Ask the Experts: How to Move from Temp to Perm
Question:
I’m working as a temporary employee for a company. I enjoy the work and the people and would like to become a permanent employee. How do I ask them to convert my status without seeming pushy?
First Answer:
Remember ‘show and tell’ when you were in kindergarten? This is the strategy you need to employ now. Yes, make it known that you’re interested
in becoming a permanent employee. How you do this will depend on the
culture of the company. Observe how other people operate – are the
super-persuaders subtle about what they want to achieve by weaving this into
conversations in a natural way? Or are the most successful folks ‘gung ho’
and come right out with what they want and why they believe they deserve to
get it? Take the time to study how those who are favoured in this company
get their needs met – and emulate them.
In my experience, the most effective way of converting your temporary status into a permanent position is by showing that you’re the kind of person who
will add value to the organization. Find out what your manager – and the
organization as a whole – looks for in their employees, then demonstrate you
have that to offer and more besides. Don’t just do a good job, do an
excellent one.
Demonstrate that you are eager, willing and able to take on more responsibilities by showing initiative. Network like crazy, cultivate
champions throughout the company who will talk about you favorably to the
decision-makers. Ensure that what you say and what you do illustrate that
you have skills and abilities that are just waiting to be leveraged.
In a nutshell – give first in order to receive. Show that you deserve to be a permanent employee by doing everything that the company expects from those
it rewards.
—Elizabeth Barnes, motivational speaker, workshop leader, author, journalist, and forum panelist
Second Answer:
Temping is a legitimate way to survey prospective permanent employers as well as earn income, so it may not come as a surprise, and should not be seen as pushy, to inquire about opportunities for permanent positions.
First, some analysis. Why do you think this position is convertible? Here are some signs it’s not convertible:
- You’re filling in for someone on medical leave.
- You were hired to work on a project; when it’s ended, even if the date is not yet known, the assumption is that your employment will end.
- The assignment was not presented to you by the agency as “temp to perm,” and/or the company has a firm policy of not offering permanent jobs to temporary employees hired through an agency because as a matter of policy they don’t want to pay the fee an agency will charge for such a placement.
- The organization has just merged or will be sold, or layoffs have been announced, or there’s a hiring freeze.
- The company is running long-term temporary employees through an agency to avoid paying benefits or adding to permanent payroll, or is paying temps directly as “independent contractors” (the latter illegal); they are expressly avoiding hiring.
If none of these conditions applies, and your job looks to you like an ongoing workload, here’s what to do:
- Behave as though you are being “road tested” for a permanent job: that is, have exceptional work habits (reliable, punctual, more productive than those around you). Solicit feedback from your supervisor to be certain that your work is perceived as unusually good, or ask how to make it so.
- Speak up! Tell your direct supervisor you are interested in making this a permanent job, and see what the response is. She or he may have no idea of your interest. Ask if your supervisor would support your candidacy for a permanent job or another position, and ask him or her to be a reference.
- With your supervisor’s backing, go to human resources and fill out an application. If your current job is not going to be filled by a permanent employee, ask if there are other open jobs in the company for which you are qualified. Do this just as formally as if you were applying for a job at a company you were not working for: dress up, and present yourself as qualified, eager, and having an advantage over outside candidates because you are familiar with the company’s culture and work.
Good luck!
— Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City
Third Answer:
First of all, please remember that *everyone* is a temporary employee, truth to be told. And certainly, demonstrating your enthusiasm for the company
from the inside is not going to be perceived as pushy.
Just tell the hiring managers in the company how much you love your work there, and how you’d like to be a key contributor in their future success.
You might ask “So how does one become a permanent member of the team?”
—Tracy Laswell Williams, certified job and career transition coach, accredited resume writer and founder of CAREER-Magic.com
Fourth Answer:
Great! You like the company and (I’m assuming that your employer likes that job you’re doing). If you are temping for someone who is already a
permanent employee but has just been away for a while (eg. someone on
Maternity leave) you probably won’t be able to keep the job you have, but
there is always a chance that your temp job can lead to something more
permanent in another division.
I suggest that before you temp position ends, you let your employer know that you’d like to stay on with the company in whatever positions might be
suitable. If s/he doesn’t know of any, check with human resources. If
there is a company bulletin board where job openings are posted, check it
often. Since you are already an “insider” you’ll know when something
appropriate comes up.
— Alison Blackman Dunham, life & career expert, columnist, personal public relations consultant, half of THE ADVICE SISTERS¬Ã, and the author of the ASK ALISON career advice column
