Companies of all sizes and industries are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities when it comes to building effective, future-ready teams. Shifts in workforce dynamics (e.g., hiring freezes, talent shortages, economic fluctuations) are reshaping the ways in which organizations think about how they grow. As a result, a strategic staffing approach has never been more important. This includes the choice between temporary staffing and direct hire.
Whether scaling teams up to meet a surge in demand or streamlining teams during periods of transition, forward-thinking organizations are increasingly recognizing that strategic staffing is a powerful tool for navigating change and unlocking growth. Understanding the strengths and limitations of temporary versus direct hire empowers organizations to make informed decisions that align with their evolving priorities.
What Is Temporary Staffing?
Temporary staffing is a flexible hiring solution that involves engaging personnel, often who possess specific skills, to fill roles that address immediate and short-term workforce requirements for a predetermined period or under contract. This approach enables organizations to respond swiftly to operational needs, maintain competitiveness and support business growth. Companies can opt to engage different personnel based on their needs, including:
- Temporary Employees: Who are typically hired for a defined period to support seasonal workloads, special projects or unexpected absences.
- Contractors: Who typically work under a specific agreement for a set duration or deliverables, often bringing specialized skills to a project.
- Interim Employees: Who step into more critical roles, such as leadership or specialized functions, on a temporary basis to maintain continuity during transitions, leaves or restructuring. With interim employees, we often see companies engage these hires on a contract-to-hire or temp-to-permanent basis.
Temporary Staffing Real-world Success Stories
To illustrate the tangible benefits of temporary staffing, consider the following case study examples from various industries. These stories highlight how temporary, contract and interim professionals can drive meaningful results and address urgent business needs exactly when and where they matter most.
- Manufacturing/Private Equity: After the resignation of the previous chief financial officer (CFO), an interim CFO was placed within 72 hours to manage crucial cross-border operations and maintain financial continuity while the company searched to fill the role permanently.
- Technology/Private Equity: An artificial intelligence (AI) company required immediate accounting and finance talent to meet pressing audit deadlines while the new CFO determined a long-term solution for its rapid growth.
- Higher Education: A temporary, project-based team of accounts payable (AP) professionals was employed to clean up data and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) during a Workday transition, finishing early and resulting in permanent hires.
“Interim professionals aren’t just stopgaps — they’re catalysts. The right person in the right role, even temporarily, can stabilize operations and uncover opportunities for growth.”
What Is a Direct Hire?
Direct hiring refers to the traditional employment practice in which a company hires an external candidate for a full-time, permanent position that often includes benefits. Typically, the organization will oversee the entire recruitment process in-house; however, Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert can offer premium direct-hire services to support companies in sourcing top permanent talent for positions that are particularly challenging to fill.
When Direct Hire Talent Could Make More Sense Than Temp Staffing
Direct-hire placements remain a cornerstone of long-term growth strategies, especially when:
- A company has a strong employer brand and can easily attract a strong pool of candidates, with or without the help of a staffing agency.
- A company has the resources and time to manage the hiring process effectively.
- A company’s top priorities are to ensure stability, leadership continuity and cultural alignment for long-term benefit.
“Permanent placement is about more than filling a role; it’s about understanding the client’s vision and finding someone who can grow with the business. That’s where our experience and industry focus really shine.”
How Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert Delivers Direct Hire Solutions
Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert’s approach to direct hire is built on three key pillars, including:
- Speed To Market: Our recruiters maintain an active pipeline of top talent across accounting, finance, HR and IT, allowing us to move quickly without compromising on quality.
- Credibility and Industry Insight: With deep domain knowledge, our team understands the nuances of each role and delivers candidates who are both technically qualified and culturally aligned.
- Experience and Tenure: Our recruiters have decades of experience and long-standing relationships with professionals who may not be actively job-seeking but are open to the right opportunity.
Direct Hire Real-world Success Stories
The following case studies highlight how direct hire solutions through Corida Resources by Cherry Bekaert can solve complex challenges and support long-term business objectives across a variety of industries and organizations:
- Trade Association: A retained executive search was conducted to replace a departing vice president of talent operations with a strategically aligned leader supported by the trade association’s attractive compensation and benefits package.
- Biotechnology Association: The strategic cross-functional placement of skilled, permanent staff within three departments supported internal restructuring and transformation goals.
- Electronic Discovery Company: Targeted questions led to the hiring of the ideal candidate to fill a gap in strategic financial leadership.
Direct Hire vs. Temp Hire: A Side-by-Side Overview
Before choosing a staffing solution, it's important to understand how direct hire and temporary staffing models compare across key factors that impact business performance, agility and culture. The following table provides a straightforward overview of each option:
| Direct Hire | Temporary Staffing | |
| Employment Status | Permanent, full-time employee | Short-term, project-based or interim staff |
| Recruitment Timeline | Often longer*, focused on cultural fit and long-term potential | Typically fast, aimed at filling immediate gaps |
| Cost Structure | Salaried with benefits and onboarding investment | Hourly or fixed contract, may include agency fees |
| Flexibility | Low; changes require formal HR processes | High; assignments easily adjusted or ended as needed |
| Impact on Culture | Strong continuity and cultural alignment | Minimal; focused on immediate needs rather than integration |
| Role Suitability | Leadership, strategic and core functions | Transitional, support or short-term project roles |
*Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert streamlines your recruitment timeline by providing immediate access to a robust candidate network and handling the time-consuming tasks of sourcing, screening and interviewing, ultimately accelerating your hiring process and reducing delays.
Find the Right Staffing Solution for Your Needs
Change is inevitable — but with the right staffing strategy, companies can stay resilient, responsive and ready to grow. In today’s fast-moving environment, interim and contract-to-hire solutions often make the most sense for organizations navigating transitions, scaling quickly or responding to shifting priorities. These models offer the flexibility to act fast, fill gaps and adapt as business needs evolve.
That said, permanent roles still play a vital role in long-term success. When the time is right to invest in leadership continuity, cultural alignment and strategic growth, direct-hire placements provide the stability and vision needed for organizations to move forward with confidence.
Cordia Resources by Cherry Bekaert offers a full spectrum of staffing solutions, from interim and contract-to-hire to direct hire and executive search, designed to meet your organization’s needs today and support your growth tomorrow.
