I developed Pilot-to-Perm™ at Yellow Bricks to give UK employers a structured way to trial someone in the role before deciding whether to hire them permanently.

After more than 20 years working in UK recruitment, I’ve learned that interviews can tell us a lot about someone, but they can’t fully show us how that person will perform once they’re actually doing the job.

I’ve seen excellent candidates overlooked because they weren’t the strongest interviewee. I’ve also seen people interview brilliantly only for their performance in the role to be very different.

Pilot-to-Perm™ is Yellow Bricks’ trial-before-permanent hiring approach, bridging the gap between temporary staffing and permanent recruitment.

The individual initially joins the client’s business as a temporary worker and is employed and paid through Yellow Bricks. They work in the real role, with the real team, giving the employer the opportunity to assess their performance before making a permanent hiring decision.

Employers can see how someone solves problems, responds when priorities change, communicates, works with colleagues and uses judgement. The individual can experience the role, manager and organisation too.

If there’s a strong mutual fit, the employer can then offer the individual permanent employment.

As jobs and skills evolve more quickly, I believe making hiring decisions based on real performance rather than interviews alone is becoming increasingly valuable.

Hiring someone isn’t the same as knowing how they’ll perform. Pilot-to-Perm™ gives UK employers and candidates the opportunity to find out before making a permanent commitment.