A temporary placement is going well. The person knows the work, gets on with the team and would be missed if they left. That is a good reason to discuss a permanent role, but it is only part of the decision.
Before making the offer, check that the business has an ongoing job to fill, the candidate wants it and the change can be agreed on clear terms. A strong placement and a suitable permanent vacancy need to come together.
Is the work likely to continue?
Start with the work itself. Is the person covering an absence, clearing a backlog or helping with a short-lived increase in orders? Or have you identified a continuing responsibility that the business needs someone to own?
Look beyond how busy this week feels. Review the work expected after the current assignment and ask the budget owner what has actually been approved. If a contract renewal would be needed to sustain the role, record that uncertainty rather than treating the renewal as confirmed.
A useful test is to describe the permanent job without naming the person. Write down its responsibilities, hours, location, reporting line and expected results. If the job only makes sense because you do not want to lose a particular worker, the role may need more thought.
Use evidence from the placement
The assignment gives you examples to discuss. Choose evidence that relates to the proposed permanent role: the quality of completed work, how the person handles a problem, or how they follow an agreed process. Avoid relying on a general impression that they are a good fit.
Check what has not yet been tested. A warehouse operative who performs well on one task may still need training for a broader role. An administrator who has cleared a backlog may not yet have experience of the reporting duties you intend to add.
Separate a trainable gap from an essential requirement. Agree who would provide training and when, rather than assuming the move to a permanent contract will resolve the gap.
Does the candidate want this particular job?
A permanent position will not suit every temporary worker. Ask about the actual offer: hours, pay, travel, responsibilities and development. The candidate may value the flexibility of assignments, or the permanent role may differ from the work they have enjoyed so far.
Give them a written description and room to ask questions. Do not present the conversation as a reward they are expected to accept. Their decision matters just as much as the employer’s.
Keep employment rights and transfer terms separate
Agency-worker rights are not a countdown to automatic permanent employment. Acas explains the equal-treatment rights that can apply after the qualifying period. Those rights need attention whether or not you plan to make a permanent offer.
A separate question is whether your agreement with the employment business includes a transfer fee. GOV.UK sets out the conditions for temp-to-perm fees, including contractual requirements and the extended-hire alternative. Check your actual agreement with the agency before committing to a start date or cost. Work from the agreed terms rather than an assumed standard fee.
A decision sheet for the manager and recruiter
Use these questions to prepare the discussion. Write a short answer and name the person responsible for any unresolved point.
- Ongoing work: what will this person be responsible for after the present assignment?
- Budget: who has approved the permanent role and its full employment cost?
- Evidence: which examples show readiness for the responsibilities, and what remains untested?
- Candidate preference: have they seen and discussed the proposed terms?
- Agency agreement: what transfer arrangements need confirming?
- Handover: who will confirm the offer, contract, end of the assignment and new start arrangements?
If one answer is missing, identify the next action. A clear decision to review again after a specific business question is resolved is more useful than leaving the worker expecting an offer that nobody can approve.
Worked example: the person is ready, but is the role?
Illustrative scenario, not a Prism 7 client case. A production manager wants to retain a temporary operative who has been accurate and dependable. The current workload comes from a short contract. A possible renewal has not been confirmed.
The manager records the worker’s strengths, discusses their interest and asks the budget owner whether there is other ongoing work. If there is, the next step is to define that permanent job and check the agency terms. If there is not, the manager should explain the uncertainty rather than promise permanent employment.
The placement has provided useful evidence. It has not, by itself, created a funded vacancy.
Talk through the conversion before making the offer
Prism 7’s temp-to-perm recruitment service provides a route to discuss the move from an assignment into a permanent role. Bring the proposed job, the candidate’s preferences and your outstanding questions to that conversation. If you are defining a new vacancy rather than converting a placement, explore our permanent recruitment service.
