Robert Half Explained

Robert Half Inc.
Former Name:	Robert Half International Inc.
Type:	Public company
Founders:	Bob and Maxine Half
Area Served:	Worldwide
Industry:	Employment agency, Professional services
Services:	Employment agencies, recruitments, human resource consulting and outsourcing
Revenue:	(2022)
Net Income:	US$657.92 million (2022)
Assets:	US$2.96 billion (2022)
Equity:	US$1.57 billion (2022)
Num Employees:	(including Protiviti)
Num Employees Year:	December 2023
Subsid:	Protiviti
Founded:	in New York City^[1] ^[2]
Locations:	313 (staffing) 65 (Protiviti)
Footnotes:	^[3]

Robert Half Inc. is an international human resource consulting firm founded in 1948, based in Menlo Park and San Ramon, California.^[4] It is among the world's largest accounting and finance staffing firms, with over 345 locations worldwide.^[5]

Through its Accountemps, Finance & Accounting, and Management Resources divisions, the company provides staff in the fields of accounting and finance. Other divisions include Robert Half Technology, providing software, application, IT infrastructure and operations professionals; Office Team, which specializes in administrative and customer service staffing; The Creative Group, which focuses on design, artistic, and creative talent; and Robert Half Legal, which provides staffing for legal professionals.^[6] In 2002, Robert Half founded a subsidiary, Protiviti Inc., to provide internal audit, financial, operations, technology, governance, and risk consulting services.^{[7] [8]}

History

Robert Half Inc. was founded in 1948 in New York City,^[1] as two separate business entities: the Robert Half (RH) section as "an employment agency for accountants", and the Accountemps section "to supply accountants and other financial professionals… on a temporary basis".

The firm went public in 1987, then expanded its operations into Europe in 1993.^[9] In addition to the Accountemps brand, the firm expanded to include specialty groups focusing on technology, legal and creative services personnel.^[9] In 1991 the company acquired The Affiliates, renaming it as Robert Half Legal.^[9]

Robert Half also provides independent risk consulting, internal audit and information technology consulting services via its Protiviti subsidiary, founded in 2002 with the acquisition of former employees of Arthur Andersen.^{[9] [10]} Since then, the group has grown from 700 to over 2,900 staff.^[11] In 2003, the company bought back the last of the few remaining independent franchise operations.^[9]

In 2006, the company, through its subsidiary Protiviti Inc., acquired the assets of PG Lewis & Associates, a provider of data forensics and cybersecurity services founded in 2003. The financial terms were not disclosed.^[12]

In April 2022, Robert Half moved its legal consulting service line to Protiviti, allowing the subsidiary to expand its legal consulting practice.^[13]

See also

• Protiviti
• Human resource consulting
• Arthur Andersen

Further reading

Verified sources

• AT Staff, "Staffing Firm Founder Robert Half Dead at 82," Accounting Today, September 24, 2001, p. 56.
• Brandstrader, J.R., "It's an Ill Wind," Barron's, March 25, 1996, p. 18.
• Byrnes, Nanette, et al., "The Good CEO," Businessweek, September 23, 2002.
• Caldwell, Douglas E., "The New Economy's Gold Digger," Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, March 16, 2001, p. 38.
• Desloge, Rick, "Robert Half, Kelly Services Share in Temp Firm Growth," St. Louis Business Journal, December 1, 1997, p. 24.
• Fleming, Eric C., "Job-Recruiter Blues: Will Paltry Demand Drain Robert Half Shares?," Barron's, November 11, 2002, p. T8.
• Jordon, Steve, "New Risk-Consulting Firm Lures Ex-Andersen Employees," Omaha World Herald, June 6, 2002.
• Lenz, Edward. "Flexible Employment: Positive Work Strategies for the 21st Century," Journal of Labor Research, 1996.
• Marsh, Ann, "We're Your Talent Agent," Forbes, August 10, 1998, p. 104.
• Morningstar Staff, "Morningstar Names Max Messmer of Robert Half International as 2003 CEO of the Year," Morningstar, January 6, 2004.
• Murphy, Victoria, "Robert Half International: Everyone Need Apply," Forbes, January 8, 2001, p. 106.
• NATSS Staff, "Temporary Help Services Continue Growth; Several Factors Cited," Alexandria, Va.: National Association of Temporary Staffing Services, June 17, 1996.
• Robson, Douglas, "Half's Measures: Robert Half Harnesses Outsourcing Trend to Prove that Even Big Businesses Can Grow Quickly," San Francisco Business Times, April 18, 1997, p. 5A.
• Siwolop, Sana, "Renting the Workers, But Buying the Stock," The New York Times, December 15, 1996.
• Svaldi, Aldo, "California-Based Staffing-Services Firm Hires 760 Andersen Accountants," Denver Post, June 6, 2002.

Notes and References

1. Web site: RH Intl. Staff . 2013 . History and Values . company web page . RobertHalf.be . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130621082120/http://www.roberthalf.be/robert-half-international-history . June 21, 2013 . February 27, 2017 .
2. Web site: Company Overview of Robert Half International Inc. . Bloomberg . Bloomberg L.P. . 18 December 2018.
3. Web site: Robert Half Annual Report 2021 . 2022 Annual Report . 19 June 2023 . Robert Half International Inc. . 19 June 2023.
4. Web site: Robert Half International. Fortune 500.
5. Web site: Locations . Robert Half . 10 April 2017 . 18 December 2018.
6. Web site: Robert Half International Inc (RHI.N) . Reuters . Bloomberg . 18 December 2018.
7. Web site: Company Overview of Protiviti Inc. . Bloomberg . 18 December 2018.
8. Web site: World's Most Admired Companies . Fortune . Fortune Media . 21 April 2019.
9. FU Staff [Wernick, E., et al.] . 2005 . Robert Half International Inc. History . FundingUniverse.com . February 27, 2017. This information is derived from the following source: Book: Wernick, Ellen . Gariepy, Jennifer . Grant, Tina . 2005 . International Directory of Company Histories (IDCH) . Robert Half International Inc. . 70 . IDCH, Gale Reference Library (Derdak, Thomas, series ed.) . Detroit, MI . Gale/St. James Press . 1558625453 . February 27, 2017. Note, this compilation reports, to a significant degree, information self-reported by the company, and so constitutes information not strictly third-party in nature.
10. News: Jordon, Steve . June 6, 2002 . New Risk-Consulting Firm Lures Ex-Andersen Employees . Omaha World-Herald . Omaha, NE . Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228084948/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-87029742.html . dead . February 28, 2017 . subscription . February 27, 2017 .
11. Web site: Protiviti Staff . July 9, 2016 . History . Protiviti.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160709112848/http://www.protiviti.com/en-US/Pages/History.aspx . July 9, 2016 . February 27, 2017 .
12. Web site: 2006-03-03. Protiviti Acquires P.G. Lewis & Associates. 2020-10-14. Accounting Today. en.
13. Web site: Robert Half moves legal solutions practice to subsidiary Protiviti . consulting.us . April 2022 . Consultancy.org network . 24 April 2022.