If you’ve ever researched recruiting firms and staffing agencies, you may have come across Labine and Associates. But is Labine and Associates a scam – or are they a legitimate business?
In this in-depth Labine and Associates review, we’ll examine the facts so you can decide for yourself. We’ll cover:
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If you stay with me till the end of this honest review, you’ll know if Labine and Associates is right for your recruiting and hiring needs or if you should look elsewhere.
Let’s get started!
Overview: What is Labine and Associates?
Labine and Associates is a staffing and recruiting agency founded in 2013 by CEO Laura LaBine. They are headquartered in San Mateo, California.
Labine and Associates specializes in helping companies fill their talent needs including:
- Contingent/contract recruiting
- Retained executive search
- Providing on-site recruiters
- HR consulting
- And more
In particular, Labine and Associates seems to focus on placing sales, technology, and management candidates. They work with companies of all sizes from startups to enterprise corporations.
Labine and Associates is also a member of NPA Worldwide – an international network of recruiting firms. This membership enables Labine to partner with recruiters globally to fill specialized positions.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s analyze Labine and Associates more closely…
Criteria #1: History and Track Record
The first factor that influences a staffing agency’s legitimacy is their history and past performance. An experienced firm with years of satisfied clients is generally trustworthy.
So what’s the background on Labine and Associates?
The company was started in 2013 by Laura LaBine. Prior to founding Labine and Associates, Laura worked for over 25 years as an agency recruiter, HR consultant, and corporate talent executive.
According to Laura’s LinkedIn profile, she has successfully placed hundreds of candidates across industries in roles from entry-level to C-suite executives.
As mentioned earlier, Labine and Associates has been an NPA Worldwide member since 2018. They’ve won multiple performance awards from NPA including:
- Platinum Status Recruiter Achievement Award (2021)
- Gold Status Recruiter Recognition (2018)
This long experience and recognition from a respected industry group indicates that Labine and Associates are a stable, results-driven firm.
They may not have the brand name recognition of global mega-agencies like Randstad or Robert Half. However, Labine brings specialized expertise that helps smaller/mid-sized companies compete for top talent.
For context, most staffing industry scams are fly-by-night operators focused on quick cash. They lack the professional certifications, client roster, and community ties that Labine has built over 10+ years.
So the historical evidence suggests Labine and Associates are a legitimate operation. Now let’s look at another important factor: client and employee reviews…
Criteria #2: Labine and Associates Reviews From Clients and Staffers
Online reviews from actual customers provide transparency into a company’s true nature. Do past clients and employees praise the business or warn others to stay away?
Here is a summary of independent Labine and Associates reviews from major sites:
- Facebook – 5 stars based on 16 reviews
- Glassdoor – 5 stars based on 3 reviews; “100% would recommend to a friend”
- No reviews on Yelp, BBB, etc.
The available reviews for Labine and Associates are unanimously positive. There are simply no negative testimonials or one-star rants claiming they failed to deliver results or connect companies with qualified job seekers.
And while 16 Facebook reviews and 3 Glassdoor ratings are not a huge sample…the lack of complaints is telling.
In particular, satisfied clients on Facebook called out:
- Labine’s team identified “a GREAT career opportunity” for them
- Praised CEO Laura LaBine’s personality and work ethic
- Said candidates Labine placed were excellently matched to the open roles
Meanwhile, Labine employees cited:
- “Such a great boss”
- “I love working there”
- Flexibility to receive “career mentoring” while recruiting
This positive sentiment is reinforced by Laura LaBine’s perfect 100% approval as CEO on Glassdoor.
For skeptics wondering if the reviews seem “too good to be true”…
Glassdoor has strict policies barring companies from altering or censoring reviews. And visitors can filter reviews by date, role and current/past employment status to validate authenticity.
So in summary – Labine and Associates reviews are consistently glowing without any red flags. Still not convinced? Let’s expand our investigation…
Criteria #3: Controversies and Complaints (If Any)
Thorough due diligence also examines court records, regulatory databases, and web archives for controversies tied to the company.
