This post highlights key insights about leveraging recruitment agencies in 2025. Learn why directly contacting a recruiter at your local branch can make all the difference, beware of scraped or misleading job posts, recognize the rapid pace at which listings vanish, and why agency recruiters may not support career pivots.
Robert Half
Robert Half is a major international staffing and human resource consulting firm, headquartered in California. It has over 315–345 offices worldwide and a presence across Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North and South America.
Don’t Just Apply—Make Real Contact
Applying online without contacting someone at the company or agency significantly lowers your odds of success. It’s far more effective to look up your local Robert Half branch’s phone number, call them, and ask for the recruiter assigned to the specific job. Make sure to provide the job reference number.
Obtain the assigned recruiter’s name, direct phone number, and email address, then reach out to the recruiter directly instead of being transferred to their line (usually ends up in their voicemail). This personal connection cuts through the noise and ensures someone acknowledges your interest. Plus, you can call back again in the future if reach that voicemail since you have their direct line.
It’s important to know that before you can even be considered for a role posted on the Robert Half website, you need to have an interview to get you ‘green lit’ in their system. This process requires signing some papers and adding your employment history and references to their system. While you can wait until a recruiter invites you, you can proactively ask a recruiter to interview you so that you’ll be setup in their system. I highly recommend you do this right away to avoid unnecessary delays, which brings us to the next point.
Many job postings on Robert Half’s site get filled or closed very quickly in 2025, which makes rapid follow-up essential to stay in the running for consideration.
Not All Listings with Robert Half Are Really “Their” Jobs
Some job postings on Robert Half’s website may actually be content copied from other boards or Google results, then modified to appear exclusive—helping the agency insert themselves into the hiring process.
Use the direct recruiter contact to clarify whether the role has been assigned on contract to Robert Half. If the role is contracted with Robert Half, they should have no reason to confirm this fact. If they don’t confirm this, it’s likely that the role is not officially assigned to Robert Half for recruitment.
Career Change? Recruitment Agencies May Not Advocate for You
If you’re pivoting into a new field, relying on agency roles may not be effective. Recruiters tend to favor candidates who clearly match the job description and may not champion someone taking a non-linear career path.
In the current 2025 job market, career-switching candidates may find more traction by applying directly to companies or seeking targeted networking opportunities.
Other Common Recruitment Agencies & Best Practices
Featured Agencies
Adecco: A global staffing company offering job matching, recruiting, career development, and upskilling services. This is effective for both temporary and permanent roles. (see: Adecco)
Best Practices Across Recruitment Agencies
Treat recruiters as professionals: be courteous, precise, and avoid oversharing in your initial contact. Stick to one or two clear questions, ideally yes/no to prompt a reply.
Be proactive and research your recruiter beforehand. Ask if they’ve worked with the company recently or successfully placed others.
In your outreach, clearly reference the specific role, include the job reference number, and communicate concisely. This helps recruiters respond and understand your interest quickly.