I sometimes get asked about Temp to Perm, and how it works.

I’ve been using the term for so long now that I assume everyone knows what it means.

For anyone that doesn’t, I’ll try and explain it to you as best I can. If anything doesn’t make sense feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly.

Some companies use an Employment Agency or an Employment Business to find staff on their behalf.

Sometimes they’ll engage a company to find a permanent staff member and hire them straight away.

Other times, they’ll go via the Temp to Perm route.

I’ve seen it happen a number of ways and I’ll call them Defined Temp to Perm, Non Defined Temp to Perm and Surprise Temp to Perm.

Defined Temp to Perm

This is where a company actually need Permanent staff, but it’s easier for them to use a Recruitment Agency to find the people for them.

The agency will do all of the searching, which may sometimes including advertising, interviewing, reference checking, arranging any necessary tests and assessments, arrange for the worker to start, pay them, and then after both the worker and the company have had an agreed period of time to make sure they’re both happy, the worker would then convert to the payroll of the company.

This can often be a satisfactory way of hiring new staff/finding a new job for all concerned.

Non Defined Temp to Perm

This is where all of the above will happen, but it’s more because the company are busy, and they expect to remain busy, but in some cases may not be able to see that far ahead.

So they hire someone on a temporary basis, with the possibility that IF the person they selected is proven to be a good addition to the team, and, IF there’s a business case to hire an additional person, and, IF they get approval from the management, then there is a good chance of a permanent job.

A little bit more risky for the company because they run the risk of losing the worker if a better opportunity comes along, and for the worker because if one of those IFs doesn’t come off then, no job.

Surprise Temp to Perm

This is where the role will start off Temporary with no intention for the job to go permanent at all.

All of the conditions happen again as detailed above e.g. company get busy, take on a contractor/temporary worker, and then find, that to their surprise, the worker is a good fit for their business and a permanent job is offered.

The candidate has shown themselves to be such an asset, that the company decide they have to find a way to keep them in the business.

So the department manager will do what they need to do to keep them on and will offer the person a role with the company.

In all of the years I’ve worked in Recruitment, the Temporary to Permanent route has been a very successful way for companies to find workers, and for workers to find jobs.

Done correctly it can be a quick and efficient way to find new people.

Thoughts? Comments? I’d be interested to hear them in the box below…

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