Pilot to Perm™ - Try Before You
Commit to Permanent

Permanent hiring just got riskier.

From Jan 2027 probation is a legal risk, not a safety net. HRDs are being asked to guarantee permanent hires that interviews can't guarantee.

Pilot to Perm™ is a 12 week mission to prove it. We define success with your hiring manager, stay hands-on with week 2/4/8/12 check-ins, and you only convert to permanent when performance and fit are proven. No clean-break liability if it's not right. That's why 85% convert.

Pilot to Perm™ is a 12 week mission. We define what success looks like, stay hands-on to ensure it, and you only commit to permanent when it's proven. Not handover like temp-to-perm - we co-own the outcome. 85% convert.

One critical hire, one reply, see what happens.

Get a Hiring Plan

Featured in

Why hiring is harder to get
right than it should be

Stop betting your growth on 60-minute interviews.

Most hiring decisions look right during the process. Strong CV. Good interviews. The right answers.

But it’s only once someone is in the role that you really know:

How they operate
How they handle pace and pressure
How they fit your team

And by then, you’ve already committed.

That’s exactly what Pilot to Perm™ is designed to solve. A structured 12 week mission to bring someone into your team, see how they actually perform, and only make a permanent decision once you know it’s right.

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How Pilot to Perm™
works in practice

Simple. Real. Grounded.

Step 1 – Get the role right

We take time to properly define what success looks like in the role, not just the job spec.

Step 2 – Bring the right person in

We source and introduce someone aligned to the role, and place them into your team on a 12 week pilot.

Step 3 – Stay close while it matters

We don’t step away once they start. We stay close to the role, the onboarding, and expectations to make sure it’s actually working in practice.

Step 4 – Commit with confidence

Once you’ve seen how they perform in your environment, you decide whether to move forward permanently. Make your permanent decision based on real performance.

Get a Hiring Plan

Where this is already
working

The Challenger

From scaling startups to established organisations, we help businesses reduce hiring risk, maintain momentum, and secure the talent they need to grow.

Our Pilot to Perm™ model is designed for organisations that can’t afford to get hiring wrong. Instead of relying on interviews and assumptions, you see how someone performs in your business before making a permanent decision.

This gives you full visibility of performance, cultural fit, and impact, so when you do make an offer, it’s based on evidence, not instinct.

Whether you’re entering a new market, building out a function, or hiring under pressure, we help you move quickly without compromising on quality.

Send us your brief

Scaling Customer Success Without Risk

We partnered with Yellow Bricks to strengthen our Customer Success function and improve client engagement across our accounts.

They quickly deployed a team of high-calibre specialists through a Pilot-to-Perm model, allowing us to assess impact in real time. Within weeks, they were optimising account data, working closely with customers, and turning at-risk accounts into stable, high-performing relationships.

The results spoke for themselves and the team became award winning, every consultant transitioned into a permanent role within three months. It was a seamless, low-risk way to build a high-impact team.

5/5

VP Customer Success Sitecore

Scaling Technical Support with the Experts

We partnered with Yellow Bricks to build out our Technical Customer Service team with individuals who could confidently support both engineers and commercial clients.

They delivered candidates through a Pilot-to-Perm model, giving us the flexibility to assess performance before making long-term decisions. Each hire quickly embedded into the team, handling complex queries and improving customer response.

Twelve hires were made, all of whom transitioned into permanent roles within 6–9 months, providing a flexible, low-risk way to scale our support function without compromising on quality.

5/5

Head of Customer Engagament Danfoss

Scaling in a New Market, Fast

We partnered with Yellow Bricks as we expanded into the UK and needed to hire SDRs quickly, despite not yet having a legal entity in place.

Their Pilot-to-Perm model allowed us to onboard talent immediately through their payroll, giving us the flexibility to start building our team and offering across Europe without delay. Each hire integrated quickly and began contributing from day one, supporting early pipeline growth.

All hires transitioned to permanent employees within six weeks, enabling us to establish our UK presence at pace and build a strong commercial foundation from the outset.

5/5

VP Sales Streamsets

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Pilot to Perm™ hiring?

Pilot to Perm™ allows you to assess a candidate in your business before committing to permanent. You evaluate real performance, not just interview potential.

How is Pilot to Perm™ different from temp to perm?

Temp-to-perm hands over. Pilot to Perm™ is a structured 12 week mission with week 4/8/12 check-ins, clear expectations and outcomes. We co-own the result to ensure performance and long-term fit.

How long does a Pilot to Perm™ last?

12 weeks. Structured as a mission so both sides can prove performance, fit and impact before committing permanent.

What roles is it best suited for?

Business-critical commercial hires at all levels where performance can be measured quickly, but adaptable for most roles where you can’t afford to get it wrong.

What’s the success rate?

Around 85% convert to permanent. Because the role is tested in a real working environment, both sides make a fully informed decision. It significantly reduces mis-hires and early attrition.

When does this work best?

When the role is business-critical, there’s been a recent mis-hire, the team is scaling, or confidence in hiring is low. It provides clarity where traditional hiring falls short.

Can candidates be hired permanently after?

Yes. Once the 12 week pilot is complete and both sides are aligned, they transition to permanent employment with you.

Can I hire in the UK without a legal entity?

Yes. We employ as Employer of Record – employment, payroll and compliance handled so you can hire and build quickly without an entity.

How does the employment model work (PAYE)?

During the pilot individuals are employed and paid via Yellow Bricks PAYE. We carry contracts, tax, NI and compliance – outside IR35, no Ltd, no umbrella. They operate day-to-day in your business so you assess real fit without immediate employment liability.

Is this more expensive than hiring permanently?

No. During the pilot you only pay for time worked. Once you’re confident, a success fee applies to convert. You only commit when it’s working.

Isn’t this just extending probation?

Traditional probation still relies on a decision made upfront based on interviews. Pilot to Perm™ flips it – the role is proven in practice before the permanent offer, so probation becomes a formality, not a risk.

Which locations do you cover?

UK-wide, with strong coverage in major towns and cities via specialist recruiters combining local knowledge with national reach.

Pilot to Perm™ - Try Before You
Commit to Permanent

Permanent hiring just got riskier.

Why hiring is harder to get
right than it should be

Stop betting your growth on 60-minute interviews.