Congratulations. You have a stellar temporary worker that you can't imagine your business running without. You are confident enough in their skills to think they'll excel for many years to come and are ready to extend an official job offer to them. But before sliding that envelope to them, what do you need to prepare for? What is in store for you?
How to Hire on a Temporary Worker
If you hired a temporary worker on directly -- as in, you posted the job on hiring boards, you reviewed the resumes, you conducted the interviews, and you selected the employee yourself to be the best fit for the position -- it isn't a very complicated process to bring them to a permanent position. It's strictly between your company and the employee, as there are (usually) no middle men.
However, it is a little more convoluted when there are other parties involved. If you sent out your requisites to, say, a staffing company, there are a lot more things you need to be aware of. The procedure for converting them to permanent status depends on several factors, such as the type of employee, the contract and the policy of the staffing company.
Do I Have to Pay a Conversion Fee?
More importantly, what is a conversion fee? A conversion fee, also known as a buyout fee, is a charge that many staffing companies will charge a company if they choose to take over the responsibility of an employee. Most contracts will have the buyout fees listed very clearly in print and what the process is to bring an employee onto your payroll.
It's always best to double-check with your business relationship manager to see if your staffing company has a conversion fee or not. It isn't always a lump sum. Sometimes it could be a "minimum-hours-worked" structure. For example, if you have a contract for an employee to work over 500 hours and they've worked 540 at your company, you have completed the minimum-hours-worked contract. The company may hire the employee at that point without an additional buyout fee.
When Should I Hire a Temporary Worker?
Depending on your industry and work load, temp workers can be around for as little as a few weeks to a multi-month (or year) engagement. If they've really proven themselves to be great workers it may be time to bring them on for a permanent position.
There are a few things to consider before you hire a temporary worker and buy them out of their contract. Is it a good time for your company financially to take on a new employee officially? Will the employee have work to do after the contract is up? These are the two biggest questions to be aware of, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Our IT staffing checklist is able to provide you with more insight on what you'll need:
Three Things to Confirm Before You Hire
If you're ready to bring on your temporary worker onto your payroll, you need to make sure of a few last things before you give them the go-ahead and provide the official offer. Keep these few things in mind:
- Depending on your company's needs, you may still need to perform a background check. What if your temporary worker has a criminal history?
- Do they know you're interested in keeping them on? Sometimes when they're coming to the end of their project, temp workers will begin to search elsewhere. They may have already received a job offer that started when their contract expired and accepted it.
- Can you hire them? Some companies are very strict with their policies on hiring and won't hire temporary workers if they don't have the right credentials. Make sure that it's a feasible option before proposing the option to your temporary worker.
If you are looking for a feasible temporary, contract, or direct hire, look no further than V-Soft Consulting. With experience in IT staffing since 1997, V-Soft has the expertise and capabilities to provide you with the staff you need when you need it. Contact one of our staffing experts today to see how we can help.
