Hays Reviews 

​I have worked for many agencies over the years, but my experience with Hays Education (specifically the Leeds/Huddersfield branch) has been the worst by far.
​The registration process was an endless, draining timeline of paperwork and long application forms. After providing every detail and proof requested, I realized it was all just a box-ticking exercise for them. Dealing with Michelle Audis was incredibly disappointing; there was no contact back, and I had to constantly follow up myself just to get any status update.
​It is clear they are only interested in getting you registered as a member "on their books" to boost their numbers. Since completing the paperwork, there have been no calls and no job offers. If you are a professional in West Yorkshire looking for an agency that actually respects your time and finds you work, look elsewhere.

Never paid on time, lied to, record for getting paid is 7 weeks late. Currently 3 weeks late for payment. Funds were meant to be set to umbrella company today. Never received. Left the role i was hired for via Hays due to none payment again. Avoid at all costs.

I applied for two roles on their website, about a month apart. Jennie Storey was the rep I spoke to about the roles. One role was for an QHSE Assistant, 35k-45k which, if I'm honest, I might have lacked a bit of experience for, but seeing though I've passed my NEBOSH general certificate, have auditing experience, document control experience and experience of writing risk assesments, I applied for it. After nearly a week of hearing nothing I contacted Jennie, she was pleasent, but dismissive, and said it was a graduate role and the person had to be located within a certain distance from the site location (neither of this was mentioned on the initial JD), so she rejected my application for the role. (If I hadn't of contacted her I'd have never known). Fast forward a month and another QHSE opportunity (25k-30k) appeared on the Hays website, this time stating "This is a great opportunity for someone looking to progress within the Health & Safety field supporting the business QHSE Manager". This is exactly the kind of role I'm looking for, so I applied for it..................Once again I heard nothing, so I called her up a few days later. She was busy on another call at the time, but her colleague said she would get her to call me back. Two and a half hours later I decided to try calling again. I got to speak to Jennie and she had no idea who I was, or why I was calling? So I explained and she found my application and told me she'd rejected it? I asked why? She explained it was an entry level graduate role (once again not mentioned on the advertised JD) and I didn't have the experience, so there was no point of fowarding it onto the client. I explained that I could do the role with my eyes shut and she suddenly wanted to end the call? I explained to her that if all these roles are "graduate roles" or have special stipulations they should really put that information down in the JD, then particular people, not suited for the role, wouldn't bother wasting their time applying for them.
Looking for a job is stressful and hard enough as it is and speaking to dismissive people like that doesn't help. Other agencies I've spoken to have built up a rapport with me and have taken time out to understand why I'm looking for work. It wouldn't surprise me if Jennie didn't even look at my CV until I called up, It probably went through the ATS system and was discarded straight away. My experience with Hays and Jennie has been the worst, when compared to other agencies, and judging by other reviews I'm not alone which is a shame. Luckily I now know not to waste anymore of my time with them.

I had a very disappointing experience with this recruitment agency. I was contacted multiple times regarding roles and responded promptly to every email, providing all the requested information and making myself fully available.

However, the communication was extremely poor and unprofessional. I found myself constantly chasing them for updates, clarification, and next steps which is the opposite of what you expect from a recruitment partner. A recruitment agency should support candidates and manage the process proactively, not leave them doing all the follow-up.

This experience showed a clear lack of organisation, accountability, and respect for candidates’ time.

Based on my experience, I would strongly advise professionals to be cautious when trusting this agency with an important step in their career

Jack Brewin (Environmental Recruitment Specialist) approached me on LinkedIn regarding a ecology position. Jack was great and giving detail and preparing me for my interview - Which in turn landed me the Job! Couldn't recommend Jack enough a real asset to your team!

Offered a job, kept telling me they'll send details never happened gave up another job opportunity, never again

Would encourage anyone thinking of signing a working contract under Hays Recruitment to strongly rethink their choice and read all paperwork with a fine tooth comb. I contracted for them for a couple of years and I found them to be a extremely shrewd business with zero interest in the candidates they represent, candidates are just the money maker and it’s very obvious. Hays ensure they pocket as much from your placement as physically possible while doing very little to guide or help along the way other than make you feel like a fool if you dare to question anything that doesn’t seem right, despite having assigned contractor relationship managers.

They cleverly make everything so highly complicated that you are never quite sure where you are at with both payslips and annual leave. I would advise people who do go on to work for them to ensure they manage their own annual leave monies if on PAYE, rather than pay into the Hays “pot” as I believe they are profiting from your hard earned money here too. Save it yourself and gain your own interest until you need to use it.

I’ve worked for a few recruiters in my time and Hays was by far the most ruthless and opportunistic.

