Different Staffing Position Types: Pros and Cons

Companies explore various staffing position types to meet their workforce needs efficiently. Whether your business needs temporary hires, direct hires, or contract-to-hire employees, it is important for your organization to evaluate the pros and cons of each employment model. Making informed decisions about your staffing strategy will have an impact on an organization’s long-term success.

Temporary Hire

When an organization decides to staff a temporary hire, the company employs those workers for a predetermined period. Temporary hires offer both advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of Temporary Hires:

1. Flexibility: One of the benefits of temporary hires is flexibility. Companies can easily adjust their workforce to meet the demands without the financial commitment of hiring a permanent employee. This adaptation is valuable in industries with busier seasons or unpredictable workloads.
2. Reduced Hiring Costs: Temporary hires eliminate the extensive recruiting process from the company, including training, onboarding, and other labor costs. Staffing agencies handle the recruitment and onboarding process, saving companies both time and money.

Cons of Temporary Hires:

1. Lack of Commitment: Temporary hires may not feel a long-term commitment to the company’s success, which may lead to lower levels of loyalty and engagement. This lack of commitment stems from not being employed by the organization and only being there for a specific period. Lack of commitment can affect a workplace’s productivity and culture.
2. Increased Turnover: Temporary hires often view their positions as stepping stones to more permanent roles or may actively seek new opportunities. As a result of this, turnover rates among temporary hires can be higher, which has the potential to disrupt business operations.

Direct Hire

In contrast to temporary hires, direct hires represent a more traditional employment model where individuals become long-term employees of an organization.

Pros of Direct Hires:

1. Lower Attrition Rates: Direct hires are more likely to commit to the company’s long-term success, creating a sense of loyalty and dedication to their team. This commitment can have a positive impact on the company’s culture.
2. Long-Term Investment: Directly hiring individuals allows organizations to benefit from their skills, experience, and professional development over an extended period. This long-term investment can lead to sustainable company growth.

Cons of Direct Hires:

1. Costly: Direct hires are associated with higher costs. Typically, a full-time employee costs 1.25 to 1.4 times more than their base salary, as the company is responsible for training, healthcare benefits, and other labor costs.
2. Increased Liability: Employers are expected to provide benefits such as healthcare, retirement savings, and possibly severance or unemployment payments to direct hires. This increases the company’s liability and financial obligations.

Contract–to–Hire

Contract–to–hire positions are a hybrid between temporary hires and direct hires. This contract position allows employers the time to evaluate an individual’s performance before making a long-term commitment to their work. 

Pros of Contract-to-Hire:

1. Quick Onboarding Process: Since contract-to-hire employees already have experience working for the organization, the onboarding process tends to be quicker, and smoother compared to entirely new hires.
2. Mitigates Risk: Contract-to-hire positions eliminate the risk of making a hiring mistake. Employers can observe what workers accomplish and how they interact in their work environment before offering a long-term commitment.

Cons of Contract-to-Hire

1. Attrition Risk: With contract-to-hire positions, there is a level of uncertainty regarding the long-term job security amongst these workers. This uncertainty about their career’s future within the organization may influence their commitment to the organization.
2. Legal Complexities: It’s essential to have a clearly defined contract-to-hire agreement in writing, explicitly stating the intention to transition the contracted hire to permanent status. Failing to establish this written contract can lead to potential legal complications in the hiring process.

Decide Which is Best for Your Organization

Each of these employment models has its own set of pros and cons. Temporary hires offer flexibility and cost savings but may lack commitment. Direct hires provide stability and loyalty but come with higher costs and risks. Contract-to-hire positions offer a hybrid approach. Partnering with a staffing agency will help your company choose what position type is right for your workforce. To learn more about employment and staffing models, contact Knowledge Services today.