclusively.
I don't think working for a hospital in that capacity would interest me at all.

I was looking at the same thing recently thru an agency that I had worked for a few years. The recruiters were people who came from banks or other administrative positions or staffing positions at facilities. The product, of course, is nurses. And, it's difficult according to these recruiters because nurses are a savy group. We do our research about salaries. If you don't offer us the best wages, we go elsewhere, unless we know something about the agency that might attract us.

Base salaries of recruiters are around 35 thousand in this area but, they get bonuses, with everyone they recruit, EVERY shift they work. Therefore, they will encourage you to work as much as possible. I know a staffer that makes around 1oo,ooo. They will remind you if a holiday is coming up and the extra pay you'll receive for working Christmas. Remember, they will benefit also if you do work it. You'll be away from home, on a holiday, possibly driving in snow or ice, and both you and the staffer will be getting

extra for it. Just so you know.