Bad Experiences

I have had really bad experiences working with office team. There staff is horrible to work with. But as temp agencies goes they are all the same. Worthless!!!!

I think Office Team is horrible also. I had a temp job through them once which but would never work for them again after one of the recruiters hounded me unmercifully to quit a different temp job to go back to a job where they didn't have enough work to keep me busy for more than a day a week. She was a nasty bully.

I worked for Officeteam for 3 years and had the greatest expereince. I have acutally never had problems working for any temp agency and while in college that is how I paid my way thru school. I'll give you tips on making the agency work for you and I promise you'll keep working. First, DO NOT treat you interview with the temp agency as just filling out an app and taking tests...dress the part as if you are about to interview for a $75K a year job....Grooming and grammar are key. Next be flexible and accessible. Even though you may want to have a temp to hire position, they are not always available. Take those 1 week or 1 day assignments. If you put your best foot forward they can turn into longer assignments. I've been on assignments that were supposed to last a day that would turn into a 2 week gig and a 1 week gig that turned into 5 months. The key is to make sure that you leave a GREAT lasting impression on the client. You want them to give you a good review. When you are not on assignments make sure that you call but just once a week. The best times are Thursday afternoons because that is when a lot of assignments come in and you want to have your name fresh on their mind...but don't call everyday because then you become the call that they want to avoid and that is not good as well. Officeteam offers Skillsoft. Take it. Its is developed with Microsoft and is a great tool to better your skills. After you take a course call you office and tell them you would like to retake a test that you maybe didn't do so well....that way when you score higher they see that you are really putting forth the effort to better yourself. I could go on and on but these are just really good things to help you with you temp agency blues.

Dawn said: you spelled their wrong (rolls eyes) some people! I also think you missed the point!

These agencies are a plague, now they are flooding the discussion boards with THEIR insults and negative comments towards people looking for employment. This IS my point. Do the leg work and forget using staffing agencies.

Melissa, you need to put a cork in your mouth (removed), that's just how disgusting you sound. You call your consecutives job assignments as the key to getting better jobs or whatever.... I've did several assignments for these agencies and I can honestly say, it does not better your chance to get a FULL TIME, PERMANENT JOB.

Why do you think they are called a Temp agency ? If you took their skillsoft test or whatever, and did well... you actually giving them more confidence to to keep using you to fill short-terms jobs. If a full time, better pay job was in need, you can bet they won't call you to fill it, NOO WAYY... you're their bread and butter gal they gonna milk as much as possible. You're like a product to them. If the employer or company that you doing work for, want to hire you on full time, the employer have to buy out your contract with the agency. Since that's too expensive they just keep hiring for short term to fill temporary needs and you sitting encouraging everything to take the test and do well etc.

Please do us a favor and SHUT UP, okay. I wouldn't be surprise if you actually an agent for these agencies and encouraging up to stay with the them.

Good grace! You should be seriously slapped.

The office team problem I had was not paying attention to the skills set the temp was "supposed to" have.

Experienced in all Microsoft Office turned out to be limited experience in Excell, almost none in Access and challenges in Word. My file clerk was quick but later I found his alphabet was not the same as mine.

This is my THIRD post! The other two no longer appear here. They are up for a day and it seems as if somehow they are deleted. Real nice. If you're running a shoddy business people have a right to know. Don't erase reviews on a review forum.!!!! Let's see how long this post lasts before it is erased.

Accountemps along with 5 other lines of business. I am an office manager for one of their branches. I could go into how I came into my position and really be as cruel and disrespectful as those of you who leave messages on this forum but that's not my style. I was simply trying to help people. I created a way that kept me working until I came into the company permanently and I wanted to share that because I had once been in your shoes. I thought that by combining my experience along with giving you an inside track on what goes on in the office and giving advice from the staffing managers that I work with on a daily basis would be a benefit but apparently it was not appreciated. Good Luck in your job search.

