The Nightmare Interviewer: A visit with Robert Half
This happened in 2005 when I was invited to interview at Robert Half in Boston, MA. Robert Half has an interesting reputation: on one hand they are known as a premier recruiting firm with prominent F500 clients; on the other hand they are known as brutal, scumbaggy, and unethical when it comes to dealing with candidates. Breaking into recruiting I knew only of their reputation as a stellar search firm. Little did I know that I was about to experience the Dark Side of Robert Half.
I was thrilled when the branch manager called me in for an interview. I dressed up in my suit, prepared my resume, and drove into Boston. The office is located on High St. surrounded by skyscrapers in the financial district. I was a little in awe when I walked into the reception area. I filled out the application and waited for the receptionist to wisk me into the office of the manager. I was full of hope and expectation hoping that my dream of finally becoming a recruiter would come true and that the branch manager would be the one who would make it happen.
I was ushered into a small office and as I was walking in I saw a number of meticulously dressed and very attractive CSR types, who I figured were the recruiters. We were up high in the building and the view behind the recruiting desk was dazzling.
After about 5 minutes, the branch manager walked in, shook my hand and sat down. I don’t recall the exact details of that fine minute interview, but what it boiled down to was that he considered me a job hopper without a stable work history. He actually told me to call him in 6 months if I could hold on to any one job. After this he led me out of the office, shook my hand, and away I went.
Shock, disappointment, bewilderment these are the emotions that went through me as I kept asking myself: “If I was such a horrible candidate, why on earth would he waste my time and his own to bring me in for a face to face? Was I really so bad? Apparently so.”
The RHI branch manager did not stop me from achieving my goal. I actually called him 6 month later after I had placed 30 people, but he did not call me back. I always chuckle at the fact that 2 years later Robert Half wanted to give me an offer. And I also snicker when I think about the million is revenue Robert Half lost because of the branch manager decision.
I will never waste a candidate’s time unless he is a perfect fit for the job. I will never ask a candidate to do anything for me unless I at least get him an interview. While the client pays the bills, a recruiter can never lose respect and empathy toward the candidate.
