News, insights and advice
from our experts.

Interested in learning more about Hire Dynamics?

Talent That Goes Perm: Business Benefits of Contract-to-Hire

By Hire Dynamics
CATEGORY: Blog

In our first “Talent That Goes Perm” post, we discussed how the market is supporting temporary workers transitioning into permanent placement and tips for making the most of this type of employment. Because it provides an opportunity to showcase skills and experience that may lead to something more long-term, it’s widely popular with job seekers. Contract-to-hire (or temporary-to-hire) positions are a prevalent human capital strategy for companies as well for several reasons.

Temporary staffing allows companies to best manage the ebb and flow of business requirements and stay flexible with just-in-time talent at almost a moment’s notice. It keeps them agile and responsive to market shifts. When you consider the best aspects of a temporary work strategy and add a recruiting layer, the benefits increase significantly. Contract-to-hire positions are metaphorically the dressing room of hiring. It allows a company or team to “try before you buy” by assessing whether or not a contractor would be a strong permanent hire.

As this CareerBuilder article points out, the “talent that goes perm” arrangement is advantageous due to the fact that businesses are able to make more informed decisions regarding new hires while still covering key interim functions. Business leaders can carefully evaluate a candidate’s skills (whether or not they have what it takes to fill the position), personality (whether or not they make a strong culture-fit) and performance (whether or not their work ethic meets or exceeds expectations).

Here are some best practices for turning temporary workers into permanent team members:

  1. Candidates are urged to treat temporary work time as an extended job interview, and businesses that operate with the same mindset – keeping a close eye on all efforts and achievements – are successful in identifying whether or not the arrangement will be fruitful, quickly.
  1. The candidate is likely sizing up your organization to determine if they want to work with the company long-term. Help them build crucial relationships and include them in business activities such as team meetings and after-work activities. Make a conscious effort to assist in immersing them into the workplace culture so they can find their place, whether that is a temporary stay or a more permanent one.
  1. If testing out a candidate for a newly-created position, some of the details and workload requirements of the job may remain unclear. It may require more than one person or skillset. Attention to productivity levels will be key in defining business needs, which will in turn help to address work capacity and compensation.

At Hire Dynamics, we place great attention to ensuring the right candidate fit and preventing costly hiring mistakes by knowing their skills, personality and past performance on the job – before extending an offer for employment. We feel that not only are we helping companies run efficiently and expertly, but that we are making a difference in people’s lives who come work for us. What can be better than that?