Robert Half

Here is a biography-style profile of Robert Half (1918–2001) — the American businessman and founder of the staffing firm that bears his name — along with his legacy and some notable quotes.

Robert Half – Life, Career & Legacy

Explore the life and impact of Robert Half (1918–2001), the American entrepreneur who founded Robert Half International, a pioneering specialized staffing firm. Discover his background, business strategies, philosophy, and memorable quotations.

Introduction

Robert Half is best known as the founder of Robert Half International, one of the world’s foremost specialized staffing and consulting firms. His vision: to bring professionalism, integrity, and specialization into recruitment—especially for accounting, finance, and later other domains. Through his leadership, Robert Half helped elevate staffing from a low-service trade into a respected business function.

Early Life & Background

Details about Robert Half’s early life are relatively sparse in major public sources. What is known or commonly cited:

• He was born circa 1918 and died in 2001.

• He and his wife, Maxine Half, founded the first iteration of his staffing business in 1948 in New York City.

• Before founding his firm, he worked in roles involving managing accounting staff for a manufacturing concern; he recognized a gap: no placement agency was focusing specifically on accounting or financial professionals.

Because the public records do not strongly emphasize his early education or formative personal biography, much of his reputation rests on his professional achievements and business philosophy.

Career & Business Achievements

Founding a Specialized Staffing Firm

In 1948, Robert Half and his wife launched what became known as Robert Half Personnel Agency (later Robert Half International). accounting and finance professionals—not general clerical labor.

He also created Accountemps, a division to supply temporary accounting and financial professionals, in response to fluctuations in demand.

This specialization gave his firm credibility with corporate hiring managers, since the recruiters understood the technical demands of the work.

Growth, Franchising & Consolidation

• Over time, Robert Half’s model expanded via franchising: many local branches operated semi-independently under his brand.

• By the mid-1980s, there were over 150 Robert Half and Accountemps franchises in the U.S.

• In 1987, Robert Half International went public, enabling greater scale, consolidation, and investment.

Diversification & Expansion

Though accounting/finance was the core, the company later expanded into adjacent domains:

• OfficeTeam — administrative and support roles.

• Robert Half Legal — placing paralegals, legal support staff.

• Robert Half Technology — IT professionals.

• Protiviti (founded 2002, after Half’s passing) — internal audit, risk consulting, and compliance services.

Under his influence, the firm’s reputation for ethical placement, technical understanding, and specialization became foundational to its identity.

Philosophy & Business Principles

Robert Half believed recruitment should be treated as a profession, not a transactional business. Some of the principles attributed to him or embedded in the company ethos:

• Specialization over generalism — Focusing on a domain (accounting/finance) allowed deeper credibility, better fit, and trust.

• Ethical integrity — Transparency in fee structures, avoidance of conflicts, treating candidates respectfully.

• Matching skills and character — Because his recruiters understood the technical work, they could evaluate not just resume credentials but practical aptitude.

• Long-term reputation over short gains — He is said to have preferred to decline a search rather than compromise on candidate–client fit.

These values helped position Robert Half’s firm as one clients could trust to deliver professional candidates rather than filling vacancies generically.

Legacy & Impact

• Robert Half International remains a leader in the staffing industry, especially in accounting, finance, IT, and legal domains.

• The model of specialized staffing that he pioneered influenced how recruitment firms differentiate themselves today.

• The firm’s annual salary guides and market insights became reference tools in the employment industry.

• His emphasis on ethics and professionalism helped shift public perceptions of staffing and recruiting toward a more respected business function.

Though Robert Half himself is less widely remembered in general cultural memory than some other business figures, his company continues to carry his name and values, and his influence is embedded in how many professional staffing firms operate now.

Notable Quotes

Here are some quotes attributed to Robert Half (from various quote sources) that reflect his thinking on work, hiring, and leadership:

• “Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy.”

• “Laziness is a secret ingredient that goes into failure. But it's only kept a secret from the person who fails.”

• “Asking the right questions takes as much skill as giving the right answers.”

• “Time spent on hiring is time well spent.”

• “Acting on a good idea is better than just having a good idea.”

• “Not admitting a mistake is a bigger mistake.”

These reflect his attention to diligence, action, candor, and the importance of process in business.

Conclusion

Robert Half’s name lives on, not just as a brand, but as a marker of how staffing and recruitment can be elevated: specialized, ethical, and professionally minded. From a single agency placing accounting professionals to a diversified global firm, his business model, values, and reputation continue to resonate in today’s talent economy.