Robert Half(Wits)

Please see comments in the other Forums - Robert Half Technology, Robert Half International, Robert Half Legal, Robert Half Finance & Accounting, Robert Half Resources. They are all the same, they just keep changing names so people don't catch on. Robert Half is full of Half-Wits, so your self a favor & don't send anything to them, don't call them, and don't answer any ads for Robert Half - the job is a fake.

STAY AWAY FROM ROBERT HALF. I live in the MA, CT, RI area. The NE area has fewer and fewer jobs available, however, if you go to the job boards your bombarded with listings for dozens & dozens of jobs in specific areas. There is NO WAY possible so many open jobs exist. These headhunter's don't give a damn about you or your situation they are sales people looking for their next commission. Most of them are rejects who can't find a job themselfs. There are no jobs, they make up jobs and post them,they are just tring to get as many resumes as they can & as soon as a job does come available they bombard the hiring company with tons of resumes hoping one will stick. As a hiring manager I never used them, as an out of work professional I stoped dealing with them. The absolute worst is ROBERT HALF (the others are a close second) I reqistered with them & they don't return calls, don't respond to email, etc. I think employment firms should start to be regulated by the fed, it would serve them right, maybe we could get a grain of honesty out of them.

anonymous in Ashaway, RI

28 days ago
Do yourself a favor & don't waste your time, liars, cheats, and very un-professional. All branches of RH treat their clients very poorly. If you want to get abused and ignored then they are for you...

Reply - Flag for review

RR in Weogufka, AL

27 days ago
I agree. Going to the Alpharetta, GA office is a waste of time as well. The interviewer actually told me that they can only place about 10% of their clients. Don't bother.

Reply - Flag for review

Michael

Let me reinforce the above comments. I no longer waste any time on Robert Half. They have nver bothered to respond to a single communication I have sent them, and when I once telephoned one of their offices to follow up on an advertised position, it sounded like a raucous party was going on in the background, and the fellow who picked up was laughing and giggling so much I felt he must have been drunk.

Robert Half is a black hole into which you will throw your materials with no hope of ever hearing back. I'd say don't bother and don't waste your time.

(While I am at it, I very much wish sites like Indeed.com would give us the ability to check a box for "Show me no agency listings" so that we can make all of these agencies just disappear forever and see only positions which have been posted by employers themselves. This would cut the listings you see down to maybe 1 or 2 per day, but that would save time and be hugely preferable to having to wade through all these cotton candy announcements of nothing.)

"I very much wish sites like Indeed.com would give us the ability to check a box for "Show me no agency listings"

Actually you can! On your next job search, take a look at the left-hand refinement margin. There you will see an Empoloyer/Recruiter drop down menu allowing you to refine your search to include only employers or only recruiters. In your case it sounds like you would want to click on the employers option :)

I responded to a posting from Robert Half for a contract attorney position. I was actually placed for a two-week project. On the second day, while on-site, the Robert Half office called my cell phone and told me there was a piece of paperwork which had been "forgotten" but needed to be executed. It was faxed to me. The document was a confidentiality agreement, but also an agreement for me to not seek employment with the entity at which I was then working for the next year. That entity is a very, very large company and frequently posts many, many attorney positions (not through Robert Half). I was told by Robert Half that the release and agreement needed to be signed "immediately", in order for me to "stay there one the job today."

I wouldn't be doing temp work if I didn't need the money. But, by Robert Half throwing that agreement at me AFTER I started, my choice was to: (i) continue the assignment and make the money, but then eliminate applying directly for any potential opportunities with that entity for the next year, or (ii) walk out the door.

I understand I had a choice and the freedom to contract at that moment. Nonetheless, the tactic is underhanded at best, and patently deceptive and fraudulent at worst.

