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Comment by phlo | Hacker News Reader

Done right, contract-to-hire seems like a great solution to me. It's actually a chance for the employer and employee to get to know each other and make sure their mutual expectations match.

Assuming the position were to be salaried at $104k, a sensible agreement might be: - The employee is hired temporarily for a period of one to three months. - Their wage is paid weekly, at a rate of $2k per week (i.e. 1/52 of their expected salary) - The contract may be cancelled by either party with seven days' notice. - At its end, the contract automatically converts to a permanent position.

If a signing bonus is called for, it should be due early during the probationary period. A separate bonus for the transition from temporary to permanent employment may not be a great idea as it may incentivize the employer to terminate the agreement.

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That's the issue. A job explicitly labeled "contract to hire" is never done right. No good developer is going to do contract to hire at 1/52 of the salary, because they already either make an equivalent salary or far more as a contractor. The company isn't going to pay an actual contracting rate, because they are either cheap or can't afford it. Contract to hire is almost exclusively done in places where it's hard for a developer to find a good job and it's used to take advantage of this situation.

> A job explicitly labeled "contract to hire" is never done right

i don't understand how you and the other guy can make these blanket black and white statements like this. have you guys ever had to hire people based on advertised solicitation only?

contract to hire is mainly done in situations where a new employee can not be vouched for by an existing one, or a large number of new employees must be brought on at once.

the reason why it's so rare among elite silicon valley firms is because everyone knows each other and recruiting is usually a personal process between existing employees and prospective ones. THIS IS NOT HOW IT IS EVERYWHERE.

outside of the echo chamber it's very common and good people can be hired this way.

I'm not sure what I said contradicts what you're saying. I've been involved with hiring over 100 people in Boston, San Francisco and NYC. Everyone does not really know everyone but that's a different story. Contract to hire is very popular in the part of the Midwest where I'm originally from because of no particular reason other than the hiring firm can and the person being hired doesn't have many options. At one place I worked in Boston everyone was theoretically "contract to hire" but it was atypical as the rate paid was so high that nobody ever took the full time job.

i see you deleted your anecdote, which to me basically exemplifies my theory that the opposing opinion on this matter is simply just a way of validating ego.

"I would never do that, so therefore, no other good developer would either. Ever."

I deleted my anecdote because I didn't feel it was appropriate to leave details up about my friend's company as he's still my friend and they still need to fill the position.

I guess I don't get what you're saying. Who does contract to hire where it's good a good deal for someone other than the employer?

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