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21 Feb 2007

Banning the bad boy behaviour

This article appeared in the Recruiter magazine on 21st February 2007

It's been 18 months since the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's (REC) rec-to-rec group met for the first time in an effort to improve the sector's professional standing and to introduce a code of conduct (Recruiter 22 February, 2006). Now the group looks ahead to passing another critical milestone: the upgrading of its existing conduct criteria for membership.

The new proposals, announced by McCall's joint managing director Nick Bancroft at the beginning of last month exclusively in Recruiter, would include a ban on headhunting from clients. Agencies would also need to obtain a candidate's permission to send out their CV. In April, the group will consider the proposals and revisit the criteria for membership. "Being a member is not just about putting the R2R REC logo on your letterhead — it is about actively improving the reputation of our sector," he says.

"Failing to improve our industry reputation is not an option for us," continues Bancroft, who is also the rec-to-rec group's chairman. "There has been a lot of hard work that has gone in over the past year from member companies, and we wouldn't give up our valuable time if we didn't feel passionately about our market."

The sector group's membership has grown dramatically in its relatively short life — from 14 a year ago to "just under 30" companies now. Asked how he would characterise the group's progress since its formation, he says that there is now "a much greater awareness of the code of conduct and ethics by which all R2R companies should work. The members who have joined the group have signed to the code of conduct and are therefore agreed that they can work to those standards".

The latest plans to upgrade criteria for membership have been warmly received throughout the sector. RedPepper Recruitment's director Rob Shevlin (right) told Recruiter: "The rec-to-rec sector is a cowboy's market. It's very competitive, so people cut corners in service and standards. I think it should be compulsory to be a member of REC, but it has to be policed by a dog with teeth, so there is punishment for those who break the rules."

Philippa George, director at Pinpoint R2R, believes that even the current code strengthens her position and makes her accountable. "All we can keep doing is waving the REC Code of Practice, which makes us answerable," says George.

The R2Rs' customers have also welcomed the proposals. NES International's chief operating officer Mark Tully told Recruiter: "There is no question that there is an abundance of R2R agencies available. However, they offer varying degrees of professionalism. No single R2R agency has ever given the 'wow' factor that would guarantee repeat business from NES."

Tully also notes the dramatic range of fees between the rec-to-recs. "These rarely relate to their performance. On the whole, we have been underwhelmed with these types of agencies," he says.

However, Tully says that it's not all bad, because almost a quarter of NES International's new recruits are sourced through rec-to-rec agencies.

Meanwhile Kris England-Smith, operations manager at Penta Consulting, says rec-to-recs need to pay more attention to their customers' needs. "On the whole, rec-to-recs need to listen rather than talk and be proactive rather than reactive. They need to invest time and resources in really getting to know companies and developing partnerships.

"My advice is don't wait for us to contact you — contact us, but only when you think you've got someone who has the skills and experience we want and who you know will fit in."

England-Smith says bad behaviour by rec-to-recs includes touting candidates to a number of companies just to get the best price. "This isn't in the interests of either the candidate or the recruitment company," he says.

Eutopia Solutions' managing director Craig Coverman says it's unfair to tarnish the whole sector. "We have dealt with some very good companies, and some that are very poor. But few rec-to-recs are very highly polished, with good systems in place. They are seen as chancers."

The recruitment agencies that Recruiter has spoken to say their experience of the sector varies greatly, and R2Rs themselves acknowledge that the sector has far to go to become a fully accepted member of the recruitment fraternity. Asked what stage he expects the group to have arrived at in a year, Bancroft says: "Those who are committed to the continuous improvement of our sector will be the ones who will be the members."