The TalentTrack Podcast

How To Scale Clinician Relationships with Sarah May

In this episode, we sit down with Sarah May, a senior travel nurse recruiter with nearly seven years of experience working across small to mid-sized staffing agencies. What unfolds is a grounded, real-world look at what’s actually happening inside travel healthcare recruiting right now—not from the boardroom, but from the recruiter on the front lines talking to clinicians every day. We dig into why so many travel nurses are prioritizing money, flexibility, and lifestyle more than ever, and how that shift is changing recruiter behavior, job acceptance patterns, and candidate loyalty. Sarah breaks down why job “backouts” and ghosting aren’t just a candidate problem—but often a reflection of broken recruiter workflows, weak follow-up, and transactional habits inside agencies. At the center of the conversation is a powerful idea: Recruiters who win in today’s market aren’t order takers—they’re career navigators. We explore how top recruiters redirect candidates when jobs close, how they build “decision sets” instead of single-job pipelines, and why the strongest placements often come from long-game relationship building—not speed alone. We also get into: * The rise of local travel and cost-of-living pressures * Why internal hospital programs struggle with flexibility * How social media has changed recruiter-candidate relationships * Where AI helps (and where it absolutely breaks trust) * And what leadership consistently misunderstands about recruiters on the ground This is a must-listen for staffing leaders, recruiters, and operators who want to understand where travel healthcare is really heading—and why the future belongs to relationship-driven recruiting, not transactional job matching.

Welcome to the Grind: Staffing in 2026 with TrackFive's Nora!

In this episode of The Talent Track Podcast, Oliver sits down with Nora from Travel Nurse Source (Track5) — though technically just a few rooms apart — for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what’s really happening inside the travel healthcare staffing industry right now. Nora brings a rare dual perspective: she’s on the front lines with agency leadership discussing strategy, while also working closely with recruiters executing day-to-day placements. That top-down and bottom-up view reveals the real story behind today’s market—one that’s stabilizing, but still far from easy. They dive into: * Why 2026 feels different from the survival mode of last year—but still demands efficiency * The truth about AI in recruiting (what’s working vs. what’s just noise) * The growing pressure from MSPs and VMS platforms—and how agencies are adapting * Creative strategies agencies are using to win contracts and stay competitive * Why some agencies are expanding into new verticals (like locums) while others are doubling down on niche specialties * The biggest red flags that signal whether an agency will succeed… or struggle * The ongoing disconnect between leadership strategy and recruiter execution * And why relationship-driven recruiting is still the ultimate differentiator—even in a tech-heavy world This episode also pulls back the curtain on what separates high-performing agencies from the rest: mindset, follow-up discipline, and a willingness to actually use the tools and partnerships available to them. If you're an agency leader, recruiter, or operator trying to navigate tighter margins, evolving tech, and a more competitive landscape—this conversation is packed with real-world insight from someone talking to hundreds of agencies every month. Bottom line: The market is shifting. The agencies that adapt—strategically and operationally—are the ones that will win. 🎧 Tune in for an unfiltered look at where the industry is headed and what it really takes to succeed right now.

No Hacks, Just Grit: The Wayward Staffing Story

In this episode of The Talent Track Podcast, Oliver Feakins sits down with Jordan Tallman of Wayward Staffing for a raw, unfiltered conversation about building a modern staffing agency from the ground up. Jordan shares his journey from working out of a garage in IT staffing to launching Wayward during COVID and now scaling with a bold goal of hitting $100M by 2030. But this isn’t a highlight reel—it’s a deep dive into the real challenges of entrepreneurship in travel healthcare staffing. Together, Oliver and Jordan unpack what most agencies are still getting wrong: transactional recruiting, broken communication between recruiters and nurses, and the growing gap between automation and true relationship-driven staffing. Jordan breaks down his “radical candor” approach with both travelers and facilities, and why honesty—not hacks—is what actually builds long-term success. They also dig into the messy reality of growth: hiring missteps, losing a major MSP relationship overnight, rebuilding from near-zero cash flow, and the brutal lesson of scaling too fast without the recruiting engine to support it. On the flip side, they explore what’s working—agile small agencies, high-touch recruiter relationships, smart use of job boards like TNS, and why smaller teams can outmaneuver the giants when they lean into speed, grit, and authenticity. If you’re in healthcare staffing, recruiting, or building anything in a competitive marketplace, this episode is a candid look at what it really takes to survive—and win.

The HIPPIE Recruiter's Guide to Getting Real (and Getting Better)

Most recruiters don’t have a talent problem. They have a training problem. In this episode, Nora Frumento and Mo Fregia (aka “The HIPPIE Recruiter”) talk about something this industry doesn’t talk about enough: 👉 We’ve replaced real training with vibes, shadowing, and “figure it out as you go.” And it shows. Mo came into staffing by accident—but stayed because he realized something most agencies miss: Great recruiters aren’t born. They’re trained. Reps, feedback, repetition. Not: * “Sit next to top biller and listen” * “Here’s a script, go call” * “Why aren’t your numbers up?” Actual training. The kind where: * You practice conversations before they matter * You break down calls right after they happen * You run scrimmages, not just meetings * You learn how to think, not just what to say And maybe the biggest one… If you sound like every other recruiter, you’ll get treated like every other recruiter. In a world of automation, texts, and “quick touches” — the recruiters who can actually connect, ask better questions, and slow down… are the ones who are going to win when the market turns. AI isn’t replacing recruiters. It’s exposing the gap between average and great. This episode is a must-listen if you care about: * Improving close rates * Building real relationships (not just transactions) * Actually leveling up your team Because the market will come back. The question is—who’s ready when it does? ----------------------------------------

What's Now and What's Next With NATHO and Coast Medical

Check out our TalentTrack 2025 titled: What's Now and What's Next. The boom is over. The dust hasn’t fully settled. And the rules of travel healthcare? They’ve changed—fast. In this episode, Holly Bass and Kenny Kadar break down what’s actually happening in the travel healthcare staffing market right now—and where it’s headed next. From MSP dominance swallowing 70–80% of revenue, to margin compression, recruiter productivity struggles, and the quiet rise of offshoring and AI… this is the real state of the industry. You’ll hear why “flat is the new up,” why jobs are still there but harder to close, and how the best agencies are adapting to survive (and even grow) in a down cycle. Plus: consolidation trends, shifting care delivery models, declining nurse quit rates, and the long-term supply/demand imbalance that still makes this space worth betting on. If you're an agency leader, recruiter, or operator trying to figure out how to win in a tougher market—this is your playbook. No fluff. Just what’s now… and what’s next.