Office Team - Robert Half International ripoff Dallas Texas

Being a job seeker, it's easy to get diverted from the task of job hunting. Well, Robert Half is definitely one company to absolutely avoid when job seeking as they will completely waste a lot of your time and produce nothing for you.

I visited a Robert Half office in Dallas in the late 90s. I had been contacted on the phone by an RH recruiter and was told there might be positions available for my skillset. The recruiter was pleasant and seemed sincere. I was invited into the office to do their normal paperwork, testing and interview process. I arrived 15 minutes before the interview time as recommended to complete their paperwork. The office was an average sized office and adorned with nothing special.

Let me tell you, I filled out what seemed like a mountain of paperwork including a fairly long test. This was well more paperwork than I would ever fill out for even direct employment. The amount of paperwork required took me far longer than 15 minutes to complete. Instead, I got about half way though the paperwork and had to put it aside to complete the 'interview'. I don't recall the exact details of the interview conversation now, but it was pleasant and seemed like it might go somewhere.

However, I did explain that I hadn't yet completed all of the paperwork required and they said it would be fine to complete it after the interview was over.  I recall meeting with perhaps two people.  One who was the recruiter and their co-worker who might have positions for my skillset. We talked for about an hour to 1.5 hours discussing my career goals and going over some of the paperwork and my resume. Again, it all seemed sincere. I also recall them asking me if I would be willing to take positions outside of my career, which I thought was a weird question.

After the interview concluded, I completed the paperwork in the lobby (which took another 20-30 minutes) and left it with the receptionist. In total, I spent the better part of 3+ hours of my day dealing with this Robert Half business. The recruiter asked me to call a day or two later as they thought they might have several positions available, but gave no details about the jobs or the companies (a big red flag). I called and spoke with the recruiter, but they still hadn't heard anything. After a couple of calls with the same verbal response, I started getting voicemail after the third or fourth call.  I decided then that Robert Half was a complete waste of time for job seekers. I also stopped calling and decided if they needed my skills, they could call me. I never received any other communications from this company.

The point for Robert Half offices, it seems, is to divert your job searching in some pointless time-wasting excercise. I never could really determine RH's exact motivation in this (other than resume cultivation and/or filling quotas). But, to this day and after filling out that mountain of paperwork, I have never ever received another call from any Robert Half office attempting to solicit my skills. Granted, I didn't spend a dime for anything with them, so it's all hard to call this fraud. But, it's definitely a waste of time.

I have since used several actual recruiters in my career that have never required this level of paperwork. Many recruiters don't even require a face-to-face and will place you sight unseen. It's best to avoid Robert Half and firms like them that simply waste your time and produce nothing. Instead, do yourself a favor and spend that valuable time writing and posting your resume online to reputable known job boards. This company is likely called Robert Half for a reason. They lead you halfway through the process and drop the other Half. You know, the half about actually finding you a job. Definitely avoid.

All Temp Agencies LIE and I found out years ago Office Team/Robert Half were one of the absolute worse. A few years ago I had a friend that told me she refused to work through ANY temp agency. I wondered why. Then I started temping and I've temped through pretty much all of them and they lie about the jobs they have. They have quotas to meet of how many people every month have to come in and fill out applications. They have to meet those quotas whether they have jobs OR NOT. There are plenty of Youtube videos of Ex Temp agency employees telling how they lied and many others who were burned through temp agencies.

My friend here in Dallas worked for a bank through a temp agency and the agency never told her that they had lost the contract with the bank because they refused to lower their fees and the bank had told them they would be going through another agency. They failed to tell her and she showed up and her replacement was sitting right there. Doing her job. She sat there all day long not knowing what to do and everytime she tried to call the agency they didn't answer the phone. Finally, her bank manager told her they really liked her but the agency would not work with them. The bank told her that unfortunately they would not have a position for her as it had been filled by the other person. She left that evening and the woman at the agency never answered her calls.

Finally, when it came time for her to get paid she never recieved her check. She called and called and never recieved it and finally she threatened to file a wage claim and they sent her check a month AFTER she was suppose to have it. It was a very small agency. An upstart. When she filed for unemployment, the woman at the agency lied like she had quit. These people have no souls. Are very shady.

Another friend of mine was already getting unemployment and of course you have to apply for jobs and she went into an agency to inquire about a position. They told her it was a 45 minute drive from her and that it paid only minimum wage. She had mentioned to the lady she was getting unemployment (WRONG THING TO DO) and that she would wait until they had a closer position to her at a higher pay rate. When she left the agency, the woman called the unemployment office (YES SHE DID) and reported her as turning down a job. They stopped her unemployment.  This was in a different state.

Most companies that use temp agencies have no plans to ever make the person permanent and many people "temp" forever. Temp agencies may be ok for stay at home moms looking for extra money to buy a purse or something but most are awful and will only give you the run around.

I worked through an agency and my manager at the company would meet me everyday with files of work to do at home off the clock. People were working off the clock because the job market was bad and they wanted to keep their job. I did this for a few weeks and grew tired of NOT BEING PAID and complained to my agency Kelly Services and they acted shocked and told me it was unacceptable. (IT WAS IN FACT WAGE THEFT). The next day after I left work I was suddenly fired. No reason. Just we don't need you. My agency was in on it. It was a big company. I was one of their stars who caught on to the work quickly. I was constantly being praised. No reason to suddenly terminate me the day after I complained about working off the clock. These agencies allow all sorts of abuses because they want to keep the contracts. They will look the other way.

I worked for another company through an agency that would not give us our breaks, abuse us, it was a very hellish environment.

I stay away from agencies. ALL OF THEM.

Following a downsizing and lay off from my career of 15 years I signed up with the Office Team/Robert Half location in The Woodlands, Texas in July 2006.
My appointment was at 10 am so I arrived at 9:45 am. I filled out all the required paperwork and sat and waited. It was almost 11am by the time I was finally called in. Cannot remember the name of the person however she was very s****.> I sent the person I originally registered with an e mail explaining what happened and how I was starting to view this agency, and she contacted me by phone and practically yelled at me and said I needed to wait my turn!!!!!
I had signed up with several agencies and the next week one called me with a long term assignment. Its 1 year later, I am still there and will be going on permanent soon and the agency, the job/pay have exceeded my expectations.
Do not ever work for Office Team, they are RIP OFF, and full of lying b!$%&*S.

Here's what a ladyfriend who used to work for Robert Half explained it to me:

RH scans jobsites, company websites, et al and if they see some "potential" job openings, RH puts them on its own website, then out to the web (Dice, monster, etc). So 1000's of people send their resumes in. RH condenses that list down to a couple of dozen candidates. THEN RH contacts the hiring company even though RH has no agreements in place with them.

This is in hopes of trying to "supply" qualified candidates to a company they don't have a relationship with. This data collection from people's resumes gives RH more leads to generate business. This is known as "fishing". When they call you in for an interview, they want your previous employer's contact info so they can try to cultivate a relationship with them. RH's actual replationships with hiring companies are lackluster at best.

There are no real jobs with RH's customers. This ladyfriend gave me a piece of advice. If you know a direct hire company has a real opening, give her the tip and she'll get me placed. I did and now I work at that politically-correct organization known as IBM. RH, Matrixm and those guys couldn't do it and I am eternally grateful to my ladyfriend for this service and to which I enjoy paying her back everynight. Good luck.