Q&A

How Does a Healthcare Staffing Agency Find and Fill Shifts?

Healthcare staffing agencies partner with different types of facilities in their respective service areas, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, correctional facilities, etc. When those facilities have jobs they need filled, they will look to their healthcare staffing agency to fill those jobs quickly and effectively with the right people.

Once an agency is made aware of an open shift, they may email, call or text the applicable professionals in their network to see who is interested. If the facility is only looking for a CNA within 10 miles, for example, the agency will reach out to that group of individuals.

The employee’s goals and availability are also taken into account. If you need to pick up more work ASAP, or if you know you’re going to be available on certain days, your account manager should be able to work with you to meet your career goals and find you the shifts that work for you.

How Many Staffing Agencies Can I Use?

This depends on your schedule and your career goals. We employ many professionals who have a full-time position but also supplement with an agency to pick up extra shifts here and there, or during the holidays. We also employ those who exclusively use agencies to find long- or short-term placement, and thrive on the adventure of new assignments and changing environments.

It’s not common to have to pay a fee to gain access to open shifts, so if you see an agency that’s charging you to register – know there are plenty of alternative healthcare staffing agencies available to you.

As long as you’re satisfied with the quantity and quality of shifts being sent to you, you may not feel the need to register with multiple agencies. While some facilities or staffing agencies may impose restrictions or limitations when it comes to working with multiple agencies, All American does not.

At the end of the day it’s about your personal preference and what you’re comfortable taking on.

Why Choose a Healthcare Staffing Agency?

There are a number major benefits to finding work through an agency compared to going directly through a facility.

Better Pay

The first benefit, and often the most important for job seekers, is higher pay. Agencies offer better pay to employees than facilities, and often at a faster rate. All American, for example, made the change in 2020 to a weekly pay schedule, so employees don’t need to wait long to get paid the money they’ve earned.

Look for an agency that’s transparent about how much you’ll earn with your shifts, will provide 1099 and W2 documents and is dependable with when and how much you’re paid.

Flexibility

Another key benefit is flexibility. With an agency, you have the control to choose your own schedule. You can work as much or as little as you want. If you don’t want to work weekends, you don’t have to. If you want to earn time-and-a-half working a shift during the holidays, you can make that choice.

If flexibility is important to you, be wary of agencies that impose a minimum number of shifts or hours worked during a certain period of time. If you’re only looking to pick up an occasional shift, an agency with those constraints probably won’t be a good fit. At All American, we don’t enforce mandates like that and allow employees complete control over their schedules.

Network of Facilities

An agency can also be a foot in the door to a facility or role that interests you. Rather than completely changing course in your career, an agency can allow you to pick up shifts at different types of facilities to dip your feet and test if a new environment would be a good fit for you. For example, we’ve seen many healthcare employees take on shifts in nursing homes and then choose to continue down that path after seeing firsthand how rewarding that type of work really is. Using an agency also makes it easier to moonlight or switch assignments if a role isn’t working out.

Find Work Faster

Finally, an agency can find you work FAST. When you’re looking for a job on your own, there’s searching and applying and interviewing and onboarding… it’s a process. Healthcare staffing agencies have fast registration and onboarding for job seekers, and account managers can work with you to find jobs quickly when needed.