There is a saying that the road to nowhere is paved with good intentions.  Many companies have a strategy to hire from their temp workforce, and some do – occasionally.  Unfortunately, the process is unscripted, random, and less than fulfilling in many cases.

Post Covid-19, this phenomenon may need some refinement.  Having a pool of candidates to pick from is a great strategy for building a workforce.  Temp agencies recruit to fill jobs and shares that, while there is no guarantee, there is a chance the applicant being hired full-time.  This is a great motivator for the right candidate.

Then, the dilemma emerges.  The employee musters enough courage to ask their worksite supervisor the “help me” question: “When can I go full-time?”  A legitimate question.  Also, a question the worksite supervisor is generally powerless to answer.  This leads to dissatisfaction for both parties.

The worksite supervisor will typically respond with: “Keep working hard and doing your job and we’ll see how things go.”  This answer is hollow because they are under the guidance of someone in the organization who is keenly aware of the costs of adding an employee to the full-time roster. 

Some companies follow a workforce modeling strategy that sets forth a number, generally a percentage, of the total workforce to be allocated to contingent labor.  This plan limits the opportunity to convert to full-time unless attrition occurs in the core group of full-time employees.  However, it is an effective strategy and works to benefit the client company in many ways.  Economic uncertainty and crisis response come to mind given the current environment. 

Solving this dilemma means we should answer the needs of the stakeholders facing the challenge.  The employee wants clear communication, a pathway to growth, and to feel as they are a valuable and respected member of the team.  The employer wants to optimize the workforce to get the most productivity, quality, stability, commitment, and retention for the greatest economic value.

The characterization of this situation has nothing to do with the value of temporary staffing as an industry, nor is it a stain on employers who are avoiding risk or costs.  It is a result of a missing link in the value chain. 

This is a real dilemma.  Impact Workforce Solutions has a proven answer.   Let us share some time with you and learn more about your reality.  If we discover options that fit your strategy, it will be time well spent.  You have nothing to lose, and so much to gain.