You know what's amazing to me...I was trying to help people by giving them the things that I used as a temp. For the record I do have a full time permanent position with one of the Robert Half Int'l branches. Robert Half is the parent company for Officeteam and Accountemps along with 5 other lines of business. I am an office manager for one of their branches. I could go into how I came into my position and really be as cruel and disrespectful as those of you who leave messages on this forum but that's not my style. I was simply trying to help people. I created a way that kept me working until I came into the company permanently and I wanted to share that because I had once been in your shoes. I thought that by combining my experience along with giving you an inside track on what goes on in the office and giving advice from the staffing managers that I work with on a daily basis would be a benefit but apparently it was not appreciated. Good Luck in your job search.

Rod said: Melissa, you need to put a cork in your mouth (removed), that's just how disgusting you sound. You call your consecutives job assignments as the key to getting better jobs or whatever.... I've did several assignments for these agencies and I can honestly say, it does not better your chance to get a FULL TIME, PERMANENT JOB.
Why do you think they are called a Temp agency ? If you took their skillsoft test or whatever, and did well... you actually giving them more confidence to to keep using you to fill short-terms jobs. If a full time, better pay job was in need, you can bet they won't call you to fill it, NOO WAYY... you're their bread and butter gal they gonna milk as much as possible. You're like a product to them. If the employer or company that you doing work for, want to hire you on full time, the employer have to buy out your contract with the agency. Since that's too expensive they just keep hiring for short term to fill temporary needs and you sitting encouraging everything to take the test and do well etc.
Please do us a favor and SHUT UP, okay. I wouldn't be surprise if you actually an agent for these agencies and encouraging up to stay with the them.
Good grace! You should be seriously slapped.

I was trying to help people. I don't understand why so many of you people on here have to be so mean. You don't know me from Adam yet you think that I need to be slapped. That's cool. Good Luck with your job search…I have a great full time permanent position myself with a great salary and wonderful benefits…oh and it with that company that you said that I was there "bread and butter gal"…hope you can say the same…..

Anonymous said:
You spelled experience wrong. Isn't incorrect spelling the reason you taunted another person posting thier opinion as being the reason no one ever hired them?

Not a pleasant experience. They tell you one thing and do another. I had an opportunity and had the job. But then they changed their mind **after** they told me- said that the client changed their mind. Too bad I had already left my other job- nightmare in a warehouse for the professional opportunity I thought I had.

boy no wonder some of you don't have jobs. Too much time playing on the computer, and maybe it's the negative way you look at things!

Old saying "if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all!!"

Trevor - DC metro said:
You spelled "their" wrong.

These agencies are a plague, now they are flooding the discussion boards with THEIR insults and negative comments towards people looking for employment. This IS my point. Do the leg work and forget using staffing agencies.

YES. I AGREE. If you want to get something done right, the best approach is to do it yourself!!! :)

Hmmmmmm......I'm thinking that OFFICE TEAM plays too much on the computer with FAKE ADS! If I see a job posting and it has comments, I'M GOING TO LOOK! I WISH that I had looked BEFORE I went to apply for a job that wasn't there. By the way for any of you that respond with some goofy comment like "stop playing on the computer and look for a job", please remember that you too probably have done it that way a time or two and I DID get wise and found a job no thanks to the promises of Office Team and oh by the way, it was an online ad.

Makes me wonder if these people at the temps aren't "on to us" on this forum?!

I recently registered with an Officeteam office here in Indiana. They are rude, their receptionist NEVER lets me talk to a staffing agent. Always have to leave voice mails, which go unanswered. They are not professional at all.

Someone out there said: Hmmmmmm......I'm thinking that OFFICE TEAM plays too much on the computer with FAKE ADS! If I see a job posting and it has comments, I'M GOING TO LOOK! I WISH that I had looked BEFORE I went to apply for a job that wasn't there. By the way for any of you that respond with some goofy comment like "stop playing on the computer and look for a job", please remember that you too probably have done it that way a time or two and I DID get wise and found a job no thanks to the promises of Office Team and oh by the way, it was an online ad.

I recently registered with an Officeteam office here in Indiana. They are rude, their receptionist NEVER lets me talk to a staffing agent. Always have to leave voice mails, which go unanswered. They are not professional at all.

Linda said: I have had really bad experiences working with office team. There staff is horrible to work with. But as temp agencies goes they are all the same. Worthless!!!!