A former Robert Half Manager said it best his comments follow:

I worked for RHI for 4 years 3 as a manager, and will give you the scoop. All they care about is their bottom line and nothing else. The turnover is horrible (god forbid your a top producer and have a bad quarter..you are gone), the post false jobs and as many as possible to bombard the job boards, and never return calls. This company had a great reputation but once they become a 3 billion organization they lost site of who they were and what made them successful. They treat their employees like crap and their candidates. They even lie to clients to produce jobs. I work for a small firm now with a great reputation and believes in ethics. Just some advice..If you are looking for a recruiter, focus on the small firms that will give you the attention needed and time to talk and really get to know you. Good luck in 2007 with your job search.

I say to everyone try them for your self and experience first hand the hell which is Robert Half.

I have to agree that I will not recommend anyone to RH Leagl. The Palo Alto office agents have a very negative attitude toward people seeking positions as if they are second class citizen. I have not gotten any leads from RH Legal nor have four other persons that applied with them. Just remember "Caveat Emptor".

Sounds like a bunch of "cry babies" in here. Do you ever think that there are people out there that are better than you. Not everyone is good enough to work with an agency and have a fee associated with them. You say that recruiters are half wits, then why are most of the good ones making well over 100k a year.

sick of your whinning said: Sounds like a bunch of "cry babies" in here. Do you ever think that there are people out there that are better than you. Not everyone is good enough to work with an agency and have a fee associated with them. You say that recruiters are half wits, then why are most of the good ones making well over 100k a year.

You have got to be kidding! "100k a year," BIG DEAL. Placing a $100k attorney every month and one-half will gross the recruiter the paultry sum you mention. When they primarily deal with 3d - 5th year attorneys, that number is not at all hard to reach. (The primary reason why very few have success with RHL is because the good 3d to 5th year attorneys who are seeking to move on do not need RHL; and the RHL personnel do not want to work hard enough to place anyone else, in my humble opinion.)

I have an appointmet with RH Monday i can't wait to respond.

Hi totally agree with the negative comments here with Robert Half (wits). I signed up with Robert Half Legal, they sent me to an assignment and turned out that the client was not expecting me that day! I was supposed to be there the next day. But there was 3 days cancellation notice done by the client, they should keep on top of things, considering that they have 3 days in advance to notify me about the date of start of the assignment. I lost a day! I earn at least $90 a day in other temp. agencies........I am done with them! They are the first temp. agency that did this to me. I had signed up with other temp. agencies and no one has ever sent me to the wrong client and to the wrong date. They call themselves "specalized legal staffing" and they couldn't even get the dates of the assignment together! what's specialized in that?!

Before interviewing with RHL I saw this forum (as well as a couple others) and I must admit I was pretty upset to find out (from one of the managers that posted) that the position I applied to was fake and no longer existed. I walked into the interview with pretty negative feelings about the company knowing he would tell me sorry but here is what else I have…and so it was, “the position was filled” (surprise!) Although they did not actually place me (I accepted an offer before they had a chance) I must admit that the person I talked to was GREAT about communicating with me, we had corresponded all the way up until the interview date. Maybe the potential candidates in Phoenix will have more luck with being placed in a job! Note: Jobing.com is a great way to get your resume seen without actually applying to businesses, employers will call you if your resume fits the position they advertise.

I went to Robert Half twice, and both times were a definite waste of time and money. They gave me this typing test that was nearly impossible, nobody types stuff like that, and then they told me I was too slow and they couldn't offer me any jobs. Too bad I've been working as a Legal Sec. all my life. The waiting room was crammed with people like a cattle call. They charged me money to park the car, too. I will never go back to them, and I urge employers not to use them, either. Headhunters and recruiters are a waste of time. Their interest is in their paycheck and the company they are working for, not with you. They'll place you in any crummy job just to get a commission. Most of these jobs are ones they can't keep anyone for, anyway, or from people who have left in disgust. Who wants to walk into a mess right off the bat? Employers should realize the only candidates they will get will be those foolish enough to sign up with the agency. I don't believe these agencies have these jobs, either. They just post them to get people in to justify their jobs.

My experience with them has also been lousy. I met a recruiter at their LA Offices, and he was decent enough. His name is Don Moser and now works for Rhumbline Legal - and he'll call you back and is pleasant on the phone, now that he's with a different company.

