Contract-to-hire, on request, with terms in writing

Permanent placement on contingency is our standard engagement. Contract, contract-to-hire and project crews are available on request only, each on bespoke written terms agreed before work starts.

Seeing the work before committing

Contract-to-hire exists for a simple reason: sometimes the best evidence that a person fits a role is watching them do it. Interviews measure how people talk about work, and a trial period measures the work. For many hands-on technology roles, that difference matters more than any conversation can.

It is available on request, never as an automatic option. When we agree that it suits your situation, the arrangement is written down before anybody starts, including how and when the question of joining your company permanently will be settled, and on what terms. We do not publish conversion terms or timelines on this site because they are bespoke to each arrangement.

Where it makes the most sense

Frontline and hands-on roles are the natural home for this approach. A help desk analyst whose patience with frustrated callers cannot be tested in an interview. A desktop technician who must be tidy, punctual and good with people who are not technical. A field technician whose reliability at a remote site is the whole job. A jobsite technician who has to cope with trailers, tablets and shifting priorities.

It can also suit a junior hire whose potential is clear but whose first few weeks of real work will tell you more than their résumé could. For senior, specialist or leadership roles we usually recommend a permanent search instead, because such people seldom accept an extended audition and the signal it provides is weaker than a thorough conversation.

What both sides should understand

For the person, the arrangement should be explained honestly: what they are being asked to do, what the path to a permanent role looks like and what is not guaranteed. A good candidate will ask pointed questions, and we encourage that, because someone who understands the arrangement and chooses it is far more likely to do well.

For you, the commitment is to treat the person as a prospective colleague from the first day. People notice immediately when they are being kept at arm's length, and the best ones leave. A thoughtful start, a named person to ask questions, and honest feedback along the way will do more for the outcome than any clause in an agreement.

How we handle the written terms

Each contract-to-hire arrangement is written individually. The document describes the work, the way the arrangement begins, the way a decision about permanence will be reached and what each party must do for that to happen. It is shaped by your situation and by the candidate's, and it is reviewed before any start date is set.

We make no statements on this page about payroll, employment status, hourly or salary figures, or the length of any trial. Those details belong in your written terms. If an arrangement cannot be described clearly in writing, that is a sign it should not proceed.

Choosing the right candidate for a trial

Searching for someone to try out is different from searching for someone to hire. We look for people who are willing to take that path, and that group has its own character: often early in a career, in transition, or changing direction. Being open to a trial does not mean being less capable, and we qualify skill and attitude with the same care as for any direct hire.

We also screen for the practical details a trial exposes: dependable transportation to a site, comfort with shift patterns, the ability to follow a runbook, and the temperament to ask when unsure. A short conversation about those details at the start prevents the sort of mismatch that wastes everyone's time.

When we would steer you away

If the real reason you want a trial is that you doubt your own hiring process, a structured interview with a practical exercise may serve you better. If the budget does not truly exist for a permanent role, a trial that ends in disappointment helps no one. And if you need a surge of capacity with no intention of keeping anyone, a straightforward contract request is the more honest conversation.

Starting the conversation

Use the form on this site and say that you are interested in contract-to-hire. Describe the role, the setting, what a good first stretch of work looks like and what would make you want to keep the person. A senior member of the team will read it, tell you whether we can help, and describe how the written terms would be shaped around your request.

The four engagements

• How we work
• Permanent placement
• Contract
• Project crews
• How we compare