Making Hiring Decisions Based Upon Willngness to Later Work Full-Time

[Jonathan Barone]

My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Washington.

I'm pretty new at hiring as my company is doing its first round of it since I was promoted into management, so while I know there are lots of pitfalls I don't actually know what all of them are. Didn't see this answered anywhere, but I vaguely remember hearing it's an illegal thing to hold against a candidate. We are hiring a few interns and/or contractors for a short-term job, three months in this case. Two questions: 1) are we even allowed to ask during the interview process if they would be amenable to becoming a full time employee at the end of the three months, and 2) if so, are we allowed to use that answer as one of the criteria for deciding whom to hire?

Thanks in advance,
Jon

[Beth3]

1) are we even allowed to ask during the interview process if they would be amenable to becoming a full time employee at the end of the three months, There is no State or federal law that would prevent this. You just need to make sure that there's no agreement in place with any staffing agency (if that's who you're getting your contractors through) that would prevent this.

if so, are we allowed to use that answer as one of the criteria for deciding whom to hire? Yes. Many employers do "temp to perm" hiring - which means the employees start out as staffing agency employees (or similar) with an eye towards hiring those employees who perform well.

It's perfectly ok to use "available for employment at the end of their staffing/contractor assignment" in deciding who to bring on board.

[Jonathan Barone]

Thanks much!