How to make temporary hires permanent

By Vivian Wagner, special to Workplace Tribes

In lean economic times, temporary hires are a reality for many companies. According to Stephen Coco, a principal in talent and human resources solutions with Buck Consultants, the number of temporary jobs in the U.S. hovers around 2 million, and that number is trending up.

“Millennials and younger generations are more fluid in their careers, with the paradigm shifting from boomers giving loyalty to millennials expecting loyalty and being more agile employees,” explained Coco. 

That paradigm shift, combined with economic uncertainty and the rising cost of employee benefits, means that temporaries are likely here to stay.

Are they, however, here to stay as regular employees? There are some benefits to looking at temps when hiring for regular positions, chief among them the fact that you can get to know them before bringing them on as part of the staff.

The Test Run

“The key benefit is trying before you buy,” said Susan Heathfield, a management consultant with Heathfield Consulting Associates and noted HR blogger. “You have the opportunity to see if an individual has the right skills and has a good cultural fit. It’s a chance to try them out.”

Heathfield cautions, however, against advertising a position using the language “temp-to-perm,” since it implies a contract to keep an employee on permanently. She prefers language like “temp-to-regular,” or just sticking with “temp.”

“No job in an at-will state is permanent,” explained Heathfield. “There’s a potential they’re not going to be hired.”

Make Them Feel At Home

There are ways of making your company appealing to temps hoping to be hired on as regular employees.  Making them feel like they’re part of the company’s culture is one of these strategies.

“Encourage participation in activities that are typically for ‘permanent’ employees—luncheons, parties, after work activities, etc. ,” said Coco, who emphasizes that even though given economic realities they’re likely to remain temporary, it never hurts to make them feel at home. “Make them part of the team, not just a designated hitter.”

Heathfield says she is hesitant to consider just temps when looking to fill a regular position, since she finds it unnecessarily limiting.

“I do not believe in having a pool of one when filling a position,” she explained. “Often your best prospects are not working temporary. I would never just hire a temp. I would look at a pool of candidates.”

If she does want to hire on a temp, though, she says she would start from the beginning.

“I would start the hiring process as if they’re a regular applicant, by having them fill out an application,” said Heathfield. “It changes the nature of the relationship.”

 

Hiring for a non-profit? TribeHR is giving away an applicant tracking system for free to four innovative non-profits.