Robert Half www.roberthalf.co.uk

I got set up with them and within a week I was working again. Very friendly staff and my consultant kept in contact through the whole transition period. Once I had settled in the role I didn't really need a weekly chat with him. Always paid me on time, never had any payment problems at all.

We all know that employment agencies are no added value entities, manned by unskilled half-wits and used by employers too lazy to do basic sifting of CVs themselves. But in this day and age using them is almost unavoidable (particularly in respect of accountancy/related senior roles).

In a field where mediocre service ranks as 4 out of 5 stars, the accountancy team in the Manchester office deserve less than the minimum one star allowed. Truly a fourth rate business that deserves to go under for the poor service provided to their 'resources'.

Lack of attention to detail is a common theme and blatant stories regarding salaries on offer and a total lack of any systems in place to ensure that data on skills is shared are among the main criticisms. Also, sending details of roles that are 33% below remuneration requirements (repeatedly) is the norm.

This firm is the worst agency I've had the misfortune to have to deal with since the 1980s. Truly awful. Plenty of other agencies in Manchester at the 1.5 to 2.0 stars level, so I would not recommend them to my worst enemy.

About a month ago I received a phone call from the London office, from one of their Associate consultants. She tells me about a new role that I'd be suitable for and then asks me to come in and register with them and have a more in-depth conversation regarding my CV and the role she's putting me forward for.

After I went through my CV with her and she was telling me more about the job, I noticed she then starts lying about the job and tells me that her colleague is dealing with the role and she'll speak to her when she gets back (apparently she only works part time) After that I have not heard back from her. She basically called me about some phoney job and got me to come in and register with them, that's what it was all about, nothing else and there wasn't an actual job.

That happened on the 4th of April, then exactly a month after on the 4th May she calls me again and wants to find out what if I'm still looking and then starts telling me about a job that she thinks I'd be suitable for, telling me I'm a good match for the role and etc. After I tell her that I'd be interested, she tells me that her colleague is dealing with it and he will contact me shortly and they will put me forward for this.

After I had that conversation I have not heard back from her or her so called colleague since. These guys are just calling people and saying things to get their hopes up and wasting peoples time. I realised there wasn't no actual job and the whole thing, it was just fake. These are the worst types of agency's and they make a living by wasting peoples time and lying to people about the jobs. THEY LIE TO YOU ABOUT THE JOBS, GIVE YOU FALSE INFORMATION AND LIKE TO WASTE YOUR TIME, AVOID THIS AGENCY!!

I had a phone call to go in and register with R Half on the Tuesday as they said they had something they wanted to put me forward for. After telling me the hours I said I wouldn't be able to do the early mornings due to times my daughter starts school. I was told no its absolutely fine i cant see it being a problem and he would speak to them. Took my passport in on the Wednesday and had the interview on the Thursday. The 2 ladies doing the interview had absolutely no idea I couldn't do the early shifts and what a surprise it was an issue. So I left and rung which I was instructed to do. To be told oh okay well we'll see what happens. I then had a phone call to say they want to see you tomorrow for a different role. So again I went in. Had the informal chat more than interview. Was told they would make a decision Monday and I'd hear back. A week later still no phone call no email no nothing. So unprofessional. And a complete waste of mine and the company's time. And after reading the reviews on here I'm glad I didn't get it. Good luck if you use these guys.

I registered with the Watford branch. An awful agency. They are not concerned about your happiness. They just want to put you in roles that you dont want then make you feel like you have done something wrong if you dont want to be put forward for a role.

Also they left a message for me to call back just for a catch up. I didnt call back. So they called my current employer and wanted to speak to my current boss to sell their own temps! Absolute cheek!!

Horrible experience. I am currently contracting through this agency and every day I come to work it makes my bloody boil knowing they are receiving commission.

Signed a contract with them, began working and 2 weeks later they call me to let me know they have made an error in my pay rate and that they will need to decrease the rate (even though we had a binding contract).

Another seperate issue is being underpaid, and the recruiter ignoring all my calls and emails.

Don't know where they find their employees from, but RH employees would have to be the WORST recruiters I have EVER dealt with.

AVIOD! I wouldn't recommend RH to anyone!

Much the same experience as the other reviewers, they used to be a good agency years ago but they are only as good as the people they employ and nowadays they lack the skills and experience to find you a job.

The consultants don't bother to share knowledge of candidates with each other so expect you to call back into the office to go over the skills and experience you have to offer all over again even though you have already given this information to their colleague. They don't take the time to identify your skills and match them to vacancies so contact you with irrelevant jobs. As they don't respond readily to your enquiries and in the end as they don't really help you find a job its better to avoid them !

Initially seemed promising but they ultimately wasted my time inviting me to their office to register when they subsequently never put me forward for any relevant jobs in my area of experience. They continue to advertise on their website and job boards for more people to submit CVs. Generic adverts are produced every week for the same jobs are these for already filled vacancies so they just want a bank of applicants CVs to fall back on? They are also astonishingly rude by not replying to emails and enquiries. You may have a better experience but my advice is to avoid these agencies where possible and apply directly to employers.

RH are truly an awful recruitment agency and I am amazed that their business model has been successful enough to become a global organisation. Perhaps their history is the only thing keeping them going because I fail to see how they can continue operating like this with such utterly useless recruiters.

The number of times I have had to send my CV over to them only to hear NOTHING back is incredible. Furthermore, the number of roles that have been emailed to me that are completely IRRELEVANT is nothing short of shocking!

It has also become clear despite being told that they will all "speak to each other about you and your skillsets", the recruiters work independently and if you are contacted by a different recruiter from RH, they will request you waste your time to register and meet with them again.

It is a circus at RH and I will never recommend this agency to anyone.

I accepted, what I was told by R Half Recruitment, was a permanent post with a three month probationary period. I was working at this post for a month and someone mentioned me as temporary employee. I remarked that this was supposed to be a permanent role. I phoned R Half and they advised that this was permanent and to just do a great job for the three months and that all would go in my favour. I continued and my work supervisor again mentioned that my "contracted role" would be ending in September. I was devastated and once again asked RH what was happening. Once again, they advised this was not so.

Finally, I adressed my workplace and asked what was happening. They said that it was not a permanent job and that it was never meant to be anything more than a contract role. They also stated that RH must have really been confused. I don't see how. RH's client cleary stated to them they were looking for a three month contracted worker. RH turned around and sold me this post as a permanent role with a three month probation.

At this point it is my word against theirs as the job description sent from RH mentions nothing either way.

They said this never happened. There is nothing I can do at this point to prove otherwise, but I'm still seeking some legal advise on this.

Bottom line, don't trust anything the agency workers say. They get people in to cover short term contracts on the promise they are so much more.