Recruiter - August 2017 by Redactive Media Group

Business intelligence for recruitment and resourcing professionals

August 2017

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

LUCK OF THE IRISH A year on from the Brexit vote, UK-based recruiters are looking across the Irish Sea and liking what they see

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C R ONT ENT S 37

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

COVER IM AG E | SH UT T E R STO C K

NEWS

18 THE BIG STORY Luck of the Irish

05 Labour Party loves recruitment Exclusive interview with shadow business secretary 06 Reasons to be cheerful The recruitment barometer is set fair 06 Proud of his Purple Halo Paul Annis takes the helm at Nicoll Curtin’s new digital recruitment agency

Will Ireland be the new home for recruiters in a post-Brexit world?

24 Flexible freedom

Flexible workspaces offer recruiters freedom of choice PageGroup partners with Mencap on work preparedness

The Taylor Review could lead to a heavier workload for the EASI

E COMMUNITY

07 Start-up of the Month: Secretary Affairs Michael Hüttl’s new Czechbased agency placing ‘glamorous’ assistants 08 This was the month that was... 10 Contracts & Deals

33 Social Network 34 Community Careers: The Workplace 35 Community Careers: Agency careers 36 Business Advice 37 My brilliant recruitment career: Lee Walker, Expand Executive Search 38 Recruitment Advertising 40 Movers & Shakers 41 Recruiter Contacts 42 The Last Word: Matt Churchward

TRENDS

12 Insight Airline pilots: the model for intelligent recruiting?

Tech & Tools GDPR: how to take on new data protection laws

C 16

28 Employability

07 EASI remit could escalate

FEATURES

INTERACTION Viewpoint Tom Hadley, director of policy at the REC Soundbites

I M AG E S | SH UT T ER STO C K / ISTO C K / AK IN FALO P E / R EG US

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UPDATE

WE LCO M E

LEADER

recently had the opportunity to take part in an exclusive press roundtable with Matthew Taylor, the chair of the eponymous Taylor Review on Modern Working Practices, on the day this weighty report was published. What

impressed me most about the man himself were his direct way of speaking and his common sense – an attitude that was reﬂected in the report. My initial glimpse of leaked portions of the report did not impress me; I was disappointed that some recommendations merely promoted examples

“What impressed me most about the man himself were his direct way of speaking and his common sense”

of what is popularly called best practice instead of helping organisations to get to grips with how to make changes. However, in reading the full report, I’m more convinced that the panel’s overall approach and recommendations

make sense. The ‘level playing ﬁeld’ so often mentioned by recruiters in conversations about margins being undercut is indirectly addressed in the review through recommendations aimed to protect low-paid, low-skilled workers, for instance. Employers are also tapped to take on more responsibility for ensuring better conditions for agency workers. While as Taylor himself said, there may not be any “sledgehammer” action put forward, some of the proposed smaller interventions could bring about radical changes.

DeeDee Doke, Editor

Agencies need not fear a Labour government BY COLIN COTTELL

RECRUITERS CAN BREATHE EASILY UNDER A FUTURE LABOUR GOVERNMENT, according to the shadow business secretary. In an exclusive interview with Recruiter, Rebecca Long-Bailey has poured cold water on the idea that the Labour Party is hostile to recruitment agencies, telling Recruiter the country “needs the recruitment industry” and that it “is a vital part of our economy going forward”. She urged recruiters to enter into a dialogue with the Labour Party and the trade union movement, telling them that her door was always open to suggestions. Asked whether recruitment agencies could sleep easily in their beds under a Labour government, she replied: “Yes, exactly.” With the Labour Party riding high in the polls, Long-Bailey’s comments will offer some reassurance to recruiters, given the party’s policy of equal rights for agency workers from day one, abolition of the so-called Swedish Derogation and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s attacks on agencies for using only foreign workers, and ‘rogue employers’ for using ‘unscrupulous agencies’. Speaking to Recruiter at a recent TUC conference on insecure work in London, Long-Bailey, who is also MP for Salford and Eccles, said that recruiters would continue to have an important role under a future Labour government. “We need the recruitment industry. It is a vital part of our economy going forward. We need to know where to source labour from. A lot of agencies are specialist agencies, who recruit certain types of labour, where businesses ﬁnd them vital to get certain people with speciﬁc skills.” She urged recruiters to “enter into a dialogue with us and the trade union movement, and other parties… I am always open to any suggestions that businesses can give me in terms of what needs to be done going forward”.●

