Robert Half Mock Interview

Master 35 Robert Half interview questions covering recruitment expertise, client relationships, and staffing industry knowledge.

WRITTEN BY RACHELLE ENNS
QUESTION 4 OF 35

Do you understand how Robert Half makes a profit?

The interviewer wants to see that you understand the fee structure at Robert Half or at least staffing agencies in general. Depending on your region, this response could vary as there are different rules and regulations surrounding staffing and recruitment around the world.

For the most part, a staffing agency makes a profit in three ways:

1. Permanent placement fees
2. Temp fees
3. Retainer based searches

Permanent placement fees are usually a set percentage based on the ideal candidate's salary. Let's say that a staffing agency is asked to headhunt a chemical engineer. The staffing agency finds the perfect candidate, and that chemical engineer comes with an asking salary of 100K per year. The hiring company would pay (in addition to the 100K salary) a fee of 18-25% of that number as a permanent placement fee. This would be a one-time 18-25K fee.

Temp fees are a surcharge in addition to a temporary employee or contractors' hourly wage. Assuming the same chemical engineer is working on a 12-month contract for an oil and gas company. The OG company does not want to add this engineer to their permanent payroll or pay the engineer's employment insurance and other government-required fees. The staffing agency will take on the role of 'employer' and charge the additional costs plus a commission to the OG company. Let's say the chemical engineer is asking for 40/hour. The staffing agency will charge the OG company 55/hour, giving 40 to the contractor and taking 15 as an administration fee and commission.

A retainer is a fee that is paid in advance to secure the services of a staffing agency. Primarily retainers are only requested by high-end executive search firms who conduct long, complicated searches for talents such as surgeons, lawyers, professors, and CFOs. In this instance, the hiring company would pay a large sum upfront to the agency and then the remainder of their fee once the ideal candidate accepts a job offer.

Chances are, Robert Half will be paid by perm or temp placement fees only. Speak to the interviewer briefly about fee structures, showing that you come from a place of full understanding.

"I fully understand how recruitment and staffing agencies make a profit. My educated guess is that you earn a profit through permanent placement fees and temp fees. My current agency charges 20-22% depending on the difficulty of the position and the location of our search."

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35 Robert Half Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 What type of clients come to Robert Half for our staffing services? KNOWLEDGE 02 What is a staffing agency? KNOWLEDGE 03 How does a staffing agency charge a job seeker for their services? KNOWLEDGE 04 Do you understand how Robert Half makes a profit? KNOWLEDGE 05 What is the difference between temporary, temporary-to-permanent, and permanent placement? KNOWLEDGE 06 Name some reasons why a job seeker would want to work as a temp. KNOWLEDGE 07 What advice would you give to a recent grad with no work experience? SKILLS 08 How often do you check in with your candidates after placed in a permanent role with your client? PERFORMANCE 09 When scanning a resume for the first time, what do you look for? SKILLS 10 How does artificial intelligence impact talent sourcing? KNOWLEDGE 11 In which categories does Robert Half recruit? KNOWLEDGE 12 Of the areas where Robert Half recruits, which are you most knowledgeable? KNOWLEDGE 13 Have you ever worked with a staffing agency, from a job seekers' perspective? DISCOVERY 14 If a temporary employee let you down regularly, what would you do? BEHAVIORAL 15 Tell me about the targets and goals in your current position. Do you have trouble meeting them? PERFORMANCE 16 What will be your primary focus in your first 30 days with Robert Half? PERFORMANCE 17 When have you had to change a search due to new information from your client? BEHAVIORAL 18 Tell me about a time you lost a job order or placement to a competitor. How did you react? BEHAVIORAL 19 What are some professional goals you have set for yourself this year? PERFORMANCE 20 Are you willing to work outside of the regular 9-5? DISCOVERY 21 How do you build trust and rapport with your clients? SKILLS 22 What type of office set up helps you to be the most productive? SITUATIONAL 23 Are you a patient individual? Rate your patience level from 1-10. BEHAVIORAL 24 Recruitment often requires out-of-the-box thinking. Are you creative by nature? SKILLS 25 Would you take a job order from a client who was acting unethically? ETHICAL 26 How do you determine job order priority? SKILLS 27 How do you continue to educate yourself, as an expert in staffing? EDUCATION 28 Why should Robert Half hire you over our other candidates? DISCOVERY 29 Is honesty the best policy? ETHICAL 30 How much money do you want to earn in this role? What does your ideal pay structure look like? DISCOVERY 31 Tell me about your customer service experience. SKILLS 32 Describe your communication skills. SKILLS 33 How would your co-workers describe you? TEAM 34 Would your clients say that you are trust-worthy? TEAM 35 How do you stay current on changes in the recruitment field? SKILLS
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Rachelle Enns
Written by Rachelle Enns
35 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · ROBERT HALF
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