Entering a new chapter of your life and exploring the next step of your career can feel exhilarating but the unknown can leave you feeling somewhat uneasy. When you’re ready to embark on your next big adventure and give travel healthcare a go, it all starts with selecting a travel agency. If this is your first time, it’s expected to have a lot of information thrown your way, making it difficult to sift through the noise. We may be biased, but we feel that we have a pretty good grasp of what you should look for to ensure that your agency is the right fit for you! Here are the top three things that you should consider when seeking the perfect travel agency partner.
Company Reputation
Now that you’re ready to tackle your first travel assignment, something to consider when selecting an agency to work with is its brand and the image that it portrays. Experience is key when you’re looking for one that truly understands its travelers’ expectations and needs. Plus, agencies with more experience often have preferential relationships with the top facilities so they can offer more variety in assignments. LRS Healthcare has 16 years of experience under its belt and has grown rapidly as a company. However, it’s not just the number of years that’s important, reputation and stability also play a major factor. Research target agencies online, read reviews (always take those with a grain of salt!), and look at social media channels to get an idea of what the agency is all about. What type of image do they portray online? What are other travelers saying about working with them?
We know every traveler’s experience is different, but we aim to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Our recruiters are subject matter experts. They each have a focus on one specialty, which allows them to best cater to your needs and pair you with a job that makes sense. Meaning, we would never place you in a level 1 trauma center if that’s not where your experience lies. Once your assignment begins, we will send out a survey to receive your feedback about the onboarding process and your first few weeks on the job. We will also send one out after you have completed your assignment. These surveys provide us with the opportunity to celebrate wins and see where improvements can be made in the future. We care about our travelers and their relationship with us, your voices will always be heard here.
The Good Stuff
There are many advantages of traveling, and we’d be lying if we didn’t say that the amenities make your adventure a little more enjoyable. At LRS Healthcare, we offer our healthcare travelers beyond-your-basic benefits including affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance, competitive pay, housing stipends, licensure reimbursement, certification reimbursement, 401(k) with employer match, referral bonuses, and true 24/7 support. We also offer a referral bonus of $500 after your referral completes their first six weeks with us. When you are evaluating what each agency has to offer, don’t forget to look into the benefit plans a little deeper to ensure you understand what each plan covers and when you qualify to participate.
We know traveling and taking on a new city can be intimidating. Something unique about LRS is that we have a Travel Experience team on deck ready to help you find a suitable living space or make suggestions for fun activities to do near your assignment. Of course, these perks are on top of competitive weekly pay, the opportunity to explore new cities, a fun and flexible lifestyle, on-the-job experiences, and networking. A standard travel assignment is 13 weeks, which gives you ample time to take advantage of everything the city and your facility have to offer! To summarize that into terms that support your search, you will want to check that the agency you’re looking into has a high volume of available jobs in a variety of locations, shifts that work with your busy schedule, and requirements that match your years of on-the-job experience. These are all things worth considering, so don’t be afraid to ask the agency for more information about its available amenities. It’s what recruiters are there for!
If the Shoe Fits
Now that you’ve done all the essential research for your selection process, something additional to think about is your compatibility with the agency and your current or potential recruiter. If you think about it, an average travel assignment is 3 months, it’s like a trial dating period. You will want to ensure that they’re the right fit and that they’re in it for the long haul. What we mean by this is do they check off those boxes on your list of what’s important to you? Are they reliable? Helpful? What’s their response time? Are they familiar with your area of specialty? You will want a recruiter that’s right by your side through the entire process and an agency that excels in providing the best service possible to its travelers. With LRS Healthcare, you can expect your recruiter to check in with you regularly during your assignment to confirm that everything is going smoothly.
This brings us to the agency’s mission statement and core values. The agency you work with should always have the mindset that the traveler comes first. To form lifelong professional relationships, their commitment to supporting and providing you with the best career opportunities possible is essential. As for core values, they provide you with an internal glimpse of the company and the standards they hold themselves to. If you’re not sure where to start, take a peek at LRS Healthcare’s core values. This will give you an idea of what to look for and will help you determine what’s important to you as a traveler.
Whatever your reason for traveling, your next assignment should truly feel like an adventure. It should allow you to experience the world and grow professionally. We know every agency is different and every traveler’s experience is unique so it’s important to ask fellow travelers that you work with which agency they work with and why. It’s also important to stay true to yourself and do what’s best for you, even if that means making a switch. We hope that after reading this you will be able to take on your first assignment with your best foot forward, worry-free, and ready to rise to the challenge! You are now more than equipped to begin the selection process and find the perfect travel agency for you. If you’re ready to take the plunge, our recruiters are eager to meet you! Quick apply and you will be on your way to your first assignment in no time.