Hiring a permanent employee is an important decision, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.
You want someone with the right skills and experience, but you also want to know they'll work well with your team.
Temp-to-permanent recruitment offers an alternative to hiring someone permanently from day one.
What is temp-to-perm recruitment?
Temp-to-perm is an arrangement where an employee initially works for a business through a recruitment agency on a temporary basis, with the possibility of transitioning into permanent employment.
During the temporary period, the employee gains an understanding of the role, the business and the team.
The employer also has an opportunity to assess how the employee performs in the position.
If both parties are happy, the business may offer permanent employment.
How does temp-to-perm work?
The process is relatively straightforward.
1. Discuss your hiring requirements
The recruitment agency works with you to understand the role, required experience, working hours and what you're looking for in a long-term employee.
2. Find a suitable candidate
The agency sources and interviews candidates who are open to temporary work with the potential to become permanent.
3. Start the temporary assignment
The successful candidate commences work through the recruitment agency, which manages the employment and payroll arrangements during the temporary assignment.
4. Transition to permanent employment
If the arrangement is working well, the business can discuss transitioning the employee into a permanent position, subject to the agreed terms.
What are the benefits of temp-to-perm?
For employers, one of the biggest benefits is being able to see how someone performs in the actual working environment before making a longer-term commitment.
It's also an opportunity to assess communication, reliability, adaptability and how the person interacts with the team.
For candidates, temp-to-perm provides a chance to understand the company and position before deciding whether it's the right long-term opportunity.
Which positions suit temp-to-perm?
Temp-to-perm can work particularly well for office-based positions such as:
Administration Assistants
Receptionists
Accounts Officers
Bookkeepers
Payroll Officers
Customer Service Officers
Recruitment and HR Administrators
Is there a fee to make a temporary employee permanent?
This depends on the agreement with the recruitment agency.
Some arrangements allow an employee to transition to permanent employment without an additional placement fee after completing an agreed number of hours.
If the employer wishes to make the employee permanent earlier, a conversion fee may apply.
It's important to clarify these terms before commencing the assignment.
Considering temp-to-perm recruitment in Perth?
Swan Recruitment works with Perth businesses to provide temporary, temp-to-permanent and permanent staffing solutions across office support, accounts, payroll, recruitment and related roles.
If you're considering temp-to-perm for your next hire, contact Swan Recruitment to discuss how the process could work for your business.