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UPDATE

35,358 FOLLOWERS AS OF 12 JULY 2017

Recruitment barometer set fair COLIN COTTELL

NEVER MIND BREXIT UNCERTAINTY, political instability and evidence that the UK economy may be weakening, the UK recruitment industry is taking it all in its stride, according to the latest Sector Barometer. The Barometer, produced by Alex Arnot, non-executive adviser to more than 20 recruitment ﬁrms, in association with Recruiter, shows the industry to be in rude health. However, the success of the economy in creating jobs means that a lack of candidates is becoming a growing concern for recruiters, with the potential to stiﬂe future growth. Based on almost 200 responses, two-thirds (67%) of recruitment

company directors said they thought their business prospects were better than they were 12 months ago, while almost two-thirds expected to increase headcount in the coming quarter. While slightly fewer recruiters (65.9%) expect proﬁtability to be greater in the next 12 months than in the previous 12 months (71%), this may prove to be a temporary blip as a result of companies investing in headcount. “Organisations now recognise that the uncertainty around Brexit is likely to continue and many more have decided they can’t wait any longer before making appointments,” says Arnot. “And with some candidates

Annis is proud of his Purple Halo BY DEEDEE DOKE

FORMER SALT ASIA-PACIFIC MANAGING DIRECTOR PAUL ANNIS is helming new niche digital recruitment agency Purple Halo. Established by ﬁntech and change recruiter Nicoll Curtin, Purple Halo is set for an imminent full launch. It will be “100% London based” at this time, recruiting ‘heads of ’ roles in digital consulting, digital tech, creative, marketing, data and client services, Annis told Recruiter. “International will happen,” Annis acknowledged, but “building a good solid business” is on the immediate agenda. “We’re not going to do growth for growth’s sake.”

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more reluctant to move due to the same uncertainty, an increasing amount of in-house recruiters are relying on external support which is having a positive effect for numerous recruitment companies.” However, the Barometer is not all good news, with 72.6% of recruiters ﬂagging up availability of candidates as their biggest challenge, up from 66.4% in Q2, and 58.2% in Q1. “Recruitment companies should focus on hiring and developing the best talent – those with the best recruiters and robust management teams will continue to thrive no matter what,” Arnot advises. But with the availability of consultants a recurring concern for recruiters, cited by 41.9% as one of their top three business challenges, this could turn out to be easier said than done.

In Purple Halo’s first 90 days, “we are ahead on revenue, hiring and client attraction, but the focus during this initial period was about setting up and hiring staff and getting the brand right, reaching out to good relationships”, Annis said. “The second 90 days is about marketing the business out – formal launch and generating revenue. “We are looking at growing slowly for the rest of this year now. We are more focused on ensuring outstanding customer service and engagement with our candidate and client base.” Purple Halo currently has a workforce of 10, based in the same offices as Nicoll Curtin. But it’s simple to tell the two teams apart: attire-wise, Annis said, Purple Halo leans toward the more casual digital industry uniform than the ‘suited’ Nicoll Curtin look, reflective of its financial services customer base.

IMAG ES | ISTO C K

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news

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THOUGHTS FROM…

UPDATE

LASZLO BOCK GOOGLE’S SVP OF PEOPLE OPER ATIONS FROM 20 0 5 TO 20 16

EASI remit could escalate BY DEEDEE DOKE

“I want to dispel the myth that [a good] culture is about free food and beanbags and lava lamps and shuttle buses – and even a lot of money” m

MATTHEW TAYLOR WHO LED THE TAYLOR REVIEW

“If you stop people working the way they want that is not responsible y making” g public policy

TIM COOK G RO UP CEO OF NGAGE SPECIALIST RECRU IT MEN T

“The fastest way to destroy value in a recruitment business is to change the name”

