6 Questions You Must Ask A Potential Staffing Agency

Travel nursing has become quite a competitive industry, so agencies are anxious to keep up with the “Joneses”. As you might already know, not all benefits or pay packages are created equal. It is important to find an agency that offers benefits, housing, and salary specific to your needs.

Make sure you ask these 6 questions to any potential agency or recruiter you're looking to work with.

1. What Destinations Does Your Agency Serve?

The whole point of travel nursing is to travel…right? So it is important to find a company that serves the city or cities you want to travel to. Some agencies claim they have contracts nationwide. However, that may not be the case.

If you know of a specific hospital you would like to travel to because it looks good on your resume or a specific city you want to explore, then make sure your potential agency has a contract at that location. This is especially important if you want to travel to places like Hawaii or Alaska.

2. How Are Your Pay Packages Broken Down?

Ask them to explain how they break down their contract pay package. Does the company pay a higher base rate with lower non-taxable reimbursements or a lower base rate with higher non-taxable reimbursements?

Having a higher base rate may serve you better if you plan on taking company housing, plan on buying a house or getting a loan in the near future. If you are someone who likes to find their own housing, then a higher housing stipend may be the way to go with a lower base rate.

3. What Types of Housing Do You Provide?

Most agencies offer a one-bedroom furnished apartment for your typical 13-week contract. This typically does not include dishes, linen, a washer and dryer, a T.V., or even a vacuum. If you don’t like lugging your belongings around with you all over the country or paying out of pocket to rent this stuff, then it may be wise to ask if the agency provides any of these necessities at no cost.

If your contract is only eight weeks, then you will most likely get stuck in an extended-stay hotel. I personally like to have nice housing, so I wanted a company that focused on providing comfortable and safe housing options. If you prefer to find your own housing, then this may not apply to you.

4. What Type of Benefits Do You Offer?

Most agencies offer medical/dental benefits and a retirement package. If these benefits are important to you, then finding a company with good benefits is essential.

If you like to live on the edge with no health benefits and you brush and floss your teeth like a champ, then maybe you don’t care about benefits. If this is the case, then you can ask the company if they are willing to pay you a higher base rate for not taking their benefits.

As far as retirement packages go, I found it easier to do my own Roth IRA on the side, this way if I switched companies I didn’t have to worry about moving my money all over the place.

5. What Types of Extra Work-Related Costs Do You Reimburse For?

Examples include licensing fees, CEU (Continuing Education) requirements, bus passes, Certifications, Uniforms, and required immunizations.

Some agencies have a CEU database that is free for their employees. This helps cut costs for those states that require a certain number of people to maintain or acquire a new license.

These extra costs add up over time, so it’s nice to know your agency is looking out for your pocketbook.

6. What Are Your Missed and Cancelled Shift Policies?

A missed shift means you called in sick, and a canceled shift means they canceled you for low census. For the most part, the hospital determines how the agency handles this, which will be written in your contract.

This is important because in the traveling world, if you don’t work, then you don’t get paid. And in some cases, you may have to reimburse your agency for housing costs.

There may be a clause written in your contract that allows you to “miss” a certain amount of shifts without being penalized. There will also be a clause that states how many shifts the hospital can cancel you. Usually, it’s once a pay period, and your agency shouldn’t require you to reimburse them for housing costs.

There are even some agencies that offer 100% guaranteed shifts, meaning no matter what, you will not get cancelled.

You Control Your Success

It’s important to figure out what matters to you most when considering working with a new agency. When it comes to traveling, finding your purpose and deciding what matters most is the key to a successful travel nursing career.