Temp-to-hire staffing in Tampa
An interview tells you how someone talks about work. A few hundred hours on your floor tells you how they do it. Temp-to-hire puts a screened candidate on the agency's payroll first, and you convert them to your own when you've seen enough.
When temp-to-hire fits
- The last two hires in this role didn't last
- You're not sure the role is permanent yet
- The budget approves contractors faster than headcount
- The job is hard to interview for, like a lead picker or a dispatcher
- You want the worker screened and paid by someone else during the trial
- Turnover in the role is costing more than the agency margin would
How the arrangement works
Sourcing and screening
The recruiter finds candidates, verifies identity and work authorization, checks references and runs the screens your role needs.
Trial period on agency payroll
The worker is the agency's W-2 employee for an agreed number of hours, typically a few hundred, billed hourly.
Check-ins
The recruiter checks in with you and the worker in the first week and at set points after, so problems surface early.
Conversion
Once the agreed hours are met, you hire the worker directly with no further fee. Early conversion is available for a prorated fee.
Replacement
If it isn't working, the recruiter replaces the worker and the clock starts again.
From order to conversion
- Define the role. Duties, schedule, pay range at conversion and what a good first 90 days looks like.
- Review candidates. Short profiles and, if you want them, interviews. You pick who starts.
- Trial period. The worker is on the agency's payroll and your schedule. You see the actual work.
- Convert or replace. Hire them outright after the agreed hours, or ask for someone else.
What affects the price
- The hourly bill rate during the trial, built on the worker's pay rate.
- The number of hours before conversion is free.
- Whether you convert early, which carries a prorated fee.
- Screening the role requires.
You get the bill rate or placement fee in writing before anyone starts.
Temp-to-hire in the Tampa market
Tampa Bay employers in distribution, call centers and medical offices lose a large share of new hires in the first 90 days, and every one of those costs onboarding time plus the gap that follows. Temp-to-hire moves that risk onto the trial period, when the worker is still on the agency's payroll and a replacement is a phone call away. It also suits the many Tampa businesses that are growing but not sure yet which roles will still exist after the season.
Common questions
How long is the trial period?
It's set per role, commonly in the range of a few hundred worked hours. After that you hire the worker with no further fee.
Can I hire them sooner?
Yes. Early conversion carries a prorated fee based on how many of the agreed hours remain.
What if the worker isn't a fit?
Tell the recruiter. The worker is reassigned and a replacement is sourced. You owe nothing beyond the hours already worked.
Is temp-to-hire more expensive than hiring directly?
The hourly bill rate is higher than wages alone because it includes payroll taxes, insurance and the agency's margin. Set against a bad hire that leaves in month two, most employers find it costs less.
Related services
Areas we serve
Temp-to-hire across Tampa and these nearby communities: