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      Harnham

      Engaged employer

      Harnham reviews

      This Isn’t a Job, It’s an Escape Room - Recruitment Consultant Harnham Employee Review

      2.0
      Aug 6, 2025
      Recruitment consultant
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Let’s start with the one bright spot — the people. I met some truly incredible, smart, and supportive colleagues during my time here. Of course, most of them have already left (go figure), but if you join, I’m sure you’ll find someone to commiserate with in no time.

      Cons

      Long story short: if you value your sanity, run. Don’t walk. Just run. This is a high-stress, high-expectation environment where pressure starts at the very top and cascades down like a leaky pipe — drip, drip, dripping onto your daily life. Leadership thrives on intensity but seems allergic to accountability. If you’re based in the US, brace yourself: there’s essentially no functioning HR, and any concerns you raise will likely vanish into the ether. Managers receive little to no training, which becomes glaringly obvious — and the “career growth” they dangle in front of you during the hiring process? Smoke and mirrors. Turnover is wild — even by sales standards. Instead of examining why people leave in droves, the company shrugs and blames the role, the market, or the individual. Never themselves. And yes, management plays favorites, and no, they’re not subtle about it. If you’re not in the inner circle, expect to be overlooked, second-guessed, or conveniently forgotten. This place will burn you out, then act shocked when you’re not hitting unrealistic numbers in a broken system. Do yourself a favor — keep scrolling. In summary: I don’t know you but, you deserve better.

      avatar
      Harnham Response
      8mo
      Thank you for sharing your perspective. We’re always sorry to hear when someone leaves feeling this way, and while your experience doesn’t reflect the direction the business is moving in today, we do take feedback seriously. We recognise that recruitment can be a high-expectation environment, and our focus has been on ensuring people feel supported as well as challenged. Over the past year we’ve invested in manager training and leadership development, and we continue to refine our promotion criteria to make sure performance is recognised fairly and consistently. On the People side, while we don’t yet have a full HR presence in the US, our teams are supported by a dedicated UK function and L&D trainers who spend hours every week working with New York, Phoenix and San Francisco. Expanding our People and training capability in the US is part of our longer-term plan, but it’s important to note that support is in place today and we want all of our US staff to know that they have the ability to get the support they need from the team. Turnover has been higher in the past, and that’s something we’ve looked at closely. Some of that change was about addressing behaviours and culture that weren’t working. Since then we’ve stabilised and are being intentional about rebuilding with the right people in the right roles, people who thrive in sales and want to build long-term careers with us. We appreciate you sharing your experience, and we hope it’s clear that we’re focused on building a supportive and transparent culture for the future. If you’d like to provide more specific feedback, you’re always welcome to reach out to me directly. - Charlie Waterman Head of People

      Explore other reviews about Harnham

      5.0
      Jun 12, 2025
      Project manager
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      With Harnham for almost 2 years as a contract employee. Hiring process was very easy. Was approached on LinkedIn, had a phone interview with the recruiter, then a phone and onsite interview with the contracting organization. Time from contact to hire was 3 weeks. My recruiter secured a higher hourly rate for me than my initial ask, which was in their best interest, but was a welcome bonus. Recruiter remains my main contact at the organization, and has always been easy to deal with, helpful as can be. They offer some benefits to contractors. The health insurance is super expensive and I skipped it. They offer a 4% match without vesting as long as you contribute at least that much - which was completely unexpected. There is also another match that is vested over time, but you'd need to work there for a handful of years to benefit.

      Cons

      Expensive health insurance, with no HSA option

      2.0
      Aug 19, 2025
      Recruitment consultant
      Recommend
      CEO approval
      Business outlook

      Pros

      Occasionally strong commission potential if you're lucky enough to get support or leads Some colleagues are great, but most don’t stay long enough to make a difference

      Cons

      Blatant favoritism. Management clearly chooses favorites and gives them better opportunities, resources, and visibility. If you’re not part of the inner circle, you’re overlooked. KPI-driven to the extreme. Everything revolves around hitting short-term targets. If you fall behind, there’s no support — just pressure until you're pushed out. No development or training. The company eliminated its entire Learning & Development function. You're thrown in with unrealistic expectations and no real path to improve or grow. Promotion is based purely on revenue. Hard work, consistency, or long-term potential don’t matter. If you're not making big money fast, forget about moving up. Cut-throat and demoralizing environment. The culture is toxic, and management often tears people down instead of building them up. Morale is consistently low. Insane turnover. Over 20 people left in just six months, including senior managers and the Head of Office. That level of attrition is a serious red flag. Misleading reviews. Be aware that many of the overly positive reviews on here are written internally or encouraged by management. They do not reflect the real day-to-day experience for most employees.

      6
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      Harnham Response
      8mo
      Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re sorry to hear that you left feeling this way, but we also want to provide some context as things may look different today. It’s true that our New York office went through a period of change. Part of that was addressing behaviours and ways of working that weren’t healthy for the team, which naturally meant some turnover. Since then, we’ve been intentional about rebuilding with the right people who recognise and thrive in a sales environment. The team today is leaner but stronger, and the culture is in a much healthier place. We also want to clarify a few points. Our Learning & Development function as a whole was not eliminated, we currently have two full-time trainers, one of whom spends hours every month supporting the New York team. While L&D is currently delivered from the UK, the office receives regular training and this will continue to evolve as we grow. Similarly, promotions are not based on revenue alone. Revenue is, of course, central to any sales role, but our criteria also include business development activity and broader performance goals to ensure a fair and balanced approach. On KPIs, we know recruitment is a numbers-driven business, and we track activity because it directly links to results. That said, KPIs aren’t the whole story. When deals aren’t happening, we use metrics as a way of identifying where support or coaching is needed. Our intention is always to help people succeed, not simply to apply pressure. We’re taking feedback like this seriously and are focused on building a transparent, supportive culture in New York. There’s still work to do, but the changes made over the past few months in particular have set a stronger foundation, and we’re excited about the direction the team is heading. We do appreciate you sharing your perspective, and we hope it’s clear that we’re focused on building a stronger future for the team. If you’d like to share more specific feedback, you’re always welcome to reach out to me directly - Charlie Waterman Head of People
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