Employer Perks of Hiring Temp to Perm Employees

You’ve probably read the staggering statistics indicating continued job growth. It’s no surprise that the utilization of contingent labor is rising as well. In March, over 2% of the workforce was comprised of contingent or contract professionals. In addition to this, Careerbuilder’s yearly forecasting indicates 42% of all companies plan to hire temporary or contract workers. Further, the America Staffing Association reports that 72% of temporary employees are offered permanent positions for the company they were contracted with. In the past year, companies like New York Life are seeing “temp to perm” methods of hiring become more common for positions like Customer Service Representatives and Financial Associates. The dynamics around finding the best talent for permanent workforce may rest in the dynamic and diverse talent of contingent workers due to factors such as:

Flexibility

Employing contingent workers allows companies to fluctuate within dynamic markets based on needs. By being fully invested in contingent professionals being a part of a company’s workforce, there are trained individuals already integrated into a company’s culture available to be offered permanent status. Furthermore, with the consistent use of temp to perm as a sourcing strategy, you can increase the engagement of candidates without having to make an initial commitment for full-time employment. 

Variety in Candidate Pool 

It is more probable that professionals with the desired skill sets from different industries would consider working on a short-term projects. This allows for different perspectives and outside industry best practices to be brought together. By leveraging the broad spectrum of contingent workers’ industry backgrounds and experience, companies can selectively validate and infuse the skill they most need to fill long-term permanent positions and skill gaps.

The Cultural Fit Test 

Cultural fit and employee engagement is an important influence in the success of workforce productivity. Contingent workers can be a risk free entry-point to determining an individual’s “fit” with the culture.

Conscientious Expansion 

Subsequently, with the success and growth of a company, workforce requirements expand and change. As teams grow and roles vary, new positions may be required and it’s not always certain if those roles will be needed in the long run. By hiring contingent workers, companies can not only test personnel but can also see if it makes sense to establish a permanent role, thus hiring their temporary professional.  For example, during the 2008 financial crisis, many highly skilled financial employees found themselves out of work and entered the contingent workforce. Over time, these professionals were able to successfully transfer and apply their skill set into different industries and becoming ideal matches for permanent roles in today’s economy.