Merritt, Hawkins & Associates

If I would have been able to give a rating of negative stars, I would have. This "business" does not even deserve one star.

We were having difficulty finding a psychiatrist for our department. After months of searching on our own, we decided to try a recruitment firm.

We ended up with Merritt Hawkins. A general representative for New York came for an initial meeting at our facility. He told us the rates Merritt Hawkins charges for their services. A $1,000 initiation fee, a $2,500 monthly fee capping at 4 months, over $7k for marketing, travel expenses for representatives and candidates, and a $15,000 completion fee upon filling the position.

After that initial meeting, a more specific representative was assigned to our facility. At a second meeting, this assigned representative "flew in through La Guardia Airport" to talk more specific department needs.

Funny enough, a few days after meeting with the assigned representative, our facility found a candidate on our own. We ended up interviewing and hiring the candidate. We filled the position on our own merits.

I immediately informed our assigned representative that we filled the position and no longer needed the services of Merritt Hawkins. He assured me that I would NOT have to come out of pocket for anything because the process never began and no efforts were put forth on their behalf. Essentially there was nothing to bill for.

A month after this conversation, I receive an email with an invoice for over $4,000. This included the monthly fee of $2,500, the initiation fee of $1000, and a travel expense fee for the assigned representative.

When I reply to the email explaining that we never got the process started, we were informed that the attached signed agreement specified other wise.

So Merritt Hawkins wanted to charge us $4k for doing absolutely NOTHING . Travel expenses, maybe, but charging for services never preformed is stealing.

They have this agreement that allows them to legally charge you for no services preformed, once you sign it's like you are signing away a minimum of $3,500- the monthly fee and initiation fee.

We were misinformed, misguided, and ultimately, I believed, scammed. Merritt Hawkins found a way to get an easy pay day by stealing hard earned money from facilites who find themselves in a tough situation.

A professional business that has a great service to offer, who understands that a dollar should be earned and never stolen with misrepresentations, would never conduct themselves in this manner. This business has no morals.

Read the agreement carefully, understand it. And ultimately, don't trust Merritt Hawkins with your business; they are looking for volunerbility to get an easy pay day instead of earning a dollar. DO NOT SIGN THE AGREEMENT, and look for a more honest recruitment firm.