Hire vs. Employ: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Hire" refers to the act of engaging someone's services for a specific task, often short-term; "Employ" means to provide work to someone, usually on a longer-term basis.
Key Differences
"Hire" often implies a temporary or specific engagement, such as hiring a contractor for a job. "Employ," however, suggests a more permanent or ongoing work relationship, as in full-time employment.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
The term "hire" can also apply to renting objects, like hiring a car. In contrast, "employ" is exclusively used for engaging human resources, indicating a more formal and ongoing work relationship.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
"Hire" typically involves a specific agreement for a defined period or task, often without the benefits associated with employment. "Employ," on the other hand, implies a continuous engagement, often with benefits like healthcare or retirement plans.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
In terms of legal and HR contexts, "hire" can denote the initial act of bringing someone on board for a job, whereas "employ" refers to the state of having an ongoing work relationship, encompassing responsibilities like pay, training, and compliance with labor laws.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
"Hire" can be more transactional, focusing on the exchange of services for payment, while "employ" carries connotations of a duty of care and responsibility towards the workforce, including aspects like employee well-being and career development.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Benefits
Often no associated benefits
Usually includes benefits and responsibilities
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Nov 17, 2023
Connotation
Transactional, specific agreement
Continuous relationship, duty of care
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Nov 17, 2023
Example
"They hired a consultant for the project."
"The company employs 500 people."
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Nov 17, 2023
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Hire and Employ Definitions
Hire
To engage someone's services for a particular job.
We need to hire a new graphic designer.
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Nov 17, 2023
Employ
To give work to someone and pay them for it.
The firm employs over 1,000 staff members.
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Nov 17, 2023
Employ
To keep someone in service.
She has been employed by the company for ten years.
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Nov 17, 2023
Hire
To engage an employee on a temporary basis.
They hired seasonal workers for the harvest.
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Nov 17, 2023
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Employ
To engage the services of someone on a regular basis.
The organization employs several consultants.
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Nov 17, 2023
Hire
To appoint someone for a specific task or role.
She was hired to organize the event.
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Nov 17, 2023
Employ
To use something for a particular purpose.
He employed his skills to solve the problem.
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Nov 17, 2023
Hire
To engage the services of (a person) for a fee; employ
Hired a new clerk.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To provide a job to someone.
Many industries employ skilled laborers.
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Nov 17, 2023
Employ
To provide work to (someone) for pay
Agreed to employ the job applicant.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To grant the services of or the temporary use of for a fee
Hired himself out as a cook.
Hired out the cottage for the summer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To engage the attention or activity of; occupy
Employed himself for an hour reading blogs.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To obtain work
She hired on as a deck hand. He hired out as a photographer.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To put (something) to use or service
Employed a pen to open the package.
Employed her skills in the new job.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To devote (time, for example) to an activity or purpose
Employed several months in learning Swahili.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
The state of being an employee; employment.
The school district has six thousand teachers in its employ.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
(obsolete) The act of employing someone or making use of something; employment.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
Payment for the temporary use of something.
The sign offered pedalos on hire.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To hire (somebody for work or a job).
Yesterday our local garage employed a new mechanic.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
The state of being hired, or having a job; employment.
When my grandfather retired, he had over twenty mechanics in his hire.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To use (somebody for a job, or something for a task).
The burglar employed a jemmy to get in.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
A person who has been hired, especially in a cohort.
We pair up each of our new hires with one of our original hires.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
(transitive) To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.
We hired a car for two weeks because ours had broken down.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
(transitive) To employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job.
The company had problems when it tried to hire more skilled workers.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To use; to have in service; to cause to be engaged in doing something; - often followed by in, about, on, or upon, and sometimes by to; as: (a) To make use of, as an instrument, a means, a material, etc., for a specific purpose; to apply; as, to employ the pen in writing, bricks in building, words and phrases in speaking; to employ the mind; to employ one's energies.
This is a day in which the thoughts . . . ought to be employed on serious subjects.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
(transitive) To exchange the services of for remuneration.
