Description
As a recruiter, the transition from focusing on temporary placements to permanent roles requires a significant shift in mindset. While temp and perm recruitment both involve finding the right candidates for the right jobs, the strategies, priorities, and long-term considerations differ greatly between the two. Each type of placement demands a unique approach to sourcing, evaluating, and engaging candidates, along with a deeper understanding of the hiring company’s needs.
Here’s how the shift from temp to perm recruitment impacts your thinking and processes, and what to consider as you adjust your mindset to thrive in permanent hiring.
1. From Fast-Paced to Long-Term Thinking
Temp recruiting is often fast-paced and transactional. Clients need someone to fill a short-term vacancy quickly, and the goal is to find a suitable candidate as soon as possible. The focus is on the immediate need, and once the position is filled, the recruiter moves on to the next open role. This often involves juggling multiple vacancies at once, with rapid decision-making and quick turnaround times.
Permanent recruitment, on the other hand, requires a more strategic, long-term approach. Employers are not just looking for someone to fill a gap but to invest in a candidate who will grow with the company. As a perm recruiter, you need to shift from a short-term mindset to thinking about the longevity and future success of the candidates you place.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "Who can start immediately and meet short-term requirements?"
Perm: "Who is the best long-term fit for this company’s culture, values, and growth trajectory?"
This change requires patience and thoroughness, as perm recruitment often involves a more extensive vetting process, multiple interview stages, and long-term considerations about the candidate's potential to succeed and advance within the company.
2. A Focus on Cultural Fit and Development Potential
When recruiting for temp roles, your main goal is to find someone who has the skills to perform the job effectively from day one. Cultural fit and future potential may be secondary considerations, especially if the role is short-term or project-based.
However, in permanent recruitment, assessing a candidate’s fit within the company culture becomes essential. You’re not just looking for someone with the right skills—you need someone whose values, work style, and personality align with the team and company as a whole. Additionally, permanent roles often require candidates with a growth mindset, capable of developing their skills and taking on more responsibility over time.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "Does this candidate have the skills to hit the ground running for this specific task?"
Perm: "Will this candidate thrive within the company culture and grow in their role?"
In permanent hiring, it’s important to ask deeper questions about a candidate's career goals, long-term aspirations, and how they see themselves fitting into the company over time.
3. Stronger Employer-Employee Relationship Focus
Temporary workers often have a transactional relationship with the employer. They’re brought in for a specific period to perform a job, and once the assignment is complete, they move on. The emphasis in temp recruitment is usually on meeting the immediate needs of the employer and ensuring the candidate is compensated fairly for the work.
In contrast, permanent hires will develop long-lasting relationships with their employer. As a recruiter, you play a key role in creating this foundation by ensuring that both the employer and the candidate are aligned in terms of expectations, values, and career development opportunities.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "Find a candidate who can perform the task and fulfill the contract’s requirements."
Perm: "Find a candidate who can form a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with the company over time."
The challenge is to ensure both parties see the relationship as more than just a job, but as a long-term partnership that offers value, growth, and fulfillment for both the employee and the employer.
4. Enhanced Candidate Engagement and Commitment
Temporary workers know they are only with a company for a limited time, and while they can still be highly engaged, the nature of their short-term contract may lead to less emotional or psychological investment in the company’s mission or future. As a temp recruiter, your primary goal is ensuring the candidate is prepared for the specific task at hand and ready to make an immediate impact.
In perm recruitment, it’s essential to foster deeper engagement between candidates and the company. You need to ensure that candidates are genuinely excited about the opportunity, committed to the company’s mission, and willing to invest their time and energy into growing with the organization.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "How quickly can this candidate integrate into the role?"
Perm: "How can we engage this candidate to ensure they’re passionate about the company and committed to its success long-term?"
Engagement strategies like discussing the company’s values, career growth opportunities, and long-term vision become more crucial when recruiting for permanent roles.
5. Higher Stakes for Both Sides
Temp recruitment, by its nature, carries lower stakes. If a temporary hire doesn’t work out, it’s relatively easy for both the candidate and employer to move on, with minimal disruption to the business. Temp roles offer flexibility for both parties, and the focus is often on efficiency and filling vacancies quickly.
Permanent hiring, however, comes with higher stakes. A bad hire can be costly—not only in terms of time and resources but also in terms of team dynamics, productivity, and company morale. As a perm recruiter, you need to take the time to thoroughly vet candidates, ensure they align with the company’s long-term vision, and have the potential to contribute positively over time.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "Filling positions quickly is key, and the risk of a bad fit is lower."
Perm: "Making the right hire is critical to the company’s long-term success, and the risk of a bad hire is much higher."
This means more attention to detail, more thorough background checks, and a greater emphasis on candidate assessments during the hiring process.
6. Building Long-Term Relationships with Candidates
When recruiting for temporary roles, your focus is often on finding candidates who are ready to work immediately. These candidates may come and go, and while maintaining relationships is important, there’s often less long-term interaction between you and the temp worker after the assignment is over.
In permanent recruitment, building lasting relationships with candidates is crucial. Even if a candidate isn’t hired for a specific role, they may be a great fit for another position in the future. Establishing trust, maintaining communication, and helping candidates navigate their career paths are all part of building these long-term relationships.
Mindset Shift:
Temp: "Find available candidates and fill roles quickly."
Perm: "Build a pipeline of strong candidates for current and future roles, and foster lasting connections."
Embracing a Strategic, Long-Term Mindset
Moving from temp to perm recruitment requires a shift from quick placements and short-term thinking to a more strategic, relationship-driven approach. Permanent hiring involves higher stakes, deeper engagement, and a focus on finding the right cultural fit and long-term potential for both the candidate and the company.
By adjusting your mindset and processes to embrace the long-term nature of perm hiring, you’ll not only help companies make smarter, more sustainable hires but also grow as a recruiter by building stronger relationships and creating lasting value for both clients and candidates.