They can thank their lucky stars that there's no option to give zero stars. Person by the name of Sruti Swarup sends me an email saying she wants to schedule a call with me to discuss a role. So we agreed on a time and date to call. On the day, she doesn't call me so I phone the office to let them know that we were supposed to discuss this role in further detail only for their colleagues to say she's busy and she'll phone me back, which she didn't. Emailed her saying if she can can schedule another time and shock horror, she performs a disappearing act. Been chasing her for days by phoning the office time and time again only to be said she'll call back. Unprofessional and utterly pathetic!

Sandeep is a time waster.
I took the morning off of work, had to push for it to be paid leave as work wanted to make it unpaid. Went to an IN PERSON INTERVIEW, had to do a case study plus 1:1 interview. Had to chase Sandeep multiple times for an update and still now, months later, he has not provided one. Why waste people’s time like this? Terrible company.

Keep on applying but no response for any job application

Just had a text out of them asking about an account on boxing day.
Thinking it was a customer I replied
Only then to be given the spiel they were a requirement company..
Told them politely I have a role in my own company as a director.. And I didn't like being misled over text.

........ This is therm today..

May I have a quick word about account?

Who are you??

Happy holiday. I am Ammy with Hays-Group. We have a role you should check out. Is it okay to drop the details here for your review?

Sorry I have a role i am a director in my own company...

I really do not like being misled by people over a text

How about this: I will send you the details about the role, We also have hybrid PT role. If something piques your interest, we can discuss it. Is that okay?

How about I report you back to your company and what ever regulation body controls your behaviour because you are way way out of order.. Sending bait text to people on there holidays

Very poor customer relations!

1 star is generous. Ask for the same documents over and over again. Payroll rude and unhelpful. Communication is poor and they don’t care about people . As long as they get their commission that’s all they care about. Shocking people experience contracting with them!

We recently worked with Hays to recruit three Health & Safety roles across Soha Housing and Soha Response, and Charlotte Hodgkinson has been exceptional from start to finish.

Charlotte took the time to really understand the organisation, the culture, and the exact profile we needed for each position. She helped us refine and hone the type of candidate we were looking for, and her insight made the entire recruitment process far more targeted and effective.

Thanks to Charlotte, we were introduced to truly impressive candidates — all three roles have now been successfully offered and accepted. Her communication, professionalism, and genuine commitment to getting it right set her apart.

A first-class experience and highly recommended.

Just had the phone from their Hammersmith office slammed down on me twice .So ignorant.I was trying to hire from them .

I have been speaking with Christina for your Watford Office over the last few months. She has been very helpful and helped me when I have been down amd struggling to cope with unemployment. I pull highly recommend anyone to speak to her as she does have a human touch.

My experience with Hays’ Planning and Property division was extremely appalling. I submitted a full application for a local authority role through their platform well before the deadline and received confirmation of receipt. Despite several polite follow-ups, I later discovered from the council itself that my details had never been forwarded.

Weeks of emails went unanswered, and I only received a response after escalating directly to the hiring manager—by which point the post had already been filled. The lack of accountability, transparency, and basic communication was unacceptable for an agency of this size.

Anyone applying through Hays should double-check that their application has actually been submitted, as their internal processes appear inconsistent, messy and unreliable.

There is no other explanation except for that they are... Racists! If your cv holds any names that aren't British, or if you have job experience showing in other countries before coming to the UK, don't even bother to apply to any of their jobs. You can meet all the job requirements, be in the correct location for the job, have more experience / qualifications than just the basic requirements, be satisfied with what the job offers, but if you're not British, be prepared to have your cv thrown in their dump folder and recieve an instant rejection message. Been applying for their jobs for 3 years, and now I have finally tell the truth!

I thought my recruitment consultant Charles Maidment in the Bristol office was great. He went above and beyond helping me secure my role. The information about the organisation and who I was meeting was brilliant and very useful. I can happy recommend using Hays again because of Charles.

Well just following what everyone else has said. If I could give a zero or negative - they would have received a minus.
An awful company, will never use them again as either a candidate or use them to recruit for a company. They have lost my business

I allege ( it is not libel it is my opinion). Jackie and lewis working in Swansea are truly not professional - I will not recommend these two employees who I allege are totally unprofessional, not trustworthy and have no interest in you. Not libel my opinion.

Fact, they put businesses through, look for Fibreight on London gazette, Hays put 30 employees out of work, affected many other suppliers, I am aware of 2 other companies that they have done this too and been in one company where they sent in the bailiffs. Not a nice company.

Their first attack is MCOL -
Have news for them MCOL on way to them from a company and an individual with an allegation of restriction of trade by HAYS.

Make your mind up, I am not recommending them to anyone. Not an allegation, matter of fact. WILL NEVER EVER USE and if asked will never review but will not defame as they will pursue you.

Be careful what you say they will take you to MCOL