I totally agree.. they say they have all these jobs, you go there, you test, you drive all over the place and they place you no where.. and say they will submit your resume and yet you never even get an interview... submitting resumes dont pay the bills!!

Seriously people...there's a reason you're not getting jobs. Don't you think officeTeam wants to mkae money? If they could place you at a job and make money off of you they would. Usually you people come in with a chip on your shoulder, poor office skills, and a less then desirable appearence. If you're seriouse about getting a job try and figure out what you are doing wrong and work on it. And just a reminder...OfficeTeam doesn't charge you anything therefore doesn't owe you anything. They are simply a tool to use while you are looking for a permanent position. Don't depend on them to be your ownly empolyment.

I find that all temp agencies are worthless.
Go through all of their testing and never get a job.
Your much better off on your own.
Now the web sites are flooded with their job opening ads.
I have found the same job on my own for more money, starting pay, then they listed.
If you go to Jobs.com or CareerBuilder all you see are temp agency listings.
I only go to the EDD or to the ads that are not listed by a agency.

Hey Everybody!

Yes, I too have had some bad experiences with Office Team. The best way to stop the bad experience is to go to the TOP...Corporate! Office Team does post old ads and fake ads on the internet. I have stopped using them as my TIME is IMPORTANT to me also. I have had other agencies work with me that DON'T place phony ads on the internet. At one time I cancelled an appointment to go on an interview, Office Team Staff Member got mad at me for canceling my interview with her. I gave her 8 hours notice too! Sorry, I had an actual interview that I got on my own. Network on your own, you can get some interviews on your own, but don't burn your bridges with any agency. Be diligent, don't waste time,"If you want to the job done right, do it yourself" Only use 3 or 4 agencies. Also, I have an HR Background, I have told Office Team that I had one, and they still didn't do the job I expected them to do. Just write a letter to their Corporate Office and Report the Branch you had the bad experience with! Believe me.They will change their tune!! Good Luck to all of you finding a Job! Just always be professional!!

What I REALLY want to hear is how many people are actually placed who come in for interviews?

And what percentage of their ads are actually BOGUS? I would guess 95% are BOGUS.

Anyone willing to admit some dirty truths here?

I worked with office team in the past. these people are the worst, up there with manpower. you have no say in anything, and they expect you to bow to your employer. what are these people thinking. i have worked for other agencies, none are as despicable as manpower and officeteam! if u are thinking of working for these people don't!

Anonymous in Plainfield, Illinois said: You spelled experience wrong. Isn't incorrect spelling the reason you taunted another person posting thier opinion as being the reason no one ever hired them?

My experience at as a recruiter at a temp agency was a nightmare job. I was astounded how immature, mean, and prejudice my colleagues were and walked out on a good paying job. The head games they played were amazing. Another note...they require each recruiter to recruit a certain # of new contacts weekly. Now that I know how greedy agencies are and NOT giving a damn about applicants once they get them on their lists, I will never use one again. Personally, would love to see them all go out of business. The so called "recruiters" would not last in a real HR setting.

Rod in Houston, Texas said: Melissa, you need to put a cork in your mouth (removed), that's just how disgusting you sound. You call your consecutives job assignments as the key to getting better jobs or whatever.... I've did several assignments for these agencies and I can honestly say, it does not better your chance to get a FULL TIME, PERMANENT JOB.

Why do you think they are called a Temp agency ? If you took their skillsoft test or whatever, and did well... you actually giving them more confidence to to keep using you to fill short-terms jobs. If a full time, better pay job was in need, you can bet they won't call you to fill it, NOO WAYY... you're their bread and butter gal they gonna milk as much as possible. You're like a product to them. If the employer or company that you doing work for, want to hire you on full time, the employer have to buy out your contract with the agency. Since that's too expensive they just keep hiring for short term to fill temporary needs and you sitting encouraging everything to take the test and do well etc.

Please do us a favor and SHUT UP, okay. I wouldn't be surprise if you actually an agent for these agencies and encouraging up to stay with the them.

Good grace! You should be seriously slapped.

Yep, I believe she is a recruiter from an agency, too. She depends on people to sign up with her to make her numbers look good. It's glorified sales. The agency gets a cut as well as the recruiter from YOU working for them.

