Direct hire, matched right the first time.
Accelerate hiring with pre-screened, qualified candidates — sourced and placed to fill permanent roles quickly.
Consecutive years
Forbes' America's Best Professional Recruiting Firms listlargest provider
of education talent in the U.S.people
connected to jobs yearlyFinding the right long-term fit shouldn't take forever.
Direct hire staffing ensures you're investing in the right people who align with your business to reduce turnover. For 80+ years, Kelly has provided skilled permanent workers worldwide for nearly every specialty, from one hire to hundreds. Our recruiters are experts in their field and know your industry to identify quality candidates faster, reducing downtime.
Our vetted network of hundreds of thousands of specialized workers is trained and ready when you need them. We'll handle the hiring process, then you’ll own the employment relationship, and your new employee will be on your payroll from day one.
Kelly onboarded 955 new hires and boosted time-on-assignment by 166% to support new warehouse.
A manufacturer required a workforce of specialized warehouse and manufacturing roles to staff its new location. To meet operational needs, the manufacturer needed a solution that could seamlessly scale to achieve and maintain a full capacity of 1,200 associates with low turnover.
Challenge: Quickly fill 400 roles within a year at a new warehouse facility.
Solution:Built a scalable, end-to-end staffing solution.
Result: Achieved a 104% delivery rate while staying within budget. 955 employees onboarded and boosted time-on-assignment by 166%. By midyear, Kelly made an additional 436 hires to support the company's evolving needs.
When you need immediate and consistent help.
Direct hire staffing solutions are designed for these situations:
Your workload is consistently growing and you need specialized people now.
An employee is on leave and the work needs to keep moving. You need someone who can step in who already knows your industry.
There's a gap in expertise at your organization.
Your internal team doesn't have the network to find people with specialized skills quickly.
How the direct hire staffing process works at Kelly.
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1. Define the need
A specialist recruiter in your industry evaluates the role, required skills, timeline, and industry context. -
2. Source candidates from deep talent networks
We draw from a pre-screened active pipeline of qualified candidates and talent networks across 10 specialties to identify the right fit for your role. For example, we have access to 874,000 candidates in our U.S. Professional & Industrial specialty talent pool. -
3. Deliver qualified candidates
Secure permanent, full-time employees who are ready to work when you need them. For example, Kelly delivers specialized IT employees across the U.S. in an average of 10 days. -
4. The work begins
Once we identify the permanent employee you want to hire, your business takes over all employer responsibilities, and your worker goes on your payroll on day one. -
5. Scale your workforce on your terms
If your workforce needs change, let us know and we'll recommend the right staffing solution.
Four ways your team will feel the difference.
Deep industry expertise attracts quality talent faster.
You'll get more done with less downtime because you'll have the best-fit talent right when you need them.
Tailored solutions that make a real impact
See a measurable impact and exceed your goals through custom workforce programs and processes.
One partner to manage your workforce.
You'll have one reliable partner with 10 specialties to give you access to a wider range of quality candidates faster with less vendors to manage. You'll also have less on your plate to manage because Kelly has the resources and teams to do it all for you.
Technology with human insight.
Get real-time visibility into your workforce to move your business forward. Kelly leverages patented technology to deliver clearer data and analytics to make better workforce decisions.
Frequently asked questions.
What is direct hire staffing?
Direct hire staffing means Kelly recruits, vets, and places a candidate directly into a permanent role within your organization. The candidate becomes your employee from day one with no trial period.
What industries and roles does Kelly place through direct hire?
Kelly places permanent talent across 10 specialties spanning nearly every industry. Whether you're filling a single specialized role or scaling a team across multiple functions, we have the pipeline and expertise to find the right fit for your long-term needs.
What does the direct placement staffing process look like at Kelly?
We start by understanding the role and what success looks like beyond the job description, including your company culture. Kelly sources from both active applicants and our passive talent network, screens and assesses candidates, and delivers a shortlist ready to interview with you.
How long does a direct hire placement take?
Placement timelines vary based on the role's complexity, seniority, and market conditions. Your Kelly recruiter will give you a realistic timeline based on your specific role and market. For example, Kelly averages 10 days to place IT professionals across North America.
What's the difference between the direct hire process and a recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program?
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Direct hiring is a single-placement solution that's the right fit if you have a specific role to fill and want expert recruiting support without restructuring your entire hiring process. Kelly recruits and places one candidate into a permanent role, then hands the employment relationship to you.
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A recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) program is built for organizations hiring at volume or looking to transform how their talent acquisition function operates. An RPO is generally a broader, ongoing partnership where Kelly owns the entire recruitment process across multiple roles, functions, or locations.
How is the staffing expertise at Kelly different from my internal team's?