Contract-to-hire jobs on the rise: how to leverage this trend

To date, 63 percent of employers reported plans to transition temporary or contract workers into full-time roles, a five percent increase from 2016, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey. Contract-to-hire roles are rising in demand, especially for tech roles, as more companies realize the benefits of transitioning contract workers into permanent roles. To stay competitive in today’s ever-evolving marketplace, business execs need to know how to best leverage this trend for their own key business goals.

Hire more now – keep top talent

When it comes to hiring tech professionals, we recommend hiring contractors initially for hard-to-test skills or to get more hands on a project and then transitioning the top-performing contractors to full-time roles.

This strategy works best for tech-based skill sets like software QA that are difficult to evaluate fully prior to hiring. Hiring more contractors for an initial project will allow you to test the candidate’s skills while on the job, and then move forward with the tech contractors whose skills are in line with your business needs. This is one of the best ways to leverage the rising trend of hiring for contract-to-hire roles and provides your team with the best full-time talent available, with the proven skills you’re looking for.

Fill talent gaps faster with more success

Contract-to-hire roles give you a rare opportunity to evaluate a new tech hire before committing to hiring them for a permanent, full-time position. Use this time to avoid the common and costly mistake of making a bad hire.

In a sense, contract-to-hire roles are a “try before you buy” option which means you’ll know exactly what you’re getting, if you decide to lengthen the contract to a full-time position. It also means you can cut down the average time to fill your available tech jobs. Since contract-to-hire roles often involve less red tape than full-time roles, they tend to result in a faster hiring process that is often more successful for finding the right full-time tech hires. And, unqualified contractors can easily be let go when their contract ends.

Provide current employees a role in the hiring process

Granting current employees a stake in the hiring process is an expert way to leverage the current contract-to-hire trend. By integrating contract-to-hire roles with your current tech team and encouraging full-time employees to evaluate their work and make recommendations on full-time tech hires, you’ll empower them to have a say in who joins the team — and which skill sets are the best fit. Additionally, it allows current team members a chance to evaluate the tech contractor’s collaborative ability and whether they can integrate effectively into the team dynamic.

Opening the hiring process conversation to include the feedback of more tenured employees can also help boost retention rates and employee satisfaction by showing them that upper management values their opinions and values their feedback on hiring matters.

The rising contract-to-hire trend provides your business with the opportunity to make more informed and effective full-time tech hires. Implement these strategies to maximize the benefits of this hiring trend and ensure you’re building successful, tech-driven teams to accomplish your long-term business goals.