Our Company History and Accolades

Founded in 1948, Robert Half has a long history of connecting opportunities at great companies with highly skilled job seekers. Bolstered by the strength of our brand, our people, our technology and our professional business model, we find meaningful and exciting employment for the people we place and provide clients access to the specialized talent they need to help grow their businesses.

We pioneered the idea of professional talent solutions nearly 70 years ago and, as the needs of businesses have evolved, so have we. In 1986, when current leadership acquired the Robert Half business from founder Bob Half, the staffing industry was much different than it is today.

Our leadership team saw potential in moving toward a more specialized talent solutions approach and began placing contract workers at higher skill levels. Our clients and candidates found value in professional-level talent solutions, which is why we launched a series of contract professional staffing divisions in the finance and accounting, legal, creative and marketing, technology and administrative fields. And in 2002, we again saw opportunity and introduced Protiviti, a global independent risk consulting and internal audit service, to support companies as they faced more stringent financial reporting and disclosure practices under new regulations such as Sarbanes-Oxley.

Explore Robert Half’s history, learn about our leadership and accolades and see how we have found opportunity in innovation to create a $5 billion professional services organization.

1940s: The beginning

1948
Robert Half founded by Bob and Maxine Half.

1960s: High ethical standards become a cornerstone

1963
Bob Half speaks out against discriminatory recruiting and staffing practices in a letter to the Association of Personnel Agencies of New York.

1970s: A decade of firsts

1973
Robert Half opens its first international location in London.
1973
Accountemps, the first of many professional staffing divisions, is launched, thus beginning Robert Half’s specialized approach to temporary staffing.

1980s: New leadership

1986
Max Messmer negotiates the purchase of the Robert Half business from founder Bob Half. Once finalized, this transaction sets the company on a new course, paving the way for the repurchase of the Robert Half franchises and the creation of a centralized corporate support infrastructure.

1990s: Growth and expansion

1990
Robert Half is accepted into the New York Stock Exchange.
1991
OfficeTeam launches, focusing on administrative staffing.
1993
Robert Half Legal launches, focusing on legal staffing.
1994
Robert Half Technology launches, focusing on technology staffing.
1997
Robert Half surpasses $1 billion in annual revenues for the first time.
1997
Robert Half Management Resources launches, focusing on interim management and project-based financial staffing.
1999
The Creative Group launches, focusing on creative and design staffing.

2000s: Leadership and recognition

2000
First staffing firm to be added to the S&P 500 Index.
2002
Protiviti launches, growing to become a global leader in internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting.
2008
First listed on the FTSE4Good Responsible Investment Index.
2011
Chairman and CEO Max Messmer receives two leadership awards. He’s named the Bay Area’s Most Admired CEO in the large public company category by the San Francisco Business Times and receives the Staffing Innovator Award from Staffing Industry Analysts.
2014
Launch of the “Find Your Bob®” campaign, a revival of the widely recognized “Bob® From Accountemps” radio ads from the 1990s.
2015
Chairman and CEO Max Messmer is named one of FORTUNE® magazine’s Businesspersons of the Year.
2016
Robert Half is named to Forbes list of “America’s Best Large Employers.”
2016
Chairman and CEO Max Messmer is inducted by the American Staffing Association into the ASA Leadership Hall of Fame.
2017
Chairman and CEO Max Messmer was named to Staffing Industry Review’s Staffing 100 Hall of Fame.
2020
For the second year, Robert Half was named to Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers for Women
2020
Robert Half is honored to be named one of Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity 2020.
2020
Robert Half was No. 1 on Forbes’ annual ranking of America’s Best Professional Recruiting Firms.
2020
Robert Half was placed fourth on the list of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms.
2020
Robert Half was named to Forbes’ inaugural list of America’s Best Temporary Staffing Firms.
2021
For the third year, Robert Half was selected for the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.
2021
Robert Half has once again been named to FORTUNE’s “World’s Most Admired Companies®” list and remains the top-ranked staffing firm (February 2021).
2021
Robert Half is proud to be named one of Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the fourth year, ranking in the top 10 on the list.
2021
Robert Half was recognized by The Wall Street Journal as one of the World’s Most Sustainably Managed Companies.
2021
Chief Executive Officer M. Keith Waddell and President and CEO of Staffing Services Paul F. Gentzkow were named to the Staffing Industry Analysts’ list of the North America Staffing 100.
2021
Named America's Best Professional Recruiting Firm by Forbes for the fourth consecutive year.
2021
Named one of America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms by Forbes for the fifth consecutive year.
2021
Named America's Best Temporary Staffing Firm by Forbes.
Robert Half has been recognized as one of FORTUNE’s “Most Admired Companies” every year since 1998. (February 2021).

FORTUNE and The World’s Most Admired Companies are registered trademarks of FORTUNE Media IP Limited and are used under license. From FORTUNE Magazine, February 2021 ©2021 FORTUNE Media IP Limited. FORTUNE and FORTUNE Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or service of, Robert Half.