Are you on the search for new healthcare staff for your facility? One of the first things you will have to decide between is hiring a series of temporary employees or making the leap someone to fill a role permanently. Hiring someone to represent your facility and treat your patients is not something to be taken lightly, and we know firsthand just how important making this decision is. 

Of course, the choice to hire temporary or permanent employees will depend on the unique needs of your facility and the position itself. However, there are clear advantages to going the permanent route that may pay off – literally – in the end.

Cost of Sourcing Temporary VS Permanent Staff

There are many factors to take into account when comparing the cost of temporary and permanent employees. Permanent employees are often paid a little bit less than their temporary counterparts and with them comes a sense of security and commitment, but there are almost always the added cost of benefits to consider. Temporary employees are often paid a higher hourly wage than permanent ones, but the facility doesn’t have to pay into benefits. If you are in the position of offering your permanent employees a wide array of monetized benefits like health insurance, it could seem like temporary is the clear cost-saver. However, if you are working with a search partner to find your staff, hiring permanent professionals could end up costing your facility less in the long run.

Every time you hire a temporary employee through a staffing agency, there are costs associated with the process – the recruiter’s commissions, payroll costs, training, another shortage upon the temp’s coverage, and running the risk of a lack of professionalism. If you are doing this every couple of months, it can begin to add up – even if hiring temporary workers initially seems like the more cost-effective choice.

At the end of the day, though, the affordability of each option is dependent on a combination of a facility’s financial situation and its specific needs at the time.

Turnover Issues

The turnover rates and rapid growth in the healthcare industry are beginning to present a pressing problem. Frequent turnover can be even further exasperated with the growing number of contract workers, because temporary employees are just that – temporary. Unless they keep renewing their contract with your facility, you will be faced with having to replace them every time their contracts run out, or they decide they want to move on to a different opportunity. 

Especially when the role you’re looking to fill is highly specialized, in a more remote area, or any other number of specificities that make it hard to fill, it can often prove difficult to find a consistent stream of qualified, temporary employees. Finding someone that you know will be around for the long-term is typically a better option in these cases. 

The longer you go with a role unfilled in between temporary employees, the longer your facility suffers, both financially and in its ability to serve patients. Unfilled positions can also put strain on your other staff, which can lead to – you guessed it – more turnover. 

Working with the right recruiter is one way to avoid poor retention and turnover rates among your healthcare staff. The average rate for employee fall-off currently sits at around 22%; Radius Staffing Solutions is proud to boast a fall-off rate of less than 8.8%. Contact us today to find out more about working with us. 

Likelihood of Temporary Staff Becoming Permanent

The popularity of temporary or contract positions is on the rise in many industries, and healthcare is no exception. It presents many advantages to those working in it: flexible schedules, variety of positions and locations, and an innovative answer to the ‘burnout’ phenomenon that many healthcare workers fall privy to. 

The ‘temp-to-hire’ option is another route that is fairly common in today’s hiring market. As an employer, you reserve the right to offer temporary employees a permanent role after ‘trying them out’ for the duration of a contract, if you feel they would be a great addition to your full-time team. However, many gig workers have grown accustomed to the unique perks that come with temporary roles. 

So, even if you do want to keep some of your temporary staff on board by offering them a permanent role, there is still no guarantee that they will also want to make that lifestyle shift – and you will unfortunately find yourself starting the whole search process over again. 

Are you looking to hire some permanent healthcare staff for your facility? You have come to the right place. Radius Staffing Solutions specializes in permanent healthcare staffing, in the fields of healthcare management, advanced practice, pharmacy, medical imaging, rehab therapy and lab science! Click here to reach out today.