If you’ve been searching for recruitment agencies to assist with a placement, then it’s very likely the name ‘Robert Half’ has come up. Rather than leaving you to search for information, we’re giving you access to one of our own recruiters, so you can get all the essential facts straight from the source.
Mary O’Riordan, Director of Contract Talent (Finance and Accounting), shares what it’s like to partner with Robert Half recruitment agency, why clients choose to work with us, and gives answers to common client FAQs.
Why do organisations choose Robert Half?
Speed to market
Robert Half recruiters pride themselves on their speed to market, especially for temp placements, where clients need someone immediately. Moreover, they rely on us when they need a pre-vetted candidate who’s verifiably good.
“I met with a client this morning, and he said, ‘I need a management accountant, and I've had to let my whole team go.’ And I've managed to get someone in who's worked for us seven times previously, and they are literally going to start for that client on Monday because he's not in for the rest of the week,” says Mary. “He trusts me because I've placed with him before; we have a long-standing relationship, and I have a long-standing relationship with that candidate as well. So, I know that that's going to work out.”
Specialist industry knowledge
Although many recruitment agencies might say they’re specialists in finance and accounting, Robert Half is perhaps the only one that could make the claim with the bonus of having a global consulting firm (Protiviti) as a sister company.
“A lot of the people that either work at Protiviti, who we work very closely with, or work within Robert Half, are ex-finance and accounting candidates. So, they might be part-qualified ACA or fully qualified ACCA and have decided to make that transition. So, we really do have expert knowledge,” says Mary.
Robert Half also has extensive market intelligence, gathered through field experience and research for industry reports. “When clients partner with us, they’re going to get advice on salary, day rates, and candidate expectations. We know what's happening in that finance market because we are out and we're engaging with clients and candidates,” she says.
Deep relationships and networks
Most Robert Half recruiters have been with the company for a decade or more, meaning each individual brings an extensive network of talent contacts who aren’t working with other agencies.
“Especially on the interim side, a lot of the candidates that we work with are candidates that we've known for years,” says Mary. “I've been here 11 years, and there are several candidates who only work with me, and they will wait three or four months and then take an assignment through Robert Half. For example, the candidate I placed this morning — I know that she's going to do a good job because she only works for Robert Half. You're not going to find her through another agency or on a job board.”
What are the steps in the recruitment process?
Robert Half views the employment hiring process as a strategic partnership with both the client and the candidate. The process begins with a job order form (available here), in which you tell us what you need.
“We can move fast because we're a big engine essentially,” says Mary. “When I met with my client this morning, he told me, ‘I need people that are going to be boots on the ground come Monday. How are we going to do this?’ He’s already told me he’s off and can’t interview, but he trusts that we're going to put the right candidate in place and take them for a working interview.”
The candidate goes on-site for a day, is put through their paces in a real work environment and then interviewed. This ‘working interview’ approach allows clients to see whether a candidate functions well within the role.
“We can also host in our office, especially if it's a confidential role,” says Mary. “We’d bring them into our office, host them back-to-back for, say, four or five hours, and the client meets our top four or five candidates.” This ‘hosted interview’ format gives discretion and helps speed up the hiring process by presenting only vetted candidates with two solid references and a proven track record with Robert Half.
“You've kept the process concise, and you've kept speed because you can then decide, ‘You know what? I like candidates one, two, and four, and I want to bring them back for finals in two days.’ Because you’ve done it off-site, it gets rid of distractions,” says Mary.
After the candidate has been placed, our recruiters check in every three or four weeks to ensure things continue to run smoothly. “Because we work on a relationship basis, we will be messaging both the client and the candidate anyway. I know if anything's going wrong ahead of time,” says Mary. “It's important to maintain that relationship. We will also go down and see them on site, whether that's taking the client or the candidate for lunch or a coffee, just to make sure everyone's happy, and we will stay in contact.”
