Employ vs. Hire — What's the Difference?

To provide work to (someone) and pay them for it.

To obtain the temporary use of (something) for an agreed payment.

To engage the services of (a person or persons).

To engage the services of (a person or persons) for wages or other payment.

To occupy the attention or efforts of (a person or persons).

To rent (something).

To make use of; to use.

To take on or employ in exchange for money.

To have (someone) on the payroll; to maintain as a worker.

To grant the personal services of or temporary use of for a fee.

Give work to (someone) and pay them for it

Obtain the temporary use of (something) for an agreed payment

Make use of

Employ (someone) for wages

The state of being employed for wages or a salary

The action of hiring someone or something

To provide work to (someone) for pay

A person who is hired; an employee

To engage the attention or activity of; occupy

To engage the services of (a person) for a fee; employ

To put (something) to use or service

To engage the temporary use of for a fee; rent

To devote (time, for example) to an activity or purpose

To grant the services of or the temporary use of for a fee

The state of being employed

To obtain work

(Archaic) An occupation.

The act of hiring.

The state of being an employee; employment.

The condition or fact of being hired.

(obsolete) The act of employing someone or making use of something; employment.

Payment for services; wages.

(obsolete) Occupation.

Payment for the use of something.

To hire (somebody for work or a job).

(Informal) One who is hired

To use (somebody for a job, or something for a task).

Payment for the temporary use of something.

To make busy.

(obsolete) Reward, payment.

To inclose; to infold.

The state of being hired, or having a job; employment.

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.

A person who has been hired, especially in a cohort.

To occupy; as, to employ time in study.

(transitive) To obtain the services of in return for fixed payment.

That which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment.

(transitive) To employ; to obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job.

The state of being employed or having a job;

(transitive) To exchange the services of for remuneration.

Put into service; make work or employ (something) for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose;

(transitive) To accomplish by paying for services.

Engage or hire for work;

(intransitive) To accept employment.

(transitive) (neologism) (in the Jobs-to-be-Done Theory) To buy something in order for it to perform a function, to do a job

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Engage or hire for work;

Hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services

Engage for service under a term of contract;

Employers are responsible for managing, compensating, and ensuring the wellbeing of their employees, adhering to contracts and labor laws.

The main difference is that employ suggests a continuing relationship and utilization, whereas hire refers to the act of engaging someone initially.

Hiring is typically the first step in employment, so while hiring can occur without immediate employment (e.g., future start date), employment usually encompasses hiring.

Yes, in cases where an individual is hired for future employment or for short-term, specific tasks without entering into a continuous employment relationship.

Employment contracts outline the terms of the employment relationship, including duties, compensation, and conditions, binding both employer and employee.

In the gig economy, hiring often refers to short-term engagements without traditional employment relationships, emphasizing flexibility over continuity.

Yes, different countries have varying regulations and cultural practices affecting hiring and employment, including contract norms and labor rights.

Employment laws govern both hiring and employing, setting standards for fair practices, discrimination prevention, and worker rights and protections.

Recruitment agencies facilitate hiring by connecting employers with potential employees, though the ongoing employment relationship is between the employer and the employee.

Yes, "hire" can also refer to renting objects or obtaining services on a temporary basis, not just engaging personnel.