Temp agencies also use your references as potential customers. That is the real reason they want warm bodies to show up at the office-so that they can garner more business by using the job seeker's references. One of my references I listed on my job application informed me that the agency tried to sell her on their services, rather than inquiring about my performance.

On temp agencies using references as potential customers: I always wondered about that. I've done a lot of job shopping in my life, and it always seemed to me that the temp agencies wanted an inordinate number of references compared to the companies which were doing direct hire, who are usually satisfied with 2.

Joining Office Team was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I started working for them when I couldn't find a job and didn't know what I wanted to do. The trick is to prove to them that you are a good and reliable worker. Call them back immediately when they call, and keep in touch. The more jobs I worked, the more skills I gained, which got me better and better jobs the next time around. And it's a hell of a resume builder.

To the person who said that temp agencies won't get you a permanent job, I disagree. I got a job through Office Team that BEGGED me to apply for the permanent position. They had seen me work and knew I was too valuable to lose. These people even admitted that if I had submitted my application without having worked there first, they would have laughed and thrown it out. They didn't dare hire someone else, when they already knew I could handle the job. I ended up getting a 50% pay increase and full benefits. And no, Office Team will not keep you around and try to milk you for everything you are worth, because they get a finders fee if you are hired. They actually called me up to thank me, telling me the guy in charge of the account was in his office doing backflips.

So I would recommend them to anyone. You've got nothing to lose. If you don't want a job, don't take it. But keep in mind that they are going to give jobs to their best workers. I managed to become their best in less than a year, to the point where they would call me up and let me choose which job I wanted from all the positions they had available. And I never went a day without a job, they made sure they kept them lined up for me.

Officeteam is a horrible place, the recruiters are not professional at all. They are rude Money hungry. They do post lots of FAKE ads. They put you through all this testing. You score top-notch on the testing, so they tell you they will submit your resume to the client, but you never hear back from them. Keep getting voice mail and no one ever calls you back. The receptiontist is unfriendly, rude and unprofessional. The Division Director speaks so fast that it sounds like a marking pitch and you cannot evern understand him. they are a worthless temp agency. There are a few others here in Rhode Island. They tried to push assignment that you are not interested in and if you say no they get mad They pay awful. I will never work with them again or refere anyone there. You are better off looking for your own job on craiglist, monster etc.

The longest I ever worked for a staffing service was four years, but it wasn't Office Team. I do not like those people one bit; I've now been picked up by another agency, I won't say where, but I worked for this contractor in 1983 when it operated under a different name. I did very well with that contractor, then went to another one, and later hired directly by an insurance company where I stayed for 15 years until they were acquired. I intend to change my line of work to paralegal, and I have worked for my state's Department of Labor for four years. The state is really my true calling and not corporate life.

Beware of Craig's List! There are a lot of unethical people posting jobs on there. Some of the jobs sound like permanent jobs but are contract for a project but they don't tell you that up front. I've found that sleazier employers seem to post on Craig's List.

Sherry in Denver, Colorado said: I think Office Team is horrible also. I had a temp job through them once which but would never work for them again after one of the recruiters hounded me unmercifully to quit a different temp job to go back to a job where they didn't have enough work to keep me busy for more than a day a week. She was a nasty bully.

Was her name Angela in the Greenwood Village office by chance? Ha-ha!!

Melissa in Pleasanton, California said: Accountemps along with 5 other lines of business. I am an office manager for one of their branches. I could go into how I came into my position and really be as cruel and disrespectful as those of you who leave messages on this forum but that's not my style. I was simply trying to help people. I created a way that kept me working until I came into the company permanently and I wanted to share that because I had once been in your shoes. I thought that by combining my experience along with giving you an inside track on what goes on in the office and giving advice from the staffing managers that I work with on a daily basis would be a benefit but apparently it was not appreciated. Good Luck in your job search.

Down with Office Team! May they rot and burn in the hot place!

Rod in Houston, Texas said:

Rod, you sound like a very rude and angry person. You don't know Melissa and I don't know her either; however to tell someone to shut up or that they need to be slapped it's just not acceptable. She’s telling the truth, so why are you “snapping” at her-only because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean everyone had.
I am a Hiring Manager for a Major national company. I work with few Staffing Agencies and thanks to them I get the quality, hard to find candidates for my open positions. My company doesn't even advertise when we have openings-we only go through staffing services, and believe me- many people want to work for my company.