THE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY STANDARDS Inspectorate could be in for a heavier workload if the government moves ahead with recommendations in the long-awaited Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. Included in the 115page document is a recommendation that the government’s new director of labour market enforcement should consider extending EASI’s remit to cover policing umbrella companies and other intermediaries in the supply chain. The panel was especially concerned about involving umbrella companies at the lower paid, lower skilled end of the labour market, calling their role there “more questionable”. The Taylor Review panel ﬂagged up admin fees of £15-35 per week to agency workers when they are paid through umbrellas – “something that would be unlawful if these deductions were made by the employment business themselves”. The Review said: “We have heard from some who would like to see umbrella companies removed from the supply chain altogether. However, we do not believe this is a proportionate response to the issues faced.” The government was also urged to consider extending EASI’s remit to ensure compliance with the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR). Currently, EASI has no power to enforce the regulations, “so hundreds of thousands of agency workers are left to take other cases through the tribunal system”. The panel went on to say: “We think the system should adapt.” ●

STA RT-UP OF THE MONTH MICHAEL HÜTTL HAS LAUNCHED CZECH-BASED SECRETARY AFFAIRS, AN AGENCY THAT PLACES “GLAMOROUS” ASSISTANTS TO ACT AS THE FACE OF CLIENT ORGANISATIONS. The launch followed psychological studies he carried out that showed appearance in business really matters and helps firms achieve better results. While Hüttl acknowledges some may find his agency’s approach controversial, he revealed the agency places both men and women in roles in which

they are the face of the business. As such, people placed do not only occupy assistant roles. “We are now the only player on the market… we can create an environment where clients and candidates can speak about this really straightforwardly, so they don’t have to hide from the reality that appearance matters.” While candidates do not have to have a modelling background, Hüttl added: “We combine the traditional HR method with a modelling agency – this is a unique solution and requires a bit

of courage as some might find it controversial. “As a start-up, we have started with administrative HR but we we see the huge growth potential in extending into new sectors. “We are approached by clients seeking people for ice breaker positions so they seek representative staff to deal with crucial communication tasks in the name of the company.” Looking ahead, Hüttl said the agency is developing an app to alert candidates about upcoming roles through social media. WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 7

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THIS WAS THE MONTH THAT WAS… Here is a round-up of some of the most popular news stories we have brought you on recruiter.co.uk since the July issue of Recruiter was published J U N E •‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒→

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VIRGIN ATLANTIC AD AIMS TO TURN CUSTOMERS INTO CANDIDATES

MON, 12 JUNE 2017

UMBRELLA FIRM QPS DIRECTORS JAILED FOR PAYROLL FRAUD The directors of umbrella ﬁrm Quality Premier Services (QPS) have been jailed for a total of 27-and-a-half years after being found guilty of payroll fraud. The Mirror reported directors Geoffrey, Joshua and Andrew Copp were found guilty of not passing on VAT they received from recruitment agencies to HM Revenue & Customs. The trio instead used the money to fund lavish lifestyles. They were found to own a ﬂeet of luxury cars including a Lamborghini Aventador and Rolls Royce Ghost. They were found to have declared sales amounting to just under £20m when it was more than £250m and kept the VAT due; tax records revealed Geoffrey and Joshua paid no income tax between 2009-15, and Andrew paid just £15,930. On Joshua’s mobile phone, detectives found a photo of a notepad showing how the VAT fraud was calculated and then split between his father and uncle, while the original notebook was subsequently discovered at his desk at QPS. Geoffrey, of Holland Close, Stanmore, was jailed for 10-and-a-half years; his son Joshua, of Galley Lane, Barnet, was jailed for eight years; and Geoffrey’s brother Andrew, of Cardy Close, Hemel Hempstead, was jailed for nine years.

Virgin Atlantic’s in-flight entertainment now features recruitment ads aimed at encouraging people to come and work for the airline. The move was revealed by Adele King, the airline’s HR manager for corporate recruitment. King explained how the airline had developed a behavioural framework that it recruits candidates against, based on its customers’ experiences. She said the airline’s customer experience and candidate experience is so important, as the airline’s customers are its candidates and vice versa. So King revealed that on board its aircraft, for the first time its inflight entertainment channels now feature a Virgin Atlantic recruitment ad. “The reasoning we took for that is first of all we almost have a captive audience in the sky. They’re on board for several hours watching our in-flight entertainment but if they are enjoying flying in with Virgin Atlantic, they may well enjoy working for Virgin Atlantic in time to come.” More: http://bit.ly/2tMGOdn

