You found a temp and you love him or her. You want this person to grow with your company. You’ve tried before you’ve bought and you’re loving how your company is benefiting. So, is there a downside to hiring a temp? I am often asked this question. Well, there is no easy answer. The solution isn’t a cookie-cutter one, you have to evaluate your company’s specific needs and budget.

Monster.com said it best when they were quoted as saying “Posting a position as a temp-to-hire opportunity means that you’ll be leveraging a third party, a staffing firm, to recruit candidates. The staffing firm will recruit and ultimately hire the candidate to work on your temporary assignment. They will also serve as a negotiating partner when you’re ready to offer a temporary employee a permanent position. Some employers also use staffing and recruiting firms for their direct-hire needs, too.”

Yes, my company does all of the above but there are budgets to be considered and buy-outs too. Additionally, temp employees don’t request providing benefits- which can make the cost of the employee increase significantly. When I’m asked a question about a temp-to-hire, my suggestion is as follows;

Understand your company’s position. Are you able to make a buy-out offer with the staffing firm? Can you afford all the additional costs (benefits, liability insurance, etc.) that is associated with having a full-time employee? Are you confident the employee will continue to perform well once provided with a permanent position? Almost all of the time the temp-to-hire arrangement works. But, there are downsides.

If you have questions about this subject matter please do not hesitate to contact me or someone at my company. We are always able to help you!

Britanie Olvera