What additional value does Robert Half bring to the recruitment process?
50 years of experience
Robert Half has been placing candidates in roles in the UK for over 50 years and has accumulated valuable knowledge along the way. Mary says, “For our recruitment consultants that have been working at Robert Half, the average tenure is about 10 years. So, we've got extensive market knowledge.”
Large networks of passive candidates
“We have a huge database, so we can tap into those passive candidates,” says Mary. “We might meet them and say, ‘You've got to call me about a role, and it has X, Y, and Z in it.’ We're not going to get that role every day, but in seven months, we're calling that candidate to say, ‘We've got your dream job.’ And I think a lot of candidates like to partner with us on that basis. The clients can't tap into that pool with another agency.”
Transparency and pragmatism
Robert Half talent experts also pride themselves on their transparency and honesty. “A lot of recruiters are scared to do that because it is a tough market and they want to bill. It's powerful to actually walk away from a client and say, ‘I can't help you with this role,’” says Mary.
“I've said, ‘You're working with three other agencies. Unfortunately, they've given you unrealistic expectations and charge rates. I can't work to that. But if you don't want to work our way, that's fine. I'm going to walk away from this. I'm going to call you in two weeks.’ And the clients have either called me back in less than two weeks, or I've called them, and they’ve said, ‘Okay, we'll work your way. We'll work exclusively. You were right.’ So, I think it's powerful having that transparency.”
Answering client FAQs
How involved will I be?
Robert Half is a strategic partner, so client involvement continues throughout the entire process, beginning with the talent brief and continuing through aftercare and into future placements. Mary says, “As soon as a client reaches out with a talent request, we will ideally go and meet them in person. We've got to see the offices. We've got to make sure the culture is aligned to whatever candidate we are putting in.”
As the client, you’re presented with the top three or four candidate profiles. The chosen candidate then goes through a working interview, or we host candidates back-to-back so you can make your selection and start the working relationship under Robert Half’s aftercare.
What is the average recruitment cost in the UK?
For candidate pricing, we work on a margin basis, which can fluctuate based on a wide range of factors, such as the scope of the role, the contract type (permanent, interim, etc.), the quality of the candidate, and the seniority of the position.
“We always ask clients what budget they’re working to — if they’re thinking of paying £60k for a permanent role, I'll always give them the top end, so I'll say, ‘That's going to cost you, for example, £425 a day plus VAT. I'm going to send you one or two candidates at that. The other two or three candidates are going to be under that, and you pick based on aptitude.’ It comes down to your choice, but we will give you a full range. We'll map the market for you.”
How long does the process take?
The length of the Robert Half hiring process depends entirely on the client. Our teams have an extensive pool of talent at their fingertips and processes designed for speed and efficiency, meaning we can place candidates in temp or interim roles within 24 hours or less.
“Case in point, I had a candidate who went to meet a client. He texted me at 9 o'clock last night, saying, ‘Can you meet me at 9 am?’ By quarter past nine, I had the candidate already starting,” says Mary.
Robert Half advises clients to strive for condensed timelines after our research found that protracted hiring processes often cost clients the top talent they’d hoped to secure. Recruiters like Mary will often come to a meeting with a candidate already in mind to help jumpstart the process: “We will always show them a profile and be like, ‘Is this along the right lines?’”
What information do I need to provide?
“The information you need to provide is what job you're looking to recruit for. Is it temp? Is it permanent? And what sort of level? And then we would meet with you to flesh out exactly what you need and put a plan in place to achieve the goal,” says Mary.
What happens after a candidate is placed?
Robert Half recruiters always provide aftercare for placements made. This includes keeping in touch with both the client and the candidate so any issues can be identified and resolved quickly and smoothly.
Reliable contact is also how Robert Half recruiters keep their best temp and interim candidates in fresh roles. Mary says, “We are aiming to place them, before they finish their contract, into another role, unless they tell us otherwise.”
