There is no question, rates are an important part of a locum job, You need money and of course, deserve it for the work you put in. It is a quick way to gauge the value and evens the playing field when comparing a variety of different options. However, we know a good rate is only part of the picture and alone will fail to give you the best locum placement.
It is therefore critical to consider what other factors will benefit your locum placement and help you achieve your goals be they career, lifestyle, family, or financial in nature.
With our experience, relationships, network, and knowledge of our hospitals we know where the following are available, and as we get to know your wish list can advise what will be the best opportunities for your situation.
- Location – be it sought after warm and coastal, to family-friendly, rural and remote, or more tropical in nature, looking at a map will only give half the picture. STAT Recruitment can fill in the blanks with regards to the specifics of the hospital and for those in-demand locations access to the jobs before others do.
- Flexibility – this is a broad term indeed and can cover anything from roster, on-call and call backs, start and ends dates, concessions for longer placements, and arrival and departure times and dates – with our relationships we can negotiate for you.
- Support – Another huge value area for us is how we support our doctors. From registration applications and a variety of paperwork assistance through to follow ups, reminders and troubleshooting as required. This is where the term full service really comes into play and saves you time, worry and a whole lot of effort. Our secure online portal also gives you 24/7 access to your details so you don’t even have to carry all your paper with you but it can be relied on to be constantly up to date.
- Opportunities – Be it wanting to learn from the best, or pass your knowledge on to others, these are not as well advertised as you might think and take really knowing the department you are going to in order to get it right.
- A variety of Interesting cases – rural, remote and tropical environments all provide a wealth of these, and which the variety can provide not only good learning experiences but also scores high on contributing to high job satisfaction.
- Insurances and specific state or hospital requirements are forever changing – we make sure you know what you need and how to get it.
- Payment terms – STAT Recruitment offers direct payment to AUS or NZ bank accounts on a fortnightly basis*, most other agencies will not offer this service. For you, it means no invoicing or chasing payment.
- Change – of pace, scenery, health systems, responsibility, and anything in between. This aspect should not be overlooked and can help recharge the batteries and ensure your own mental and physical self-care when your bank balance won’t let you take a holiday.
- People – this is huge when it comes to having a good time on your locum, who you are working for and with can make all the difference. Great clinical support and admin teams as well as the chance to work alongside colleagues from your past can be a real unexpected benefit of locuming.
- Roster – these can vary widely, on-call and callbacks will make a difference to your total package and are not always as visible as you may expect. Travel times and restrictions can also mean extra days needed which can go unpaid.
So granted the rate is not everything, but it is important! It is for that very reason our locum placements do have great rates too. It does however pay to ensure your recruitment consultant knows what else spins your wheels so that you get the best mix of what is important to you and will deliver you the best overall locum experience.
*when not paid via state payment system
