When I joined Altis, what was pitched to me during the interview and onboarding process was completely different from reality. The onboarding videos were filled with feel good stories about the company’s origins, pool parties at the founder’s house, and all the “fun” culture stuff. At the time it felt cheesy and a bit unprofessional, but harmless. In hindsight, it was a red flag and a distraction from the dysfunction beneath the surface.
Very quickly, it became clear that everything at Altis is about appearances. The culture is fake, and behind the curtain is a toxic mess. There was high turnover at the senior level, and rather than acknowledge the real reason - poor leadership at the top - the company always blamed the team. The truth? Senior management lacks the ability to lead, motivate, or even understand the actual business. They hide behind empty talk and bad decisions.
Many of the people in leadership roles have never worked anywhere but Altis. Their only understanding of the staffing industry is what they’ve experienced internally, so they make decisions based on assumptions and ego rather than actual knowledge. It shows. Strategy is all over the place. They change the business model constantly, with zero real research or understanding of what actually works in this industry. It feels like they’re trying to reinvent the wheel (badly) just to seem innovative.
New leadership was brought in from outside the industry and had no staffing experience. That alone says a lot. Instead of following successful industry models, Altis does the exact opposite, then acts surprised when things fail. They have specialists within different sectors, but instead of utilizing them they constantly hand out roles to generalists who don’t understand the work, the industry, or the client.
Compensation is another massive issue. In 2024, they slashed commissions for contract roles, using rising business expenses as an excuse. The real reason? The company made less money that year and needed the team to absorb the loss. That’s the kind of company this is. Meanwhile, they expect recruiters to make an insane number of placements while being micromanaged to death.
People are told to “go to HR” if they have concerns, but many of us DID. In 2024, they even held “stay interviews” to ask what could be improved. Nothing changed. And shortly afterward both HR people who conducted those interviews quit themselves (interesting?). Exit interviews are a joke. They act shocked by feedback they’ve heard dozens of times. Whether that’s gaslighting or just willful ignorance is hard to tell.
And let’s talk about the ownership. The owner plays the role of compassionate, high-profile leader who champions mental health and women in the workplace, but it’s all talk. Internally, she’s out of touch and turns a blind eye to serious issues, including unethical behavior (fraud?yes, I said it and I'm sure it will soon become public knowledge). The second you leave Altis, she’ll block you on LinkedIn like a teenager with a grudge. It’s petty and completely on-brand for how the company treats people.
Bottom line: If you’re a recruiter or staffing professional looking for a solid, supportive place to grow your career and make ACTUAL strong compensation, run the other way. Altis is not it. Just ask the DOZENS of people with great industry experience who’ve walked out the door in the past two years.
