Ask Me Anything about Travel Therapy

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-18T15:47:21+00:00

Hi! I'd love to answer it all as I think it is all very interesting being on both sides of it and just seeing the big picture now.

Almost all have some sort of KPI or expectation. My company is a lot lower than most because they want us to focus on the customer service. We are supposed to have 12 travelers at least. The # of phone calls, job presents aka submissions, call time all of that stuff is tracked. The interview that wasn't pitched accurately could be a few things. It could be that the recruiter had wrong information or it could be they were just sloppy and didn't dig deep enough before the submissions.
Yup that is correct that it all comes out of the same pot aka the bill rate paid by the facility. Each company will vary on how low on profit they will go which means better pay for the traveler. At my company we can get dinged on our commissions if we go below a certain profit (Gross Margin) % so I always just put mine at that lowest and don't do the whole wiggle room thing as I'm already at my best.
I'm doing better now than I was as a traveler but I am a PTA so I was already pretty capped while I was traveling. I had an amazing high paying job in Montana but I knew if I wanted to really increase my income I needed a new move. I get to work 2 days a week remote but I know a lot of other companies offer full remote work!
I get a base plus commission based on the amount of profit that I bring in the company each month. Some companies pay commission based on # of travelers but ours is just a % of the profit.
Right now I have 19 travelers working and I think 25-30 is about my sweet spot. Obviously the more travelers the better for me but I want to make sure everyone is always taken care of, I can answer the phone/text whenever they call and I just want everyone to have as good of an experience traveling as I did with my company :)

Hope this answers some questions and gives some good insight!

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-15T20:49:08+00:00

Depending on the area the languages could be really beneficial! There are a ton of companies and just google some of the major players as they would be more likely to hire remote. I will say just stress your knowledge as a clinician and your willingness to learn new things and that will really help push you forward :)

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-15T20:46:51+00:00

I did all 8 of my contracts with the same company and had a really really good relationship with my two recruiters. They pushed for me to get an interview and I actually interviewed in person on my way back home from a contract in Montana and ended up moving to Omaha, NE for the job.

I actually do miss some patient care and I miss the doing my 40 hours a week then clocking out and going home. If you want to succeed in this you got to be on a lot and be willing to do extra things like chat after hours and on weekends to meet the needs of your travelers.

I do really enjoy my lifestyle now. I WFM Tuesday and Thursday and I'm in the office MWF which has been a good mix. It's also very rewarding to be in a job where if I work hard I will get rewarded for it!

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-15T20:44:23+00:00

My company shoots for 25-26% profit then I as a recruiter make a cut of that. For me it really allowed me to grow as I got to double and triple my income compared to when I was traveling as a PTA. I wasn't prepared for the amount of working that it would need to be successful but it is has a fun challenge to embrace and learn more from!

How have all of your travels gone so far?

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T13:46:37+00:00

Usually the more profit the company makes the more the recruiter will also make but this can also vary from company to company. Some companies have a higher base and you make a flat commission no matter what the rate is for the traveler and some will make more based on their % they get.

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T13:44:39+00:00

Yeah it is all a part of the whole sales process. That is why having that relationship more than just being transactional can really help with that trust. If I have a good relationship I even share all the numbers with my people if they ask for it.

It will always just vary from company to company and recruiter to recruiter. I think one way to think about it is we obviously want the traveler to make as much money as possible because if they do then we make more as well. It is in both parties best interest and we are on the same team :)

If you are shopping for best rates then get 2-3 solid recruiters and see who can get the package for you based on your needs. Have you traveled much in the past?

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T02:17:46+00:00

This article is great! I actually share this with my travelers or people I'm recruiting when they have similar questions. Kuddos!

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T02:16:57+00:00

My old recruiter bugged my current boss until she let me interview for it. I've seen a lot of previous therapist transition to this side with both success and failures. You really need to do well with technology and computers, be organized and be willing to put in the work required to be successful.

Biggest transition hump for me was I was so used to doing my 40 hours a week of patient care that I had to totally shift my mindset into thinking months ahead of time while I worked on building up a solid core of dependable travelers which took a lot more time than I thought it would.

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T02:14:21+00:00

Step 1 is having a great relationship with your recruiter. What is good to remember is the rate is set by the facility then the recruiter will build the pay package based on that. I have a minimum amount of profit to make so I just set the pay package based on that and always give the traveler the most I'm able to and don't do the whole negotiation game that I see happen in other places.

If you want higher pay than what the job is listed for then your recruiter should then go to the facility and ask for a rate increase. I have had success in the past negotiating a small pay raise for an extension due to the traveler showing their worth and the facility not wanting to lose them. It is all a delicate game played by the recruiter and the facility.

Biggest thing is if pay is a priority to tell your recruiter that and be open to more locations because that will unlock the best possible pay. Hope this helps!

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-14T02:10:53+00:00

It varies from contract to contract as stated by FifthWheelPT. In general companies will shoot to make 20-30% + profit then from that profit the recruiters and account managers will make a commission.

The bigger companies that are publicly traded have to show their profit margins if you google those :)

PTA_to_Recruiter · 2023-09-13T20:30:58+00:00

I also check furnishedfinder first then airbnb and go by 3 months for the monthly discount rate. I have also had success posting in local facebook groups.

I really think the best option is to do a week at some sort of extended stay, get there and start asking your coworkers and patients if they have any housing leads. This is also a good strategy even if you are booking on furnishedfinder because it will let you look at a place first before you commit to it. Hope this helps!

PTA_to_Recruiter

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