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Temp to Perm: Choosing the Right Employee for the Switch

Temp to Perm: Choosing the Right Employee for the Switch

You have several employees on your contingency team, and all of them have expressed an interest in making the switch to a full time position. But at the moment, you have only one permanent position opening up. You’ll have to choose one of your contenders, but what factors should influence your decision? And what do you stand to lose if you make the wrong choice? Here are a few things to keep in mind as you move forward.

Know the Stakes

If you still require the help of your temporary employees, and you appreciate the support of a team you know well and can rely on, you’ll need to think twice before you alienate them or send the message that they aren’t welcome in your company. If you deliver the news in the wrong way, your valuable contingency employees will start looking for work elsewhere (and may even leave before they have somewhere else to go.) Prepare for this. If you’ll have more permanent opportunities available in another month or two, make this clear. And keep in mind that the best workers are the ones who won’t tolerate being passed over twice.

Choose Wisely

Make your decision based on technical skills that relate directly to the job at hand, but don’t stop there. Of course, if you have one member of the team who’s clearly a very high producer, take that into account. But don’t neglect those who provide lower production numbers but faster rates of improvement. And of course, don’t dismiss those who add something intangible to your company culture.

Get Ready to Negotiate

Just because you choose your favorite candidate and make her an offer doesn’t mean she’ll accept. After all your careful selection efforts, you may still end up making a lowball offer to your star, being rejected, and turning to your second and third contenders after they’ve already stormed out the door. Don’t assume you hold all the cards. Make sure your offer is competitive and your perks and benefits are enough to measure up.

Make Sure Your Plans Align

Ask your temporary employee where she’d like to be in two, three, and five years. If you can offer the exposure, experience and training she’ll need in order to reach these goals, make this clear. And if you can’t, then decide what you’ll do when she makes the decision to move on.

For more on how to take your employee-employer relationship to the next level, reach out to the staffing experts at Techneeds.