As a TempExperts recruiter, Ingrid gets a version of this question almost every week:
“Will I actually get hired by the company or do they just string you along and let you go at the end of the period?”
This is one of the most common things candidates ask before they’ll take a temp-to-hire offer, and it deserves a straight answer instead of “it varies by client.”
Ingrid remembers calling one candidate in month six of what was supposed to be a 90 working day conversion, and telling her straight: ‘I don’t have a firm date for you yet, and I’m not going to pretend I do. Here’s exactly where things stand.'”
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Sometimes the Job Converts On Schedule. Sometimes It Doesn’t.
We pulled our own placement numbers: 92% of temp-to-hire assignments convert within a 90 working day window. Of the rest, most do convert late. That said, you should know that sometimes the job does not convert over to a full-time role.
When the job converts late, we have found that it’s rarely about the candidate’s performance.
It’s almost always one of three things:
- a hiring freeze that hit after the assignment started
- a budget approval stuck in someone’s inbox
- a reorg that changed who’s even doing the hiring
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None of that shows up in the job posting, and none of it is something we can promise away. As an example, we had an accounting professional on a temp-to-hire assignment who was doing well and was expected to convert to the client’s permanent team. When the anticipated conversion timeframe came and went, it had nothing to do with the employee’s performance. The company was working through an internal approval process that had to be completed before they could officially bring the employee on permanently.
The conversion ultimately took longer than originally anticipated, but it’s a good example of why a delayed conversion doesn’t necessarily mean the opportunity is going nowhere. Sometimes there are internal processes happening behind the scenes that neither the candidate nor the staffing firm can control. What we can control is staying engaged and continuing to push for clarity. In this case, it worked: that candidate converted within 120 working days of the original date.
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Is the Wait Worth It?
It’s not about whether you can survive the wait. You’re working and are covered the entire time. It’s about what a delayed conversion actually costs you. TempExperts recommends that you give voice to these three worthy questions before you accept a role:
What actually changes at conversion, and what does an extra 60 days of not having it cost me?
Ask your recruiter to spell out the difference: the pay rate on assignment versus the perm salary, how the client’s benefits compare to yours during the assignment, PTO and paid holidays, bonus eligibility, and 401(k) match. Sometimes the gap is small. Sometimes it’s a few thousand dollars over a delay. Either way you should see the number before you decide, not after.
Am I about to need something that a permanent title unlocks?
This is the one candidates miss. If you’re applying for a mortgage, refinancing, or signing a lease in the next few months, underwriters treat temporary assignment income differently than permanent salary. A conversion that slides from March to June can affect an approval. If nothing like that is on your calendar, a delay is an inconvenience. If something is, it’s a real problem worth planning around.
Do I have a plan B that doesn’t disappear the moment I say yes?
Candidates who do best with temp-to-hire keep other conversations alive until the offer letter is signed. Treating “they said they’d convert me” as a done deal is what turns a manageable delay into a scramble.
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Where This Points You
Temp-to-Hire is Right For You…
IF the pay and benefits your recruiter walks you through is one you’re comfortable carrying for a while, nothing on your calendar right now depends on permanent income (a mortgage, a lease, a loan), and you’re keeping other conversations alive until the offer letter is actually signed. The payoff (i.e. landing a role you might not have gotten a direct-hire interview for) is worth that trade-off.
Temp-to-Hire is Wrong For You…
IF you’re in the middle of applying for a mortgage, refinancing, or signing a lease in the next few months. Underwriters treat assignment income differently than permanent salary. A conversion that is delayed can affect an approval you’re counting on. A direct-hire search then becomes the safer route. The permanent title and income are there from the start, no delay to plan around.
Direct Hire is Right For You…
IF you need permanent income or title on paper now. Examples include financing, a lease, or anything else that depends on it.
Direct Hire is Wrong For You…
IF you need income now. The interview process is rarely fast enough to bridge an urgent gap.
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The Number That Matters
Before you accept a temp-to-hire offer, ask your recruiter for the real conversion track record on that specific client. Not the company-wide average. Ask us directly. We’ll tell you how this client’s last three temp-to-hire placements played out. If we can’t give you a straight answer, that itself tells you something.
Want the real conversion history before you say yes to anything? Apply today and ask your recruiter for the specific timeline on the role you’re considering.