I came across a post online the other day from a current healthcare traveler who stated that they no longer wanted to receive phone calls from recruiters as they could handle all of their travel needs via text and e-mail. I get it, I really do. We are all so busy in this fast paced world that we don’t have time to sit down and have a 45 minute chat about what we are looking for in our next career opportunity.
In my opinion, there are a couple important benefits of having a live conversation with your recruiter that will help ensure your next contract assignment and job search experience is a good one.
It’s faster! Yes, speed of mouth is faster than the speed of thumb (or your phalanges if you are typing). Texts are great when shooting off a quick response, but have you ever tried to explain something by text and ended up finally calling the person? It is just that much faster. It’s difficult to discuss job responsibilities, pay, or housing via text or e-mail and it can take a long time. In this industry jobs come and go extremely fast. While you’re e-mailing back and forth to your recruiter about your dream job in Hawaii that you have always wanted, another traveler is probably being interviewed for that very job.
Relationship building. The relationship between the healthcare traveler and the recruiter is a partnership. It’s impossible to build a trusting partnership by e-mail or text. While e-mails and texts are a great means of communication, their meaning can often be misconstrued. In fact, more than 50% of e-mail tones are perceived incorrectly. So, why not pick up the phone and communicate the old fashioned way? Get to know your recruiter. It will help you feel more comfortable while on assignment if you have to call your recruiter and discuss any type of problem that may arise.
In the end there really is nothing better than an old fashioned conversation where relationships can be built and negotiations can be made timely. Besides, we like to hear from you. We WANT to know how you are doing and it doesn’t always have to be about work. We want to know how your son Tommy did at his last t-ball game or what your thoughts were when they killed off McDreamy in Greys Anatomy. Yes, I still watch Greys Anatomy. So call me, let’s chat!