One lady called me from RH, and I returned her call - to which she rudely replied that she never called me in the first place. How did I get her first and last name then? Another time, I returned a lady's call, and got a similar rude and abrupt attitude. A bunch of losers, without a doubt.

The same ads from the Dallas office keep appearing over and over. I've vigorously pursued a couple of them, only to be told the position has been filled. So how come the same ad appears two weeks later? I'm done with RH!

I used to work for Robert Half Legal as a recruiter. I'm sorry that everyone has had these bad experiences. I think it is because a lot of their recruiters are not experienced recruiters. They are either sales people or Attorneys/Paralegals/Legal Secretaries trying an alternative career in law. With the amount of turnover, it's likely that any given team has an average of less than 8 months of experience in Recruiting.

I worked there because I also wanted to try this kind of career. I was going to work as a career counselor for my law school, but then I moved away. I know that my team really did care about our candidates. I personally always was up front about what I could do to serve as a resource, and what I couldn't. I spent 40 minutes talking to someone who called that I couldn't help, but did try to direct her to people who could. She thanked me for helping her, even though I advised her not to come in.

I ended up leaving because...well...the business model is not really candidate-centered. In fact, we really were discouraged from spending too much time on the phone with any one candidate, or spending too long in interviews. After all, we could be on the phone selling...

Anyway I just wanted to say that not all employees of Robert Half Legal place their candidates last. Our team even took out candidates for drinks for accepting horrible assignments that we knew werne't the best fit. And well, only one person on the team I worked with is still there, and I know she also cares very much about her candidates.

I actually decided to return to law after all...but there are some good hearted people there. But perhaps not enough to outweigh all these bad experiences?

Oh well, I just truly believe in what was said here before. These recruiters are Sales people, and who likes sales? Not a majority of people. I pity these Recruiters, they do it because they could not find jobs. I did temp. for Robert half legal for over a year, the turnover was so high, I worked with 5 different Recruiters for one year! I am expecting I will be working with another Recruiter in the next month or so should I accept short term assignments with them.

Sounds to me like you work for RH. Who else would defend them? I know a lot of car salesmen that make over 100K. They would sell your mother a lemon for a commission. Does that make them true professionals that you would love to do business with?

I did work for RH, but VERY VERY LIMITED, I CAN EVEN COUNT THE WEEKS. I only accept assignments with them if they are very short, since I know they won't give anything good anyways. I think for the short term, RH is good, but REMEMBER, I SAID SHORT ASSIGNMENTS. Just fill in 2-3 weeks for someone on vacation. Don't expect them to give you your dream job. Manpower is Better! They work with IBM, Aon-the largest Insrance provider int he World, Mastercard, and many else!

One of RH's top Dallas producers ACTUALLY TOLD ME MOST OF THE JOBS RH POSTS ARE FAKE. And I was told that candidates who "bother" the recruiter are ignored - that the recruiters do not want the candidates calling them. Don't waste your time with these people.

Very true! I just finished a very temporary assignment with RH, and then I e-mailed the Recruiter, then after 1-2 weeks, no more Replies! I live in the SF bay area, and some agencies are telling me that some temps. are actually whining/complaining to other agencies why RH is so not good. It's not only temps. who are hearing about RH's bad reputation, as a whole, people/employment recruiters are now being slammed with comments from this horrible Temp. agency. So for those other Temp. agencies, pls. do not be surprised about temps. whining and complaining about RH in your agency!

I am still on the waiting list from RH and I just want to work in San Francisco becasue it is easier commute to me and all they sent me is the same client which I have been doing before I found my position at the Federal Reserve bank. I am still "waiting" for something similar to the bank position, but why they keep on giving me the same client? I need different work not the same old client. I wished that they had more clients.

Dear Paralegal in Jacksonville,

There is a filter for that very thing you are suggesting. Maybe your inability to check the grammar of your messages or your inability to do something w/o having your handheld could be one of the reasons you don't hear back from recruiters...