Going back to the staffing services issues: do you know how many people are hired through staffing services? Do you realize that thanks to the staffing industry the unemployment rates went down and when the companies lay off employees, they hire temporary associates, because they are not on the company's payroll but rather the agency's- this provides employment for many unemployed folks;
Another thing I wanted to comment on: not all the staffing services are Temp Agencies; most staffing firms provide temporary, temp-to-hire and permanent placements, and yes- being a temporary "gets your foot in the door"; I have hired people who were with us on temp. basis for a project, but they were so good-we found place for them in our company.
Bottom line: quality, hard working people with good work ethics, skills and approachable, flexible personality will find jobs and will be successful, whether or not they found jobs on they own or through the agency; being registered with agency (or few of them) just increase your chance of finding a good job.

Penny in Naperville, Illinois said:

Penny- Looking for an accounting in Joliet area, got any leads.
BP

Melissa in Pleasanton, California said: I worked for Officeteam for 3 years and had the greatest expereince. I have acutally never had problems working for any temp agency and while in college that is how I paid my way thru school. I'll give you tips on making the agency work for you and I promise you'll keep working. First, DO NOT treat you interview with the temp agency as just filling out an app and taking tests...dress the part as if you are about to interview for a $75K a year job....Grooming and grammar are key. Next be flexible and accessible. Even though you may want to have a temp to hire position, they are not always available. Take those 1 week or 1 day assignments. If you put your best foot forward they can turn into longer assignments. I've been on assignments that were supposed to last a day that would turn into a 2 week gig and a 1 week gig that turned into 5 months. The key is to make sure that you leave a GREAT lasting impression on the client. You want them to give you a good review. When you are not on assignments make sure that you call but just once a week. The best times are Thursday afternoons because that is when a lot of assignments come in and you want to have your name fresh on their mind...but don't call everyday because then you become the call that they want to avoid and that is not good as well. Officeteam offers Skillsoft. Take it. Its is developed with Microsoft and is a great tool to better your skills. After you take a course call you office and tell them you would like to retake a test that you maybe didn't do so well....that way when you score higher they see that you are really putting forth the effort to better yourself. I could go on and on but these are just really good things to help you with you temp agency blues.

So the moral of the story is:

1. Dress as if you are going on a $75k/yr. job
2. End up with a $10 an hour job that's only temp?

I don't get it!

Look at all the job requirements vs. the LOW PAY!

Job Title: Graphic Designer
Job Type: Part-Time

This is a fabulous opportunity for an individual looking to get his/her foot in the door with an organization that has a promising future! SURE! WE'VE HEARD IT BEFORE!!!

This position is responsible for the concept, design, and production (layout) of high-profile marketing and advertising campaigns and promotional pieces (print and emedia) for our organization as well as for our client organizations.

The Graphic Designer is required to work Monday – Thursday, 10am – 5pm (with an hour unpaid lunch hour).

Essential duties and responsibilities:
• Produce marketing and advertising campaign concepts.
• Produce advertising, direct mail, sales kits, and related print collateral as well as e-media templates and promotional pieces.
• Produce completed jobs from concept to delivery on time and within budget.
• Create and send final artwork to vendors.
• Follow established production procedures; assist in refining procedures to make best use of time.
• Create templates and style sheets for use by clients and internal departments.
• Assist in development, management, and file maintenance of graphical standards for clients and internal organization.
• Keep current on design and marketing trends and strategies.

Demonstrated experience requirements:
• Energetic, highly motivated, intelligent graphic designer with design firm talent
• Applicant should be a Photoshop wizard who is versatile in both print and web environments
• Our ideal candidate will be a highly creative, out of the box thinker
• Must hav

Linda in Cedar Rapids, Iowa said: I have had really bad experiences working with office team. There staff is horrible to work with. But as temp agencies goes they are all the same. Worthless!!!!

I have to agree wholeheartedly! They had me going in on last minute assignments when someone would call in sick. This happened 5 times, but when I called in sick one morning, they fired me.

