Bridging the Skills Gap: The Hire Train Deploy Model

Picture this. It’s 8 a.m., and disaster has already struck. You’re a hiring manager or a recruiter. You’re on your second or maybe third cup of coffee. On your screen is a perfect candidate. Great recommendations. Lots of industry experience. There’s only one problem. They’re missing key skills for the position. 

What do you do? 

Well, that’s the problem hire train deploy services providers seek to solve.

At its core, hire train deploy is a comprehensive framework that invests in the professional development of recruits and workers, creating a skilled workforce ready for deployment. 

The hire train deploy model offers an alternative to traditional hiring

It’s no secret that finding new recruits is massively expensive. In fact, 70% of hiring managers prefer to train existing employees rather than hire new ones, according to recent research from the Harris Poll and Express Employment Professionals.

Perhaps that’s why many new organizations are turning to the hire train deploy process, also known as hire-train-deploy or simply HTD, instead. 

The hire train deploy model follows three simple steps.

1. Hire: Agencies recruit individuals looking for work. They may be new to the industry or have relevant experience but not the technical know-how companies need.
2. Train: The recruits get hands-on learning with an in-demand competency. Sometimes, while working on projects for companies, the agency has contracted with.
3. Deploy: Employees get hired full-time by another company or continue to work with the original agency on various projects.

Why use the hire train deploy?

It’s a fair question. The traditional model has worked well, so what does hire train deploy offer that others don’t? Here are some of the pros of this method.

Benefits for employees:

• Steady income while upskilling or learning a new industry
• Chance to work with big companies and experience new opportunities
• Hands-on training during the learning process

Benefits for employers:

• Hire employees with relevant industry backgrounds who need more technical skills
• Agencies build a steady stream of new employees for enterprise clients who need a large volume of new talent
• See if employees are a good fit before investing the money necessary to employ them full-time

As for potential downsides, contract work doesn’t always translate into a full-time job, and using contract workers may mean drawing from a pool of less invested workers. Still, it’s a good option for people looking to change positions and niche industries with many new technical requirements.

Now that we know the pros and cons, what do the numbers say?

Staffing services categories experienced a traffic drop in 2023

While Hire Train Deploy Services Provider is brand new, we can look to the other staffing services on G2 to see what future success could look like. There are nine staffing categories currently on the site. The top four in terms of traffic are Recruitment Agencies, Staffing Agencies, Recruitment Marketing Agencies, and Healthcare Staffing Services.

Recruitment Agencies are at the top, which is unsurprising given the high need for specialized talent in the current client, with Staffing Agencies not far behind. 

Comparatively, Recruitment Marketing Agencies and Healthcare Staffing Services have remained steadier with peaks and valleys.

The biggest jump in traffic was seen in December of 2022, likely with companies hiring for the new year, with a second jump in February and April, perhaps as the result of funding coming through with the approval of new budgets.

In 2023, there has been some decline, though traffic remains at about the same level or higher (depending on the category) as in the summer of 2022. An uncertain economic climate is no doubt the cause.

This is where hire train deploy could prove useful for enterprises looking for proven talent with the necessary skills.

Solving modern talent solutions with hire train deploy

Ultimately, time will tell whether this new approach catches on or dies, but it has a couple of things going for it. 

First, a more risk-free way for companies and employees to have a trial period before committing the time and expense of full-time onboarding. Second, a way to allow people to shift jobs without losing that crucial insider industry knowledge and taking on new technical skills. And third, a way to set up a continual flow of up-and-coming, qualified candidates.

No matter what, with a need for tried and tested candidates growing and resources to hire them on unsteady ground, it will be an interesting year for staffing services and the new hire train deploy model.

Learn more about global hiring trends and how employer of record (EOR) and global employment platforms (GEP) software are revamping the industry.

Edited by Shanti S Nair