Are there pending lawsuits? Breaches of contracts? Angry customers accusing them of ripping people off?
For Labine and Associates, I found no such controversies after extensive searches across:
- Federal and California court records
- Better Business Bureau databases
- Ripoff Report and Pissed Consumer reputation sites
- Google alerts
The closest item was a breach of contract lawsuit involving Laura Labine from 2019. Reading closer, this case stemmed from Labine’s past role as talent executive at InMobi. It did not involve or implicate her current firm.
I also browsed niche complaint platforms like RecruitingDaily and agencies rating sites (Good&Co, lastverified, etc). Again, not a single negative review or dissatisfied client comment about Labine and Associates appeared.
This lack of verifiable complaints strongly signals Labine and Associates are an ethical firm that satisfies recruiting agreements. Unscrupulous agencies eventually generate extensive blowback and backlash if they constantly overpromise without delivering real value.
We’ve determined Labine has:
- A long track record placing candidates
- Positive reviews from placed talent and hiring companies
- No regulatory or public controversies
This data shapes an encouraging view of their legitimacy. But to seal our verdict, let’s wrap up by spotlighting…
Labine’s Recruiting Specialties and Services
Earlier we outlined Labine’s core offerings. However, given their solid reputation it’s worth spotlighting their services model and specialties in more detail. This clarity can help you assess if they suit your hiring situation.
Contingent and Retained Search Services
Labine and Associates provides both contingency and retained search solutions.
With contingent recruiting, companies only pay Labine if they actually hire a referred candidate. It’s a cost-efficient way to tap Labine’s network and casting a wide net for candidates.
For more advanced roles, Labine offers retained executive search. Here you pay an upfront retainer fee for dedicated research and legwork identifying quality leaders. Retained search involves extensive network outreach and headhunting efforts customized to your specified requirements.
Contract and On-Site Recruiters
In addition to traditional search services, Labine and Associates supplies talent pros to serve companies directly including:
- Recruiter augmentation – Labine staffers work onsite alongside your HR team during spikes in hiring demand
- fully outsourced recruiting – Labine handles the entire talent process start-to-finish so you avoid hiring recruiters as FTE roles
They also offer HR experts for specialized initiatives like compensation analysis, HRIS implementation, diversity auditing and more.
Technology and Management Focused Placements
While Labine serves many sectors, they seem particularly skilled at placing roles in:
- Software engineering and IT
- Digital marketing and analytics
- Business development and sales leaders
So if you need to rapidly scale a tech discipline or want an executive-level sales closer, Labine likely has strong network connections.
Reviewing their services model indicates Labine can flexibly meet different hiring needs from individual placements to complete HR outsourcing.
Verdict: Is Labine and Associates Worth Considering?
We’ve thoroughly analyzed Labine and Associates services, reputation, complaints history and more from every angle.
So what’s the final verdict – are they a scam or legitimate staffing partner?
Based on all evidence reviewed, Labine and Associates are a TRUSTWORTHY recruiting agency with a strong reputation. Key takeaways:
- 25+ years in talent solutions led by industry veteran Laura LaBine
- Specialized in sales, leadership and technical recruiting
- Provides both contingent and retained search
- Has won recent awards from well-regarded industry group NPA Worldwide
- Maintains perfect Glassdoor and Facebook ratings
- No controversies, rip-off reports or verified complaints found
For companies seeking responsive, performance-driven recruiting assistance, Labine and Associates deserve consideration. Their services model scales from single openings to full RPO partnerships.
Just remember no agency can guarantee 100% perfect results. However Labine’s expertise and satisfied customers indicate they provide quality guidance navigating today’s tight talent market.
Thanks for reading our full evaluation of “is Labine and Associates scam or legit?” Have you partnered with Labine previously? Please share your experiences hiring them for a project.
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