Yes, they are worthless and illogical and not good business people at all!!

I quit a job because I was promised a new assignment from a staffing firm (in writing), which never came through. My unemployment claim may be denied for quitting another job for this promised job. Do I have any legal recourse against the staffing firm?

Wow, usually jobs aren't "promised" but in your case, since it's in writing, you may have a claim? I would call a few employment related attorneys for a free consult. At the very least, contact your Dept. of Labor and show them the letter. In that case, I think you'd win unemployment benefits.

Melissa in Pleasanton, California said: I worked for Officeteam for 3 years and had the greatest expereince. I could go on and on but these are just really good things to help you with you temp agency blues.

Melissa works for OfficeTeam and this posting was a copy straight out of their playbook! Notice she's from "Pleasanton, CA," which happens to be the corporate headquarters.

That being said, I've worked for OT for almost 3 years and have nothing but good things to say about the company. Remember, nothing's perfect, but OT has always managed to find me places to work.

Good luck to us all!

I applied with them a couple of years ago and got an assignment at a local textile mail-order company. To my surprise, this position was a $12/hr position interviewing people for jobs at the company's call center. This would have been a great opportunity if it wasn't for the fact that I had absolutely no HR experience. I should not have taken the assignment but I really had to due to the fact that jobs were scare and rent needed to be paid. And so I did the best I could do at the assignment. To make a long story short I ended up getting let go for not apparent reason with a random phone call on a Friday afternoon. Before I left I went to speak to the HR Director of that particular company to get some constructive criticism about how I did on the assignment (I was briefly interested in a career in HR at the time) and I told her that I had no experience in HR. The next day I got a call from OfficeTeam and they rudely chewed me out for telling the company that I had no HR experience. I mean, didn't the hiring manager at the company even see my resume before they agreed to take me on??

This experience was very confusing and traumatic and made me never to want to try temp agencies again. Fortunately I went to another temp agency in the Tucson area called the 'Temp Connection" and they have been an absolute joy to work with. It just goes to show that except for a few bad eggs like OfficeTeam, temp agencies can be a good experience.

Melissa gave really good advice, people.

You have to start somewhere, and if you are at the bottom, you take the low paying asignments and eventually get higher paying ones. It's the same with all agencies.

As for Rod in Houston - what you said does not make sense. If Officeteam gave someone a higher paying assignment, it also means the officeteam commission will be HIGHER. They will make MORE money, not lose money. Plus with permanent placements, once the company ( that any staffing agency placed you at), hires you on permanently, that company pays the staffing agency a commission based on the hiring salary. And it's not peanuts.

Staffing agencies are staffing agencies. I've signed up with ones that did not place me anywhere but placed other people I knew in many assignments. And vice versa. Personally i've had positive experiences with Officeteam.

Another angry unemployed person.

I actually had a very different experience with OfficeTeam. Then again, perhaps every branch is different.I hate to be the odd man out here, but OfficeTeam seems to have done well for me.

The branch I've used is in Waukesha, WI. It was there that I saw an ad for a proofreading position. After testing, I met with someone. Everyone I talked to there was very nice and helpful. I later got an interview with their client in Brookfield, and was hired the same day. In fact, this was yesterday. They are not at all like the other descriptions I hear on these forums, and they are much better than an agency I used a long time ago, which has thankfully closed down.

I'll agree that the pay isn't the best and keeps on getting lower from what I was told it would be. However, I think this is the beginning of a career.

Oh, and by the way, I'm usually a very negative and distrusting person, but I would certainly recommend the one in Waukesha any day. I'll keep people posted if things turn out differently.

Anonymous in Plainfield, Illinois said: You spelled experience wrong. Isn't incorrect spelling the reason you taunted another person posting thier opinion as being the reason no one ever hired them?

You criticize this person for spelling a word wrong but, You can't even spell the word their right.

Huh? That is the most poorly written sentence in the whole forum!!!

"You criticize this person for spelling a word wrong but, You can't even spell the word their right."

Let's try it correctly:

"You criticize this person for spelling a word wrong. However, you did not even spell the word "their" right."

Thank you.