It’s been a turbulent few years in the British labour market; recession, pay freezes and redundancies have dominated the news. Thankfully, the economy has started to recover and activity is picking up, however, it hasn’t all been negative. One of the most advantageous trends has been the increase of temp to perm working.

1) The Creation of a Flexible Workforce

A shaky economy naturally created reluctance among employers to make many permanent hires. Instead, temporary labour was seen as the saving grace; a flexible workforce that was available at short notice to help cover peaks but who could be released legally when business was slow. You might even go so far as to say that temps saved the day!

A lot of people discovered that they enjoyed working flexibly as it suited their lifestyle and a proportion have gone that step further, choosing to work on an interim basis. Many others, proving their worth to a business, have since been offered permanent contracts now that businesses are more able to increase their headcount.

2) ‘Try Before You Buy’ enables effective long-term hiring

The recession may have caused the number of permanent vacancies to drop, but as mentioned above, the demand for temps remained strong. Hiring resources on this basis wasn’t merely a convenience; rather it allowed employers to ‘try before they buy’ – providing almost a non-obligation trial period in which they could determine whether an individual was a true fit for the role. If not, then one phone call to the agency was all it took. This in turn facilitated informed recruitment decisions; hiring the right person for the job long-term.

This shifting preference for temporary roles similarly benefited the employee, allowing them to get a feel for a job or a team. This is a trend that encourages retention, as having done the role for a while, the temp to perm worker’s expectations of the job will be realistic.

3) Faster and More Efficient Recruitment Practices

Any employer who has ever hired knows that recruitment is a lengthy and costly process. However, it’s not so when you hire on a temp to perm basis. The individual, who has effectively already worked their probation period, will be doing the job while the recruitment formalities are undertaken. There may not be any need for screening or interviews, plus their requirement for training won’t be as urgent. There is no doubt that Temp to Perm can significantly expedite the recruitment process.