Two-thirds
of European HR and finance managers believe that hiring staff on short-term
contracts before taking them on permanently will become a major recruitment
practice in the future.
Over
two-thirds of French and Dutch employers believe that it will be a growing
trend in the future, and six out of 10 managers in the UK agree.
"It
is a familiar scenario – a temp is hired to handle an unexpected workload.
After several months, the company realises that it cannot do without the extra
person and offers a permanent job. This occurrence is happening more and more
frequently as the quality of temp staff increases," said Clive Davies, UK
region manager at Accountemps.
"Today,
a wide variety of professionals in all professions are undertaking temporary
work as a full-time career option. They are also finding that interim positions
gives them the opportunity to establish whether or not the company and its
culture is right for them prior to applying for a full-time position.
"At
the same time, it allows employers to see if the candidate is both right for
the company and if the quality of their work is of a high enough calibre prior
to offering a full-time contract."
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The
survey questioned 780 managers with hiring responsibilities.