Temp to perm. How long for the temp part? (job hunting, employee, 2015)
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Late march I started a temp to perm job. At the interview the HR person mentioned that it would go perm "once approved" or "usually around 3 months if you are working out". After a month my "status" needed to be renewed and my boss extended me 90 days. Well my 90 came and he extended me another 90 days. At the beginning he mentioned things like "when you are permanent" but he hasn't really mentioned it lately. Reviews were due two weeks ago and he mentioned "going permanent" and how he was going to make a plan for me but it wouldn't be ready for the time reviews were due. I feel like I am going to get continually extended. At the same time I started two other temps started in two other areas and one was fired. The other is still a temp. However we have gotten a lot of new regular employees. My teammate started two months before me as a regular employee as well.
I want to ask, but my paper work says not to approach my manager about permanent positions.
How long would you give it before you started looking for new jobs?
For the majority of positions the temp part is all there is. A study by the WE Upjohn Institute for Employment Research found that only 27% of temp to hire jobs ever turn into traditional direct employment and only 18% of contract jobs overall. Companies and Agencies call all their crapo jobs temp-to-hire to lure in people to take them and to work hard. It is carrot on a stick.
What you need to be doing is putting full effort into your job search as though you were unemployed. Temp jobs are a stop gap measure to stay financially afloat and avoid having an employment gap. You should never get comfortable in one and never believe what are most likely lies about being made perm.
To answer your question I would never have stopped looking for jobs while being a temp.
My "temp to hire" job was suppose to go permenant after 6 months but that didn't happen. I never missed a day and always completed my tasks on time but after the 6 month period I asked the R&D manager when will I go perm and he told me "my department doesn't have any openings and my department has been restructured; therefore, I can't hire on any new employees at the moment. You are welcome to apply for positions on GP (Georgia-Pacific) careers that fit your background" .
I found out what a load of BS temp jobs were and felt foolish for believing that the job was actually going perm. After the manager told me that I did an extensive job search all over the US and landed a full time chemist position for a pharmacetuicals company in West Virginia with a $20k a year raise, a $5k relocation sign on bonus, health insurance benefits that only cost me $32 per month, 2 weeks paid vaction, and up to 6% 401k matching.
I couldn't believe I wasted my time on some $17 per hour temp job that was never going to go perm. Working a temp job is for a pathetic paycheck to hold you over until you find a full time position elsewhere.
Late march I started a temp to perm job. At the interview the HR person mentioned that it would go perm "once approved" or "usually around 3 months if you are working out". After a month my "status" needed to be renewed and my boss extended me 90 days. Well my 90 came and he extended me another 90 days. At the beginning he mentioned things like "when you are permanent" but he hasn't really mentioned it lately. Reviews were due two weeks ago and he mentioned "going permanent" and how he was going to make a plan for me but it wouldn't be ready for the time reviews were due. I feel like I am going to get continually extended. At the same time I started two other temps started in two other areas and one was fired. The other is still a temp. However we have gotten a lot of new regular employees. My teammate started two months before me as a regular employee as well.
I want to ask, but my paper work says not to approach my manager about permanent positions.
How long would you give it before you started looking for new jobs?
this depends on the company, it may be that they are figuring out if they need a FT employee in your role or not; or possibly you aren't showing them that you're 100% the right fit for the job so they may be considering other options. At least they haven't fired you, so you can't be doing too bad. Honestly though i would just be upfront with the boss and ask what's going on. Let him know that if the position won't be FT that you will have to start looking for FT work (if you're comfortable doing so). In reality though you've only been a temp since march which has been 5 months; i would say 6 months is enough time for them to know if they want to hire you on FT. Companies also usually have a max time a person can be a contractor for them (my company is 12 months) so you could check into that as well.
The only way to go from Temp to Perm is to play "Stick 'em up."
I did this. On a Monday, I told them that they must convert me to Permanent by the following Monday or I'd quit. I meant it.
They had come to rely on my technical skills and we both knew that. So they caved.
If you have the unique skills necessary. Otherwise they just let you quit and there is a sucker born every minute as evidenced by the fact people still major in chemistry.
Late march I started a temp to perm job. At the interview the HR person mentioned that it would go perm "once approved" or "usually around 3 months if you are working out". After a month my "status" needed to be renewed and my boss extended me 90 days. Well my 90 came and he extended me another 90 days. At the beginning he mentioned things like "when you are permanent" but he hasn't really mentioned it lately. Reviews were due two weeks ago and he mentioned "going permanent" and how he was going to make a plan for me but it wouldn't be ready for the time reviews were due. I feel like I am going to get continually extended. At the same time I started two other temps started in two other areas and one was fired. The other is still a temp. However we have gotten a lot of new regular employees. My teammate started two months before me as a regular employee as well.
I want to ask, but my paper work says not to approach my manager about permanent positions.
How long would you give it before you started looking for new jobs?
temp to hire positions never got back to me, except to dangle the "news" that "a new position just opened up". Then when I tried to apply for that position, I'd give them my professional references, updated resume, and then only to be told then or at a later point that the position just became unavailable or that they're dragging their feet on that.
As for when to look for a new job, NOW is the time. Assume it'll take longer than sooner. If they bump you to permanent, then no loss so to speak (yes, you had to put the time and effort into job hunting, but such skills and experience will help you down the line, so it wasn't all gone to waste). If you do get a better offer, then use that as leverage. Otherwise, you move on to your better offer.
Don't get put in a string with company loyalty anymore; companies only care for the bottom line and not for their employees, hence, always look out for another opportunity besides your current temp to perm position.
Was told the same thing in November 2015. 3 month contract then extended but told to just stick it out: that they were working on requisitions being moved around the company. I knew in my gut from the get go I WAS being told the truth: I ended up going perm.
The key is to have the nod from your manager at the company you are temping at: if they want you, they will find/make a position for you. There is so much work everyone was and is overloaded. How is the company doing? How.s the stock prices?
Ask the manager again, one last time and give a cut-off date. Get a solid answer without annoying him. And look for somwthing else: it sounds very non-committal on his part so expert that they may not extend an offer. But cheerfully say you love your job, and temping, but get out there and catch a bigger fish!
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