In my many years of being in the workforce and having worked with a number of staffing agencies, I…read morewould have to say that Helpmates is at the top of the list. They are more of a local agency based in Southern California and much smaller than their competition, but I feel that gives them a much more personal touch in dealing with their candidates. I recently applied for a position advertised online by them. The next day I received a call from Mihyiesha, one of the recruiters. She said that she sent my resume to their client company, a multinational distributor in La Mirada. The following day, Mihyiesha arranged a video interview with the hiring manager, which took place a couple of days later. After the interview, Mihyiesha called to give me the good news, which was the manager decided to bring me on board. :-) I was then sent all the onboarding documents to fill out and return. The following week, I started my assignment. It was a great company and a great job; unfortunately, after 2 weeks, we decided it wasn't working out, so we terminated the assignment. :-( But Mihyiesha came through for me with another assignment, this time with a nutraceuticals manufacturer in Santa Fe Springs. I completed the video interview yesterday and I was informed they want me to start on Monday, 9/13. It pays more than the last assignment and hopefully, this job will be a better fit. I highly recommend Helpmates if you're looking for work, and ask for Mihyiesha. She is always cheerful, helpful, professional, and positive, so you definitely can't go wrong!

How do you have confidence in a staffing company that doesn't even answer the phone correctly-…read morehello and a pause doesn't qualify-

Is this agency a joke? Either you get the rudest people in…read morethe world on the phone or there's no communication at all. For a company that is supposed to represent good quality employees in the Domestic service industry, which requires tact and class, they set a poor example of being gracious and professional. It doesn't take much effort NOT to speak rudely to people, it's quite simple. After that introduction there's not much faith left that they would be able to do much other than ruin peoples day.

Rose's Agency helped place me in a home that was the best fit for both of us. Mallory especially…read morewas so communicative and really worked for me. She made everything easy and I really enjoyed working with her! I just began working with the family I was placed with and it has been a great start. I really appreciate everything Rose's Agency has done for me.

This company requires SO MUCH paper work just to create a profile and they have zero jobs posted. I…read morealso never heard back from anyone after filling out at least 10 different forms. No jobs, no service, not worth your time.

I've parted ways with ACT-1 Entertainment Solutions for the third time now -- and in light of the…read morecircumstances of this latest exodus, I need to revise and update my testimonial. Let me first recount what Anna Browne Robinson told me last July regarding ACT-1's current status, because it has bearing on what followed. Basically, AppleOne acquired ACT-1 in a corporate merger just prior to the pandemic (which, incidentally, retroactively explains some of the problems I documented in my earliest testimonial). Then COVID happened and, unsurprisingly, everything went to hell. In the interim, ACT-1's basically been gutted and it's operations and accounts have be transferred to AppleOne's Glendale branch. Anna has inherited oversight and rebuilding of that account -- and therein lies the problem. As an outgoing client, it's my opinion that AppleOne erred here in assigning this particular manager to this particular account. Anna doesn't have an entertainment background and it's clear she's out of her depth and doesn't understand the industry. Worse, by her own admission, overseeing and rebuilding ACT-1's account is a secondary priority compared to her primary AppleOne work. She's unable and/or unwilling to put the time or energy into it. If anything, the impression I was left with is that Anna resents having this account foisted upon her and is deliberately doing the bare minimum in response. Anna was also unable to generate literally a single lead in the 6 months I tried working with her. Now, to be fair, the WGA/SAG Strikes last year disrupted the job market and ACT-1 got hammered. I'm NOT blind to that, or to the impossible situation she had to navigate. That said, I feel Anna could have done more to work around this or help me out. She refused to cross-market my resume for any non-entertainment roles and insisted her current clients only wanted ACT-1 veterans. She even had the temerity to ask if I'd just tried directly applying to entertainment jobs through their company websites (I very nearly hung up on her; in fact, this call was the last straw and precipitated my exit). Anna's professional behavior throughout all this was also just as frustrating. I stressed from the beginning of our collaboration that good communication and reliability were paramount given my previous experiences with AppleOne's Westwood branch (which I've covered in reviews on that page). Anna agreed...and then promptly did the exact opposite. I'm NOT exaggerating when I say it takes up to WEEKS to get her to respond to basic queries, voicemails, and messages. On at least one occasion, she stood me up on a conference call (one that took almost 2 weeks to set up) and ignored my emails trying to ascertain what happened or to reschedule -- at least until I made it clear she was forcing me to reevaluate my business relationship. THEN Anna got on the phone. On these occasions, Anna admitted she was either on vacation (without even bothering to notify clients she'd be out of the office and to make alternate arrangements) or she wasn't even bothering to check the ACT-1 email account on regular basis. And while Anna did ultimately did take responsibility for that conference call incident and admitted there was no excuse...she also never actually answered what had happened. By this point, it's now February and I've finally had enough. I had serious reservations about working with ACT-1 again after getting previously screwed over by Michelle Rossoff and Wanda Hallmark. But Anna seemed genuinely apologetic about my past experiences (and again the merger retroactively seemed to explain some of the problems last time). I was also desperate because of the Strikes and had to roll the dice. Well, just as I feared, I rolled snake eyes -- AGAIN. It doesn't matter that 4 years have passed, that the old guard has changed, or that there's been upheaval and reorganization. Literally NOTHING else has changed with ACT-1 Entertainment Solutions; the agency remains completely and utterly incapable of fulfilling the basic services it professes to advertise. It's absolutely INSANE; I genuinely don't understand HOW they're still in business or why AppleOne is tolerating this. So, in conclusion, I once more cannot recommend working with ACT-1, nor would I advise job seekers to work with Anna Browne Robinson (at least if you're approaching her for entertainment work; to be fair, I can't speak to her non-entertainment work). To AppleOne Management, here's my closing advice: I think it would be beneficial to all parties -- you, ACT-1, Anna, future clients, etc. -- if custodianship of the ACT-1 account and its rebuilding was to be reassigned to a different manager. It needs to be overseen by someone who actually HAS an entertainment background and knows the industry. It needs someone who can and will put the time and effort into rebuilding it, and who's going to make your clients feel valued and welcomed and not treat them like unwanted headcounts.