I worked with RH as an executive recruiter for a very short time and left due to the low morals and ethics of the persons that last through the high turnover. It was nice to see my comments confirmed in writing. I was hired on false terms, and realized that there is no reality in their world. I did let management know several times of their poor ethics, and they were shocked everytime that I had the nerve to tell them directly. They drive towards stockholder return and treat employees and candidates as widgets. In their internal recruiting offices they make fun of candidates and . . each other. They are a disgusting group of people. They truly breed a corporate mentally that is negative. You have a small chance as a candidate of getting a position through them. I believe that is OK if you were told . . . or not led on that you could be exclusive and get a position. That way you could get your resume out to several "junk" agencies like them and take your chances. Your best chance is to sign up with several recruiters, tell each of them not to send your resume out anywhere without calling you first. Do not give a list of companies you have applied to - - they will call to work with the client & you could lose the position. Management Resources calls in senior executives on a cattle call just to pimp them for open positions that they can call to fill. They RARELY get poeople positions. Be careful about having them negotiate your salary . . . they just want to get the position filled and keep the client happy. A Senior Manager at Rsaid that unemployed persons are worth less than their last wage, and no employed person can get more than a 10% increase when they switch positions. That is ridiculous & if I were you I would negotiate your own wage at the end if you believe you can get more than the agency is telling you. I let a candidate do it when another recruiter tried to sc*&@ my candidate, and he obtained $7K more than he was "allowed" by RH to ask for

I almost had an interview with one of them today...but I had trouble getting their (thanks to the idiots at PATCO) and when I called and politely said that I took "another" position with another agency I was rudely told that "oh well I was gonna place you permanently, but if you like doing temp work I completely understand" and then hung up on me. I'm glad that I didn't go, and I'm glad to have read all these comments.

I am just very glad that some postings here are FROM PEOPLE WHO HAD WORKED AS A RECRUITER FOR RH. It's very credible, now we know the real story from someone from the inside.

Sounds like you know you are a slimeball employee of RH Legal. Seriously if they don't want to work with certain types of people they shouldn't call them and have them come in for interviews, etc. especially if they have no intention of finding a job for them. A little honesty is all we want from these people. Sorry if that is to much to ask for in your world.

sick of your whinning said: Sounds like a bunch of "cry babies" in here. Do you ever think that there are people out there that are better than you. Not everyone is good enough to work with an agency and have a fee associated with them. You say that recruiters are half wits, then why are most of the good ones making well over 100k a year.

You must mean Rosie Jones. They do post a lot of "9" jobs in Dallas.

Susan in Dallas, Texas said: One of RH's top Dallas producers ACTUALLY TOLD ME MOST OF THE JOBS RH POSTS ARE FAKE. And I was told that candidates who "bother" the recruiter are ignored - that the recruiters do not want the candidates calling them. Don't waste your time with these people.

I think it's very true, RH does treat you like a commodity, when you are done with the assignment, they move on to the next candidate. I like my other temp. agency, it's small, and they place me in jobs that I really like and treat me as someone that can be perm. really soon. RH does not do this. They place you, so that they can meet their quota, and once they are done. They move on. The last time I contacted them was last month, and never heard anything back. I guess I "bothered" the "recruiters" so I guess it's all true.

mark said: I think it's very true, RH does treat you like a commodity, when you are done with the assignment, they move on to the next candidate. I like my other temp. agency, it's small, and they place me in jobs that I really like and treat me as someone that can be perm. really soon. RH does not do this. They place you, so that they can meet their quota, and once they are done. They move on. The last time I contacted them was last month, and never heard anything back. I guess I "bothered" the "recruiters" so I guess it's all true.

Why? I am registered for 5 different agencies for work and not a damn assignment except for Robert Half. I do call in my availability too and it is already March. Why doesn't the other agencies have anything. I do have experience. So, where is the clerical work?

