The original version of this article was published in Half Times, the digital magazine for Robert Half employees.
Over the course of the last few years, changes throughout Robert Half have opened the door to many exciting employee-centered developments. A flexible work model, an evolving company culture of listening and increased communication, and a focus on inclusion and well-being have all shaped how we work for the better.
With these positive changes, we decided to take a closer look at our organizational values — to better align with employee engagement, our organization’s mission and our future. As a result, Robert Half and Protiviti, our global consulting subsidiary, are now embracing a new set of Enterprise Values:
- Integrity
- Inclusion
- Innovation
- Commitment to Success
These values are championed across our organizations and embedded into our corporate culture and everything we do for our people, candidates, clients and the communities where we live and work.
“Our new values provide us with a solid foundation for continuing our pursuit of a work culture where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute to our success,” says Lynne Smith, senior vice president of global human resources at Robert Half. “Where inclusivity solicits other people’s voices and conversations around problem solving, where we are comfortable with risk-taking and empowering individuals to be creative, to conduct empathetic, honest and truthful conversations with our customers and each other, and where we continue to make a difference in the lives we serve.”
So, what do these values mean day-to-day? Let’s take a closer look.
Integrity: We put ethics first and do the right thing in all situations
Since 1948, Robert Half has adhered to the guiding principle of “Ethics First.” It’s a principle that helps us put our clients, candidates, and each other first, make our toughest business decisions, and always do what is right. People in our organization often refer to this value of Integrity as one of the key differentiators of working at Robert Half — and one of the reasons they stay working here.
“For me, what makes Robert Half a most admired company is that, since day one, we always have and always will provide our candidates and clients with world-class service while still adhering to our core values and ethics first,” says Agnes Santoro, director of permanent placement services.
Inclusion: We foster a culture of belonging where everyone can connect, thrive and grow
As a global organization, we recognize the value of having a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences represented throughout the company. This includes people of different ethnicities, races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, physical abilities, ages, educational backgrounds, social classes and beyond. These different voices and experiences help propel innovation, solve business challenges and ultimately drive our success.
“Robert Half is laser-focused on its people,” says practice director Daniel Williams. “I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many diverse yet like-minded individuals that have been by my side through many ups and downs and key life events ... I consider my team to be good friends.”
As a talent solutions firm, we understand that Inclusion also means taking responsibility to help create opportunities for communities that may get overlooked. Moving toward positive change starts from within, which is why strengthening our diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts is a continual focus for us. This work has led to developing new and expanded alliances with nonprofit organizations intent on driving workplace equity and expanding our Employee Network Groups (ENGs) to drive change and create connections for our employees.
We can clearly see the positive effect of our DEI efforts, as evidenced by feedback in a recent employee survey. “I really enjoy participating in the [ENGs]. These connections with others like me, and others who are not, are filled with stories that bring us together and help us understand each other. I’ve called into panels for most of the groups and found the guests to be very informative,” said one survey participant.
“Robert Half provides great opportunities/channels for connection, inclusion, empowerment and personal development,” another participant said.
Learn more about our environmental, social and governance commitments.
Innovation: We adapt, evolve and invest in delivering new ideas and solutions
Often, you will hear our professionals talk about pursuing stretch assignments to help them develop professionally or our leadership encouraging the pursuit of innovation or efficiencies that ultimately benefit the business.
This Innovation mindset served us well during the pandemic when many of us had to embrace new ways of working to continue supporting our customers and the organization. We developed new processes and systems for a remote/hybrid work environment and improved efficiencies that set us up for future growth.
Our new value of Innovation helps us place even more emphasis on creating a company culture where people feel empowered to challenge the status quo, adopt new technologies and efficiencies, take risks, and fail forward. Here is what some of our employees have shared about how innovations, great and small, have helped them succeed in their roles, provide better service to their customers, and perform with greater efficiency.
“I enjoy laying the foundation for new ways to grow sustainable revenue and designing a new process for delivery,” says Craig Kapper, senior vice president of national technology accounts. “This helps Robert Half move with more agility in a rapidly changing environment.”
Commitment to Success: We empower our people to drive the success of our clients, candidates and colleagues to better our communities
Our former principle of Dedication to Excellence has evolved to Commitment to Success. This shift puts a focus on creating a workplace where we are productive and engaged; united by meaningful, purpose-driven work; empowered to contribute and be relentless about improvement; and be recognized for our successes.
When you talk to many of our tenured professionals, you will hear these sentiments mentioned time and time again. It’s in the way they view their colleagues, their commitment to bringing their best selves to work, their relationships with leadership, and their passion for the work they do.
“For me, Robert Half is like an Ivy League college with down-to-earth people,” says product manager Robert Mann. “The talent and dedication of my colleagues inspire me to pursue excellence and innovation in my work.”
“I feel fortunate to have an opportunity to work with highly energized, self-motivated, and knowledgeable team members,” says Darshan Desai, business systems analyst. “Their skills and motivation inspire me daily.”
Regardless of where we are in the world, our employees all work toward positively impacting those we serve — helping job seekers advance their careers and clients hire the right talent to meet business needs. This has been especially important during a time when clients are hard-pressed to locate talent and need help navigating the hiring landscape.
This unified purpose keeps us motivated to do our best, day in and day out, and handle our customers (clients, candidates and internal colleagues) with empathy and care.
This purpose also extends to our greater communities through our organizational culture of giving and volunteerism.
“What I most appreciate about Robert Half’s environmental and sustainability efforts is that the company targets ways that our clients, candidates, colleagues, and communities can collectively work together to plant the seeds for a brighter future,” says senior business communications specialist Kate Smucker.
Interested in a career at Robert Half?
Only one talent solutions firm made FORTUNE’S World’s Most Admired Companies® list for 2023 — and that company is Robert Half. Ours is also the only organization in its industry to make the Most Admired Companies® list for 26 consecutive years.
Also, in September, Robert Half learned that our company was named to the FORTUNE Best Workplaces in Consulting & Professional Services™ list for the second consecutive year. Protiviti, our global consulting subsidiary, is also on the list.
Those are just a few of our recent accolades. Learn about opportunities in corporate or talent management, and join our team!