Many light industrial companies are finding that temp-to-perm staffing is an effective way to bring in talent. This approach to staffing offers the best of both worlds. Companies are able to bring in new employees to meet their immediate labor needs, and then offer them full time employment if these temporary employees are needed more permanently.
How Does Temp-to-Perm Staffing Work?
Typically done through a staffing agency, temp-to-perm staffing involves an employee brought in on a temporary basis with the expectation they will receive a job offer for full time employment if performance meets or exceeds expectations. The period of temporary employment can vary but it is usually around three to six months. The temp worker is on the staffing company’s payroll until they accept the offer of full-time employment.
It’s important to note that this temporary arrangement works both ways. While the employer doesn’t have to offer the temporary worker full time employment, the worker is much more likely to keep looking for a full-time job than if they were brought in on a permanent basis. Companies should be as transparent as possible with their temp-to-perm staff. They should also offer them full time employment once it becomes clear that they are being successful in the position for which they were hired.
The Advantages of a Temp-to-Perm Staffing Solution
Going with a temp-to-perm staffing solution instead of a temporary or full-time employment approach offers a number of advantages:
- Flexibility. Bringing employees in on an initial temporary basis gives you the ability to meet your immediate labor needs and potentially address long-term staffing. This type of flexibility is particularly advantageous in industries like manufacturing that go through seasonal fluctuations.
- Fewer bad hires. A candidate’s application and interview performance can only provide so much information about how they’ll do as a full-time employee. A temp-to-perm approach gives you the chance to see how they’ll actually perform if hired full-time, but without the same level of commitment.
- Faster hiring. When you source employees through a staffing agency, it reduces the amount of time it takes to bring people in the door. Staffing agencies maintain pools of job candidates that they can quickly tap into for the clients. This advantage is especially useful for sudden surges in business or if an employee has to be let go unexpectedly.
Best Practices for Temp-to-Perm Staffing
Because of the nature of temp-to-perm staffing, it is important for companies to follow best practices if they want to get the most out of it.
Temporary workers may have difficulty integrating with a team of full-time employees. Therefore, it’s important for your company to make these workers feel as welcome as possible. Include them in everything from team meetings to team building events.
There are financial advantages to keeping a good employee on as a temporary worker. However, stringing them along could alienate the worker and push them to seek employment elsewhere. It is best to offer full-time employment as soon as possible after the temporary employee has proved capable.
Key Resources Can Deliver Temp-to-Perm Solutions to Your Company
We’ve been delivering staffing solutions to Greensboro for nearly 30 years. With that level of experience, you can trust our company to deliver customized temp-to-perm staffing solutions that will support you.