Margaret Fongin Belvedere Tiburon, California said: Why? I am registered for 5 different agencies for work and not a damn assignment except for Robert Half. I do call in my availability too and it is already March. Why doesn't the other agencies have anything. I do have experience. So, where is the clerical work?

___________________________________________________

I'm not getting any calls either and I have tons of experience. I was getting very sketchy work from RH for the latter part of 2006 and ended up taking a very crappy job that didn't last long. So I'm looking again.

They have jobs posted and when I inquired this morning I got an email response that they only had attorney placements right now. I'm glad to read that other people are having this same type of experience as well - it's crappy but I know it's not my fault.

At least I got a response. From November 3 to December 15 (when I took the crummy job) they didn't call me with anything. I can't live like that.

I registered with Manpower. They sent me on one interview and I've never heard from them again. I don't think they do much legal placement.

I have had the same experience with RH that you did. What agencies did you find that actually had work?

You also have to understand that the recruiters have to play a numbers game to make this thing work. If you are a specialized professional, it doesn't pay for them to market you aggressively because chances are there isn't going to be many jobs they can fill with you. But remember the recruiters are under intense pressure and the average life for an employee at the half is 6 months to a year. If your numbers drop, you get dropped.

Jacksonville Paralegal in Jacksonville, Florida said: Let me reinforce the above comments. I no longer waste any time on Robert Half. They have nver bothered to respond to a single communication I have sent them, and when I once telephoned one of their offices to follow up on an advertised position, it sounded like a raucous party was going on in the background, and the fellow who picked up was laughing and giggling so much I felt he must have been drunk.

Robert Half is a black hole into which you will throw your materials with no hope of ever hearing back. I'd say don't bother and don't waste your time.

(While I am at it, I very much wish sites like Indeed.com would give us the ability to check a box for "Show me no agency listings" so that we can make all of these agencies just disappear forever and see only positions which have been posted by employers themselves. This would cut the listings you see down to maybe 1 or 2 per day, but that would save time and be hugely preferable to having to wade through all these cotton candy announcements of nothing.)

It would be WONDERFUL if we could have an option to show no agency listings. Does INDEED get paid for agency listings? They may not want ot exclude them.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Darryl in Glendale, Arizona: "It would be WONDERFUL if we could have an option to show no agency listings. Does INDEED get paid for agency listings? They may not want ot exclude them."

According to an HR professional I know, Indeed.com is a so-called scraper website. It has software that "scrapes" job postings off other job boards.

Take a look at the listings. They will show from which boards Indeed harvested them.

Also, take a look at the left side of the screen. You have the option of excluding headhunter listings if you don't want to see them.

Thanks!!! I will exclude the headhunter listing. This will help a lot.

You are ALL correct - they are a group of condescending, snotty "couldn't-make-it-in-the-legal-forum" LOSERS (including attorneys that became "recruiters." THEY STINK and will rip you off. Do NOT respond to these bottom of the lake swines.

I read the warnings from the people who had prior experiences with Rober Half staffing agency. I thought they were exaggerating their stories and did not pay much attention to them. OMG, HOW I WAS WRONG.

I can't believe she told me she prefers working with people who have passed the bar. She even told me to go and see another staffing agency THAT day.

_____________________________________________________________

Maybe she was giving you a hint that they are not going to help you. Yes, you were wrong about all the negative posters regarding Robert Half Legal. They truly are no good.

I can't believe that the recruiter told you that she prefers working with people who have passed the bar. Go to the state bar's website and look up those JDs who are recruiting for Rh - most of them haven't passed the bar themselves.

Try

www.craigslist.org
www.365lawrecruit.com
www.lawjobs.com

Also go directly to firm websites, go to the career section, and look for openings there, e.g.,

www.littler.com
www.mofo.com
www.fenwick.com

Good luck to you. I currently have a permanent job at a firm that I applied directly to. They once had a temp assignment that I was interested in, but RH refused to send me in. Well, I have a permanent job, the firm has an excellent employee, and the boneheads didn't get a commission.

Works for me.