They hired themselves out as day laborers.
They hired out their basement for Inauguration week.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
To occupy; as, to employ time in study.
Jonathan . . . and Jahaziah . . . were employed about this matter.
Thy vineyard must employ the sturdy steerTo turn the glebe.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
(transitive) To accomplish by paying for services.
After waiting two years for her husband to finish the tiling, she decided to hire it done.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
That which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment.
The whole employ of body and of mind.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
The state of being employed or having a job;
They are looking for employment
He was in the employ of the city
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
(transitive) (neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job
They hired a milkshake.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Employ
Put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose;
Use your head!
We only use Spanish at home
I can't make use of this tool
Apply a magnetic field here
This thinking was applied to many projects
How do you utilize this tool?
I apply this rule to get good results
Use the plastic bags to store the food
He doesn't know how to use a computer
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
The price, reward, or compensation paid, or contracted to be paid, for the temporary use of a thing or a place, for personal service, or for labor; wages; rent; pay.
The laborer is worthy of his hire.
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Oct 19, 2023
Employ
Engage or hire for work;
They hired two new secretaries in the department
How many people has she employed?
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
A bailment by which the use of a thing, or the services and labor of a person, are contracted for at a certain price or reward.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To procure (any chattel or estate) from another person, for temporary use, for a compensation or equivalent; to purchase the use or enjoyment of for a limited time; as, to hire a farm for a year; to hire money.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To engage or purchase the service, labor, or interest of (any one) for a specific purpose, by payment of wages; as, to hire a servant, an agent, or an advocate.
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Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To grant the temporary use of, for compensation; to engage to give the service of, for a price; to let; to lease; - now usually with out, and often reflexively; as, he has hired out his horse, or his time.
They . . . have hired out themselves for bread.
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Hire
Engage or hire for work;
They hired two new secretaries in the department
How many people has she employed?
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Hire
Engage for service under a term of contract;
We took an apartment on a quiet street
Let's rent a car
Shall we take a guide in Rome?
Shumaila Saeed
Oct 19, 2023
Hire
To take on someone's services in exchange for payment.
The company hired a freelancer for the project.
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Nov 17, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can "hire" imply a permanent job?
Rarely, it's mostly used for temporary or specific engagements.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Does "employ" always mean a full-time job?
Not always, it can include part-time and contract roles.
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Nov 17, 2023
Can you "hire" someone for a day?
Yes, "hire" is often used for short-term engagements.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Can "hire" be used interchangeably with "employ"?
They can overlap but have different connotations.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Does "employ" indicate a legal work relationship?
Yes, it usually involves formal employment contracts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Does "employ" imply a long-term commitment?
Usually, it suggests an ongoing work relationship.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Is "employ" a more formal term?
Yes, it's used in more formal, long-term employment contexts.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Is "hire" used in formal business language?
Yes, particularly in the context of recruitment.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Is "employ" used for non-human resources?
No, it's specific to human work engagements.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Can "hire" refer to a probationary period?
Yes, it can be used in this context.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 17, 2023
Can a freelancer be "hired"?
Yes, freelancers are often hired for specific tasks.
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Nov 17, 2023
Does "employ" involve providing benefits?
Typically, it includes benefits and responsibilities.
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Nov 17, 2023
Does "hire" require a contract?
Often, especially for specific tasks or periods.
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Nov 17, 2023
Can "hire" be used for volunteer work?
Less commonly, as "hire" usually implies payment.
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Nov 17, 2023
Does "employ" imply responsibilities for the employer?
Yes, including legal and ethical duties.
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Nov 17, 2023
Can "employ" be used for temporary workers?
Yes, but it generally implies a more stable arrangement.
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Nov 17, 2023
Is "employ" used in government and corporate sectors alike?
Yes, it's a standard term across various sectors.
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Nov 17, 2023
Are interns considered "employed"?
Yes, though often under specific conditions.
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Nov 17, 2023
Can a company "hire" other companies?
Yes, in the sense of contracting services.
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Nov 17, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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