Tag: Industry Highlight

10 Reasons Why Becoming a Contract Nurse Is Your Best Option

Two female contract nurses standing next to each other in their scrubs inside a hospital

Today’s guest post comes from Catherine Burger, BSN, MSOL, RN, who has worked as an RN for nearly 30 years. 

There are many reasons why nurses choose to work on a contingent basis for companies that specialize in staffing services. These agencies are created to fill both short-term assignments for per-diem nurses and also assist those seeking permanent assignments. Many people work for nurse staffing agencies in addition to a permanent schedule with an organization, while some nurses are exclusively on contract.

Already interested in learning more?  Contact STS Staffing today!

What Is a Contract Nurse?

Contract nurses are guaranteed full-time hours by hospitals and other healthcare facilities for as long as their contract goes. These contracts can run for as short as 1 month or as long as 26 weeks. After the contract ends, the nurse is free to do what they want, whether it’s taking a month-long sabbatical, signing another contract or moving to another city to pursue another nursing contract. 

Here are more reasons why people become contract nurses.

Why You Should Be a Contract Nurse

1. More Freedom

Nurses working for contract agencies can pick and choose their own schedules and worksites to fit around their lifestyle.

2. Less Politics

Contingent workers such as nurses have the benefit of not getting involved with the daily politics of a department or organization. They can come to work, provide excellent care, and leave the drama when they clock out.

3. Availability of Work

Most nurses find that if they have the knowledge, skill, ability and willingness, they will always be able to quickly pick up work for nursing shifts.

4. Colleagues Are Happy to See You

For most departments and facilities, staff members are always grateful to see a per-diem nurse arrive on the unit to share the workload.

5. Nurse Leaders Are Happy to See You

Organizations that hire contingent nurses know that the workers have been thoroughly screened and have the skills needed to care for the patients. They also count on the fact that these nurses are under contract with the organization and so there is less chance of the nurse calling in sick or not showing up for the shift.

6. Geo-Flexibility

Moving? Nurse staffing agencies can be found everywhere from small towns to large cities. Nurses can easily sign on with a short-term or per-diem contract in any area to either bridge the gap of a permanent job or supplement income.

7. Insight Into Organizations

Nurses who pick up assignments at varying hospitals or clinics get to see how the organization is managed without the commitment of a permanent assignment.

8. Reap the Benefits of the Gig Economy

It is estimated that as many as 40% of workers in today’s economy identify as being freelance or gig workers. Nurses, or knowledge workers, are no different. Designing a schedule that fits around your life is becoming more popular, especially when a partner is able to carry health insurance coverage for the nurse.

9. Tax Breaks

Many states offer tax breaks or incentives to contract staff to include uniforms, continuing education credit, and mileage. Nurses should check with a tax authority to reap all possible benefits.

10. Less Burnout

Having the ability to control your schedule and place of work leads to higher satisfaction, so the chance of burnout is less likely. Nurses can choose from a variety of settings within an agency’s postings, which can offer nurses a frequent change in vocational scenery.

The contract nurse has a plethora of reasons to work as an at-will or per-diem employee. Nurse staffing agencies provide an excellent home-base for nurses seeking this stable, yet flexible career pathway.

How Job Placement Agencies Help You Find the Perfect Employee

A male engineering training a new engineer about how to use the machine
As a business owner, you understand that efficiency is the key to optimizing productivity. An area of business that’s difficult to streamline is the hiring process. Think of all the steps involved from creating the job posting to vetting interview candidates.

Job placement agencies are used to relieve that pressure and give you more time to focus on improving your business. Here’s how job placement agencies help.

How Do Job Placement Agencies Work?

Job placement agencies are hired by companies to find employees for a specific role. The company will send the agency a position they are hiring for and the job placement agency will perform a search of their proprietary database and may also post the job on a board that is closely followed by its network of people looking for employment.

The reason companies hire job agencies is to gain access to the agency’s network of candidates who are ready to fill a specific role sought by the company. Job placement agencies can also vet and interview these candidates for the companies, saving them time and other resources.

Companies partner with job placement agencies because they can connect to real people sooner than posting a job description next to hundreds of other job postings on the internet. And people looking for work flock to job placement agencies for a variety of reasons:

  • It’s free for people to use
  • They will bring the jobs to you instead of the candidate searching for a job themselves
  • A variety of companies in different industries use job placement agencies
  • They get people prepared for specific industries
  • They know the market and can provide valuable insights

What Is the Difference Between a Job Board and an Aggregator?

The difference between a legitimate job board and an aggregator site is that job aggregators collect different job openings from across the internet and put them in one spot.

Job boards have positions sent to them from trusted companies they have worked with in the past. Many job placement agencies have their own job boards that are targeted toward a network of candidates interested in a variety of industries.

The trusted relationship between job board host and company gives them the advantage over job listing aggregators like Google or Bing. These search engine giants can’t vet candidates before they apply for a position at a company, which leads to stuffed inboxes and more resumes for the human resource department and hiring leads to sift through.

Why Companies Use Recruitment Agencies

Companies use recruitment agencies because of their numerous resources and their knowledge of the hiring process. Instead of wasting time and money internally, companies use these agencies for many reasons, including:

  • Faster hiring process
  • Experts in hiring
  • Access to a network of candidates
  • Save companies money
  • They relieve stress

Are Recruiting Agencies Worth It?

The simple answer is yes, and the biggest reason is that it saves you money in both the recruiting and training process — 2 of the biggest financial factors for companies big and small when it comes to finding and hiring new talent.

Turnover not only affects a company internally, but it can also hurt the company’s bottom line by spending top dollars to find a replacement. Marketing the job opening, internal recruitment-related tasks and time spent conducting interviews, drug tests, etc, all cost your company when hiring. Even replacing a minimum wage employee can cost a company $3,500.

Consider this: According to Training Magazine, companies spent nearly $1,900 per year on training every new employee. This includes the time spent by current employees bringing a new hire up to speed on internal processes and on-the-job training.

How Can a Job Placement Agency Help My Company?

You can cut the cost of advertising your position and vetting candidates with a job placement agency like STS Staffing. We give you the tools and resources your company needs to keep the cost of hiring as low as possible.

If you’re ready to work with a job placement agency and fill an open position right away, contact our team to find your customized solution. We have provided temporary and permanent staffing services for numerous companies and we can’t wait to help yours.