A temp-to-hire position is a role that starts as a temporary gig with the potential to grow into a full-time position if the individual excels in the responsibilities. The employer uses their time as a temp to decide whether they want to bring them on to their team permanently.
This is an arrangement that’s established before the individual starts working as a temp with established guidelines for how it will work. Usually, a temp-to-hire scenario places a candidate in a role that’s slotted to last around half a year — the terms of this timeline function similarly to a new employee’s probationary period. Once the temp time is completed, the candidate and their work are evaluated by the company.
After evaluation, the employer decides to sever the relationship, extend the temp period, or take on the individual as a full-time employee. When they accept a full-time employment offer, they are no longer affiliated with their temporary staffing agency and begin the process of onboarding with the company. During this time of transition, there might be negotiations about salary or benefits and updates to the temp worker’s role, but overall, their job responsibilities remain the same.
Benefits of Temp to Hire Jobs
While many companies seek the traditional hiring route when looking to fill a role, there are a bunch of benefits to using temp-to-hire jobs for both employers and potential employees. Below are a few of the greatest benefits of temp-to-hire jobs:
The temp-to-hire situation puts potential hires in the role for a length of time before taking them on as full-time employees. This allows the candidate to be fully prepared for the responsibilities they’ll need to take on when they’re hired after the temp period.
The average search for hiring a new employee in the conventional way costs over $4,000 and over a month of precious time. All of this money and effort is spent assessing applicants who the employer can’t watch working in action before committing to.
The job search is a grueling process that drives just about every job-seeker a little crazy.
Foregoing the difficulties of applying and interviewing for various positions is a tempting alternative. Working through temporary employment with the possibility for hire later might be the answer to this prayer.
The hiring process is costly in more ways than one; it’s also a fairly risky bet. Going all-in on an applicant during a traditional hiring procedure means committing to an individual who the company doesn’t know very well.
BEST TEMP-TO-HIRE PRACTICES FOR EMPLOYERS
Even though using a temporary-agency to find staff eliminates a lot of hiring risks, the process still needs to be approached correctly. Mismanaging temporary contracts or staffing services results in an unpleasant scenario for everyone involved.
Browse some of the best temp-to-hire practices for employers below:
It’s important to be upfront about the requirements and responsibilities for the role when writing a position’s description on job postings. This is true of temp-to-hire positions too.
It wastes both the company and employee’s time to put them in a position that doesn’t fit their abilities. If a candidate isn’t able to fulfill the role’s responsibilities, it sets them up to fail. Likewise, it brings an employer back to square one.
To avoid a situation where anyone feels unsure about what’s expected of them, clearly lay out the position’s requirements and responsibilities.
A temporary employee is usually only as good as the staffing services they represent. After deciding that creating a temp-to-hire work scenario is the best way to find a new employee, the next move is researching the best temping agencies.
Choosing a reputable temp service starts the process on the best foot and brings the ideal candidates straight to you.
Once your company has decided on a temporary employee to fill the role, potentially for good, be sure to outline expectations for success in the role.
Employees who are given explicit instructions on how to excel in their position rise to the challenge more often than those who are confused.
It’s especially crucial to define success for a temporary employee because they’re entering a work environment that they’re unfamiliar with and need a little more guidance.
After outlining goals for the position, reach back to the temporary employee more often to measure their performance. When bringing on a temp with plans to potentially make them permanent, paying attention to performance and growth over time is even more crucial than usual.
This also helps when making the call about their finalization as a full-time employee by providing concrete examples of achievement.