Does Hays pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Hays employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.3 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Hays. This rating has improved by 4% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at Hays?

67% of Hays employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated Hays 3.6 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.6 for culture and values and 3.7 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at Hays?

Recruitment Consultant (1005) , Consultant (379) , Recruiter (365) , Senior Recruitment Consultant (229) , Associate Recruitment Consultant (224) , Senior Consultant (208) , Associate Consultant (199) , Manager (169) , Account Manager (148) , Business Manager (121) , Director (90) , Senior Manager (87) , Intern (79) , Consultant en recrutement (76) , Key Account Manager (74)

What are the pros of working at Hays according to real employee reviews?

"The company wide training is good and comprehensive." ((in 681 reviews)); "Most of the teams have a great culture and it’s a very success driven company." ((in 422 reviews)); "I worked with really great people over a number of years with Hays and made some fabulous friends." ((in 311 reviews)); "I was lucky to be part of a great team who weren’t cut throat and were caring." ((in 211 reviews)); "Great support and colleagues." ((in 165 reviews))

What are the cons of working at Hays according to real employee reviews?

"Long hours and often expected to stay behind which can lead to burn out very quickly." ((in 351 reviews)); "Industry has low salaries for junior staff and Hays is no different" ((in 338 reviews)); "Low pay and sometimes less shifts" ((in 156 reviews)); "KPI's are really high and no work life balance" ((in 131 reviews)); "Clearly the management training is failing as all the managers do is micromanage instead of nurturing and supporting." ((in 105 reviews))

What are employees saying about Hays layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about Hays layoffs and their outlook for job security at Hays in 2026.

Hays reviews

3.6

67% would recommend to a friend

(5,762 total reviews)

Mark Dearnley

99% approve of CEO

53% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Hays has an employee rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 5,762 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The Hays employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Recursos humanos industry (3.8 stars).

Reviews by job title

6K reviews

2.0

Aug 16, 2018

Zero Flexibility- do not practice what they preach

Consultant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Opportunity to earn commission. Provide training and progression with high KPI Targets.

Cons

Zero flexible working even though they encourage clients to implement it. Very backwards in this approach- probably one of the only companies left that do not allow it. Very high micromanagement. Very high pressure from seniors but with false promises made to their employees. Very low basic wage and should be increased to give employees more incentive. £22k basic is appauling

Hays Response

7y

We introduced flexible working into the UK&I business a few months ago so I would encourage you to speak to your Director about this if you require flexibility. Our base salaries are in line with the market but we offer an uncapped commission scheme which gives you the opportunity to earn good money if you work hard and achieve results.

5.0

Jul 26, 2018

Recruitment consultant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great structure , culture, and overall great company to work for

Cons

Long working hours, no social life

Hays Response

7y

Thank your for your review.

1.0

Apr 21, 2018

High street Agency masquerading as a Consultancy

Consultant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Office location is central, SOME nice genuine people and beers on a Friday.

Cons

Beware - if you struggle, they won't help you overcome your issues, they set more targets then manage you out. Atmosphere - not a sales environment and a Director constantly walks around clapping and rubbing his hands together whilst saying 'cummon whats next?'.....to motivate people. Process - numbers numbers, numbers! Volume is king. They dont even prep candidates, sometimes they even forward a CV to a client with "interviewing" first. The office is multidisciplinary (educations, engineering etc), it's a onesize fits all approach to how to run a desk. They insist on useless, timewasting processes too. Management - most are only interested in the money they make from you. It's easy to tell that they aren't interested in you as a person or your development. Training - horrendous. Two weeks (module 1 and 2) which broadly covers recruitment process. Dont expect to learn how to raise a Job, how to sell, how to overcome objections or how to properly interview and assess a candidate.

Hays Response

8y

Thank you for your review. It sounds like you didn’t enjoy your time at Hays and we hope that you will now find a role and company better suited to you. As discussed, we wish you luck with your future endeavours.

Viewing 298 - 300 of 5,762 Reviews

Hays

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Reviews by job title

Zero Flexibility- do not practice what they preach

Recruitment consultant

High street Agency masquerading as a Consultancy

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