Do you like surprises? Would you like to be surprised with what you’ll be paid after you accept a job? Would you ever accept a permanent job without knowing what you would be paid? While some surprises can be fun & exciting, your pay should not be a surprise. So, when should you find out your pay package???
A staffing agency is comprised of several different departments that work together as a team, much like the interdisciplinary healthcare team. They all must play their part to create successful outcomes for their travelers and the facilities they work with.
The client manager (CM) or marketer is responsible for putting job orders into the system.
Recruiters then work with candidates to fill the positions that the marketing team has. Information available to them about the job depends on how much information the marketer put in the job order.
As a brief review, each job will pay differently based on the bill rate for that particular job. The BILL RATE is the price per hour that the staffing agency can charge
per hour worked. As an average, the bill rate will be $60-70 for a PT, OT, or SLP.
How is the bill rate posted??? This will also vary by job order. There can be a few different scenarios.
There will be a set/posted bill rate with the job order
The bill rate will be a range (ex: $62-$67)
The bill rate will be an open bill rate in which companies bid for the travelers they submit.
When should you find out about pay package??? Bottom line – you should have a GENERAL idea of how much you will be making for a travel assignment prior to submission. Even if it’s a range, you should have a “worst case scenario” to go off of. This will help you decide whether or not to be submitted to the job in the first place. If an agency is placing a bid for you, they know what they could pay you off of the bill rate that they submit you at.
Can a pay package change? Yes, sometimes a pay package can change. It shouldn’t change drastically, however, sometimes if a client is offering to train a candidate or provide mentorship, they may ask the staffing agency for a reduction in bill rate. This is most common with new graduates.
Why is it important to have a pay package ahead of time?
Unfortunately, there are some agencies out there who will wait to give a pay package until you receive a job offer. This gives them ample opportunity to make a larger profit off of a new traveler.
Many agencies have the same jobs. If two recruiters come to you the same day about the same job, you should be able to receive a pay package from both
At the end of the day, if recruiter’s aren’t providing pay packages to you prior to the interview, this is a red flag and you should proceed with caution. There are very few instances where they have no idea what the bill rate is…
Raise the bar. Raise the industry standard. Ask for pay packages prior to interviewing!
