The option to hire temporary versus permanent staff is something that weighs heavily on many companies.
For some, the decision is made for them. They hire on a temporary or fixed-term contract basis as their official global headcount is maxed or currently frozen, or if they are a smaller company, they hire temporary staff as they don’t think they have the budget for permanent hires.
Then there are the sickness and maternity cover positions, which must be temporary by nature.
The main reason to choose a temporary or indeed contract hire should be based on the flexibility it provides. It means companies can hire needed resources for projects, to ease current workloads or to provide time to others to focus on growth potential within the business. All of these are positive reasons to hire someone on a temporary basis; and who knows!? – Sometimes the output and/or potential of the temporary worker makes keeping them in the organisation an easy decision.
“Make allowances as to the state of the market – you need to know the current availability and pay levels of those you are looking to hire”.
Offering positions on a permanent basis takes away much of the concern from job-seekers about continuity, stability, and how future employers will view their CV. To be honest, Ireland is still behind much of the EU in terms of its use of temporary and contract staff, and the more advanced countries see the benefit of a more flexible workforce. The stigma is nearly gone as many Blu-Chip employers including Google and Pfizer have utilised contract and temporary staff on a regular basis.
So, both options are valid depending upon the circumstances and requirements of the employer. Our only advice, once a decision is made: “Make allowances as to the state of the market – you need to know the current availability and pay levels of those you are looking to hire”.