This is an awesome company to work for and their LB staff is so helpful! Location is near the…read moretraffic circle and close to Boeing. I recommend calling them if you are looking for temp or contract work or require assistance in payrolling/on-boarding or hiring your temporary employees!

Clearly temporary, temporary-hire jobs no longer exist because if they did, Elite Placement Group…read morewould be reaching out to those of us who have backgrounds in the industries/roles they "specialize" placements in. But no call, email response to initial email or the follow-up email from Elite Placement. (Going on 4 days now.) Do not waste your time, just apply to jobs directly, so you get the full pay. Staffing agencies are not like they once were, they are now a scam.

Nope. They are not responsive at all. Don't waste your important time and energy with this company…read more Good luck finding a job!

I had a wonderful experience working with Heather throughout my interview process. She provided…read moregreat insight into the process I was undergoing and answered all questions straightforward and with kindness.

If I could give this service 0 out of 5 stars, I would…read more First, I want to acknowledge how wonderful Naomi was when she helped place me in my first role. The second recruiter I worked with, Michelle, was also an absolute angel. She was supportive, kind, and communicative throughout the process, and I truly appreciated working with both of them. Unfortunately, my experience with the owner, Claudia, was the complete opposite. I have never in my life worked with someone as unprofessional as she was. To provide context, I was matched with two ultra high net worth clients through this company. Both individuals turned out to be extremely emotionally abusive. I have worked in the celebrity industry since I was 20 years old, and by the time I worked with these clients at age 31, I had never encountered behavior to that degree. While I understand that the company's priority is to place candidates and generate revenue, there should have been transparency about the individuals they were placing me with. In my experience, Claudia was only kind and engaged when a placement was made and the company was earning money. During my second placement, I gave a two week notice due to the increasingly toxic and emotionally abusive behavior I was experiencing from the client. One week into that notice period, the situation escalated further and I made the decision to leave the position early. I had previously been transparent with Michelle about my concerns and my desire to leave the role. At one point, the client contacted Claudia and shortly afterward Claudia left me a very aggressive voicemail referencing an NDA and accusing me of disclosing information about a previous employer. This accusation was completely unfounded. The previous client I worked for through this company was already listed on my resume, so there was nothing confidential about that information. I chose to respond by text message because I did not want to engage in a heated conversation when I knew I had done nothing wrong. Claudia's response to my message was simply a vomiting emoji. I found this reaction extremely unprofessional and inappropriate, especially given the circumstances I was dealing with at the time. The company and employer also made several accusations about my conduct. Ultimately, I provided the California EDD with substantial documentation covering the three month duration of my employment, including text messages, emails, and medical documentation. After reviewing the evidence, the judge ruled in my favor and granted unemployment benefits. It took me nearly two years to feel comfortable enough to write this review because of how stressful and traumatic the experience was. My hope is that no one else is placed into situations like this without transparency or support. I sincerely hope the company reflects on how candidates are treated moving forward.

Terrible Communication, Inconsiderate, and simply unprofessional…read more I applied for a job at "specific" hours because I have a second job to attend , did the hiring process then waited 2 days before reaching out to them ( they didn't reach out to me) to figure out my start date. Only to find out the hours aren't what they advertised or what I applied for! . Wasted my Time and other opportunities I could have pursued! Poorly ran Company and would not recommend at all!

Pretty easy to work with. Also super easy to text & call. They are a good staffing spot.read more

I had the pleasure of working with Veronica "Vee" at Pocketbook and from our very first…read moreconversation, I knew this experience would be different. Vee keeps things real while still being incredibly professional. She took the time to understand my personality and who I am, not just what is on my resume. There is so much more to a person than what can fit on a resume, and Vee has a true gift for seeing beyond job titles and responsibilities. She understood what I was looking for and helped connect me with an opportunity that was the perfect fit. Within a week of connecting with Vee, I was offered a role. I felt like I had my own personal lawyer in my corner! Supporting me every step of the way. I never could have imagined having such a positive and pleasant experience during a job search. I am incredibly grateful for her support, genuine care, and ability to see the person behind the resume. I highly recommend Vee to anyone looking for a recruiter who truly takes the time to understand you and advocate for you.

Working with Saaya and Veronica at Pocketbook Agency was an outstanding experience from start to…read morefinish. I was guided and supported through what was a long and at times challenging interview process. They both took the time to truly listen, coach me, and keep my confidence up through every stage of the process. Offering me thoughtful guidance and always delivered with warmth and professionalism. Together, Saaya and Veronica make an incredibly powerful team. They complement each other perfectly -- bringing professionalism, genuine respect, and a human touch that is rare to find in recruitment. If you are looking for recruiters who will truly advocate for you, take the time to understand your goals, and stand by you through the highs and lows of a job search, look no further than Saaya and V at Pocketbook Agency. They have earned a client for life and a good friend!