Pros
The actual job responsibilities are extremely easy. The management touts the position as a sales job, but it’s really order-taking. If you have any sort of B2B sales experience, the responsibilities & expectations are a piece of cake. Another pro, is that because it’s not remotely a real sales job, you walk out the door at 5:30pm on the dot, and never have to think about work in your off-hours, as they do not require or encourage you to access email remotely. Additionally, it takes very little mental effort to perform at this job, as you are not required to make any decisions regarding how to use the time in your work day. Robert Half will tell you when you pick up the phone, when to be at your desk, when to go the bathroom and when to go home for the day. Additionally, you will not have a direct phone number, so you will never have to check your voice mail. This also saves you from actually developing relationships with your clients, which is done to protect Robert Half when you eventually move on from the company. Robert Half will not send you to New Hire training until you have worked for at least 90 days, as the likelihood of you leaving the company in less than 90 days is extremely high. Unlike your previous sales job, you do not have to start your employment by getting on a plane to attend corporate sales training with your fellow colleagues & peers! Instead you will spend week 1 reading the online training manuals at your desk, and by week 2, you will jump right in & pick up the phones. The biggest pro of working at Robert Half Legal, is that after about 6 months, you will be heavily recruited by every staffing firm across all industries. Other staffing firms understand the environment at Robert Half produces employees who will work hard and see high levels of success in a more nurturing environment. If you can defy the odds, and remain employed here beyond 18+ months, you will be one of the longest-tenured employees in a department of 25+ people, and there is good money to be made.
Cons
The environment on the Legal team in Chicago is downright toxic. Twenty percent of the department turns over completely every 6 months. It’s an almost exclusively female environment, heavily populated with ex-attorneys who act superior to their peers, though all members of the team hold the Account Executive or Recruiter title, and not everyone needed a JD to get there. It’s extremely catty, condescending and demotivating. If your management is not discussing your clothes or shoes behind your back, they are criticizing your wardrobe and hair to your face. It’s incredibly unprofessional, offering very little constructive feedback that would advance your career. Be prepared to have more meetings about your nail polish or the color of your jacket, than your sales numbers or a plan to improve them. Management will actively & openly fight over commissions from the reps that report to them. It’s a very much “do as I say, not as I do” environment. You are constantly questioned on your whereabouts, as it is not a true inside/outside sales role. Your clients will have at least 2-4 contacts in the legal department alone, so be prepared to battle your teammates for orders. If you list an emergency contact on your private HR records, know that if you are late to work, they will contact them, questioning your whereabouts. There is a high level of incompetence among the management team locally in Chicago, as none of them have ever held a supervisory role outside of Robert Half. The key to success is not unlike junior high: get into the inner circle and you will see success, as it is your direct manager, not you, who determines your level of success.
