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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Nov 17, 2023
Is "employ" used for non-human resources?
No, it's specific to human work engagements.
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Nov 17, 2023
Can "hire" refer to a probationary period?
Yes, it can be used in this context.
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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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