I received an assignment from Robert Half Legal. The temp job was an excellent experience, but dealing with Robert Half Legal was not:

1. I had to e-mail my recruiter several times before she would respond to me. When she finally responded to my e-mails, she would forget to send all of the paperwork that I requested.

2. Robert Half Legal was awful about mailing out my direct deposit statements; some weeks it would be mailed on a Tuesday. Some weeks it would be mailed on a Thursday.

3. Shortly after my assignment finished, I moved. I e-mailed my recruiter to inform her of my address change. Her e-mail bounced back to me. I e-mailed another employee that had contacted me. No response. I e-mailed her again. No response. I called Robert Half Legal, left a message, and...you guessed it...no response! I finally got ahold of a live person and was able to change my address.

They truly are unprofessional. I do NOT recommend them.

I just completed a maternity leave coverage for a law firm. This was not an assignment through Robert Half. during the assignment, I got a call from Robert Half that one of their former clients had requested me back for a one week vacation coverage. as I was on a 6 month assignment; I was not going to able to return to Robert Half's client. It took nearly 15 minutes for the RH representative to understand that. Finally, she told me to contact them when my assignment was complete. That was over a month ago; I've called and emailed them and (you guessed it) not heard a word back from them.

They're an interesting group.

I also suggest that people not waste time with Robert Half, or for that matter their affiliate Office Team. Some of the largest law firms in the world do not use them because of the lack of organization and communication.

They were recently guest speakers at the IAAP group I belong to and were advising that people should encourage their employers to use Facebook and even MySpace. There are firms that have firewalls to prevent use of non-work links as well as policies that work computers should not be used for non-work related activities. Little Miss Thing from Office Team didn't seem to grasp that concept.

Robert Half is a thoroughly disgusting organization, do yourself a favor and AVOID them. I've read someone else's past review that claimed the only accurate piece of information conveyed about a temporary position (that they accepted) was the business address. The recruiter that I had the misfortune of dealing with was a d.....bag and would lie to his own mother to make a commission. Gotta love their office too - cheap furniture, stained carpet, bad coffee and a Glengarry Glen Ross sales pitch. Pure bull***t. The main thing to know about Robert Half as a client company or as a recruit is that they are fundamentally dishonest, lack professionalism, courtesy and competence. I've used RHI and one of their affiliate companies to hire and staff in the past but will NEVER do so again. Avoid them like the plague.

Robert Half Legal is terrible in downtown Chicago. They never return calls, or even find anything for you. When you do call, there is always someone different.They are one big joke. The only way to get a job today, is net working.

Robert Half is a dishonest scamming company that will cheat you!

I don't understand how its a scam. I have had several people come through our staffing agency, who have worked for Robert Half and I asked them about the Robert Half scam, as I search companies that have been listed from our candidates resumes. People fill our online app out, do some testing, get scheduled to come in, finish the testing (what they can not do at home), and fill out the paper work and interview. From there we analyze the interview, how they are dressed, and handle themselves. Alot is determined by the tests.

Just because you applied to a staffing agency doesnt always mean you are going to get a job with that staffing agency. Now if you go to your local city / state agencies - they are there to help you find a job. A staffing agency that is privately owned, works for the client not the candidate. We might call 20% of the candidates back of which 5% might get hired. The 80% we did not consider didn't make it through the first hoop, the resume. The 20% we call back have to go through the testing, which eliminates 50% of that 20%. We are left with 10% to interview and will eliminate another 2%. The remaining 8% are submitted to our clients, for futher review. If our clients feel that the candidate may be a fit by what we thought in our interview, sanitized resume, and test results they pick what they feel is the best of the bunch.

Simply put, you might not be a fit, and we work for our clients not the candidates. The client is looking for the best, and our job is to find the best possible candidates. We do not work for the candidates until they get job through us. You simply are not a fit for the position - or any positions that the company has available. You will not be called back. We do not charge our candidates to apply. I would not deal with a agency that does, because if you are not a fit, and are looking for a job (meaning your most likely jobless - why are you spending money you don't have?"). To me thats just silly.