Why Temp-to-Hire Positions Are Great for Your Business

Hiring involves a leap of faith. A wrong decision can represent a major setback, costing you time and money. Temp-to-hire positions offer the perfect chance for you to supplement your team, while limiting risk and maximizing long-term potential. 

When businesses consider adding staff, their plans often split into two categories: full-time team members and interchangeable temps. They look at it as a binary, this-way-or-that-way decision. However, the modern labor market is dynamic, meaning you benefit from using more subtle strategies. In the current economy, you need to remain flexible to extract the most value out of every hiring opportunity. Temp-to-hire positions can help.

Here are a few of the major benefits you receive when you use this strategy: 

Less Risk 

Hiring a new full–time employee represents a major commitment. Training and nurturing your new team member require a significant investment of time and effort. You also have to consider the opportunity cost involved with choosing one candidate over all the others who applied for the position. 

Temp–to–hire positions mitigate the risk involved. They provide a “try before you buy” situation. You can get to know your new team member before making a longer-term commitment. At the same time, they get to know you as well. Both sides can get comfortable with each other while still keeping their options open. 

Faster Hiring 

Because of the risks involved with making a bad choice, the hiring process for full-time positions can be very intensive. You want to make the absolute best choice you can. This factor can turn recruitment into a long, tedious slog. 

Temp positions are easier to fill. With lower risk on both sides, employers and jobseekers are more willing to take the plunge. Meanwhile, you can ramp up hours over time (rather than starting out at full time), making to hire less expensive at the outset.  

More Flexibility  

Full-time positions tend to be extremely structured. There isn’t much flexibility in terms of hours worked or duties performed. As a result, it’s hard to get just the right amount of help, when you need it. Instead, you tend to be perpetually over-staffed or under-staffed. It’s difficult to get that Goldilocks “just right” level. 

Temp assignments give you more flexibility. They come in nearly infinite varieties, which means you can experiment with different arrangements. You can also change over time, allowing you to adapt to an evolving marketplace. 

Additional Training Options 

The flexibility presented by temp–to–hire positions doesn’t stop at the hiring stage. You continue to have a wide variety of options once the worker has joined your team. 

Training offers a significant example. With full-time employees, you often have a long training schedule to get through before they can become contributing team members. It’s expensive and time-consuming.  

With a temp employee, you can take things in chunks. Train them on a single task and get them started. If they succeed, you can educate them on higher–level activities. Because the commitment is lower and the position has a more flexible structure, you can ease them into responsibility over a timeline more suited to their individual accomplishments. 

Find Temp-to-Hires Today!

Even in temp positions, you need great workers to make your business thrive. This is especially important if you are viewing those temp slots as potential full-time employees one day. Partnering with a strong recruiting firm, like SmartTalent, allows you to find the perfect match for any position. 

Contact SmartTalent today to learn more.