A good employment experience gone bad. - Anonymous employee Randstad US Employee Review

2.0
Feb 6, 2013
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I worked for Spherion in one of the corporate offices prior to their having been bought out by Randstad. The employees were naturally concerned when we were told that our company had been acquired, and the "big wigs" came in and presented all sorts of slideshows and idealistic speeches about how the company was going to get much better. The pros for working with Spherion were wonderful - great pay, benefits, and a genuine desire to see all employees succeed. There was an open-door policy with upper management that made employees feel as though their concerns would be heard and addressed.

Cons

All the reassurances and posturing about the grand ideas Randstad had for Spherion were outright untruths. Since the acquisition, things for Spherion have taken a rapid downturn. The transition was a complete mess, with bad communicating, inadequate training on the new systems, and the general feeling that we had been subject to a "hostile takeover." Most of the employees were in fear of losing their jobs, and there was little done to attempt to reassure us. There have always been flaws in the training system, but instead of attempting to fix them, the CEO decided to send in an cold, unpersonable manager to fire anyone she considered to be "underperforming." As a result, many hard-working employees found themselves out of a job, and the company lost several valuable clients.

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Pros

Good work environment, good culture

Cons

Would like more aggressive commission structure

1.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
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Pros

Competitive compensation and benefits. Opportunities to build strong client relationships and develop HR and leadership skills. I was fortunate to work for a direct manager who genuinely supported and believed in me, which made my experience positive for several years. High performers can receive meaningful recognition, such as Presidents Club, and the role provides valuable experience in employee relations, recruiting, operations, and client management that can strengthen your résumé. A good company to get some experience but not a good long term company to work for.

Cons

Lack of transparency and accountability. My biggest issue was not being terminated—it was how the company handled it. Although I understand Connecticut is an at-will employment state, I believe employees deserve an honest explanation when their employment ends. Despite repeatedly asking, I was never told why I was being terminated. I went nearly three months without an answer and only learned the company’s stated reason after reviewing unemployment paperwork they submitted while contesting my claim. Prior to my termination, I had never received formal discipline or written warnings. Just two months earlier, I had earned Presidents Club, one of the company’s highest performance recognitions. Going from being recognized as a top performer to being terminated without a meaningful explanation was shocking and left me questioning the company’s commitment to transparency and fairness. In my experience, Human Resources did not provide answers or advocate for transparency. Instead, I felt they supported leadership’s decision without giving me the information I was requesting. During my years with the company, I also observed situations involving other employees that, in hindsight, made me question how employment decisions were handled. After my own experience, I came away feeling that performance alone did not determine job security. I also perceived that long-tenured employees were treated differently than newer employees, regardless of performance. One of the most unsettling parts of my experience was feeling that if leadership became unhappy with an employee, that employee could be terminated with little explanation. Whether or not that was actually the reason in every case, it created an environment where I felt job security depended more on staying in favor than on performance. That uncertainty made the workplace feel unpredictable and, ultimately, unsettling. If transparency, communication, and feeling valued as an employee are important to you, my experience suggests you should ask careful questions before accepting a position. My experience at the end of my employment was completely different from the company I believed I had been working for during my first several years.

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