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SUITS YOU – OR DOES IT? GOODMAN MASSON BRINGS IN RELAXED DRESS CODE Goodman Masson’s new dress code reflects the nature of the changing workplace, according to the financial recruiter’s CEO Guy Hayward. Hayward told Recruiter the firm’s new dress code was in line with other changes the recruiter has brought in to benefit its staff, such as changed working hours from 8.30am to 6.30pm to 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 3.30pm on Fridays. For male members of staff this means a suit and tie are no longer required attire, replaced with a smart business casual dress code requiring collared shirts, trousers and polished or suede shoes. For female members of staff, “smart, slick, presentable” attire is required that would enable staff to have a conversation with a client should they call up and request a face-to-face meeting. More: http://bit.ly/2sxOcuc

More: http://bit.ly/2sX1NcS

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IM AGES | ISTOCK / VIRGIN AM ERICA / SHUT T ERSTOCK / ALAM Y

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MON, 3 JULY 2017

CRICKETER SEEKS WORK AFTER CRICKET AUSTRALIA PAY FIASCO Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has posted an image on his Instagram account showing employment website Seek and captioned it ‘Just checking my options... #seek #unemployed #imavailable #cricket’. The Daily Mail reports Khawaja searched ‘cover drive’ as the job description and ‘very flat wickets’ as the location for his Instagram update. The post follows Australian cricket board Cricket Australia’s failure to negotiate a pay structure with the Australian players’ association. More: http://bit.ly/2tIsbrz

DAYS

←‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒• J U L Y

MON, 3 JULY 2017

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PERFECT STORM’ FOR NURSING TALENT CRISIS SAY RECRUITERS

CAPGEMINI EXTOLS VIRTUES OF DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS

Recruiters are finding it harder and harder to source good quality nurses, as research shows for the first time in almost a decade more nurses are leaving the profession than joining. The BBC reports that Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) findings show, for the first time since 2008, more nurses and midwives are leaving the profession in the UK than joining it. Numbers registering in the UK have fallen by 1,783 to 690,773 in the year to March. The NMC said the decline had been most pronounced among British workers, with many of those departing citing working conditions as a reason for leaving. The government, however, said there were now 13,000 more nurses working in England than in 2010. According to recruiters, the NHS is facing a perfect storm due to stringent English language testing making it harder to recruit from overseas, a crackdown on agency use, a public sector pay freeze, tough working conditions and Brexit all contributing to the NHS’s hiring travails.

Introducing a degree apprenticeship has helped Capgemini cut recruitment spend, reduce attrition and develop the talent of the future. Recruiter spoke with head of graduate apprentice and placement programmes Ruth South to ﬁnd out how the consulting, technology and outsourcing services provider has achieved this.

FRI, 7 JULY 2017

IT’S BLIND DATE – WHAT’S YOUR NAME AND WHAT RECRUITMENT COMPANY ARE YOU FROM?

More: http://bit.ly/2u8jCbP

Back in 2014, Capgemini, along with Aston University, introduced a degree apprenticeship aimed at developing software engineers and business analysts. The recruits are employed within the business full time. Currently, there are 800 people overall on the ﬁrm’s graduate and apprentice programmes with 369 apprentices and 250 on the degree apprenticeship programme. The ﬁrst batch of recruits would have graduated on 17 July. A ceremony took place to celebrate their imminent graduation (see above). More: http://bit.ly/2v6WQP7

Recruiters get everywhere and there’s no greater proof of that than an edition of TV love match show Blind Date. The show, which was staple viewing on Saturday nights on ITV between 1985 and 2003, and hosted by the legendary Cilla Black, recently returned to TV – this time on Channel 5, with Paul O’Grady taking up the reins from his late friend. The show on 8 July was a special one for the industry, as Recruiter revealed beforehand the show featured recruitment consultant Antoni DavisPhillip (top), a recruiter of web developers at Oscar Technology. Naturally, the selection process was down to DavisPhillip, who had to choose between three female candidates – sorry, contestants. Speaking to Recruiter about his Blind Date experience, Davis-Phillip revealed he really enjoyed the whole thing – not least due to host Paul O’Grady. “He is a really nice guy – really bubbly, really friendly. He is as he comes across on TV. “It was a fantastic experience – I really enjoyed it but it does go really quickly.” More: http://bit.ly/2udiTap

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news

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CONTRACTS

CONTRACTS & DEALS Hays Talent Solutions Hays Talent Solutions, the outsourced resourcing division of recruitment giant Hays, and North London’s Haringey Council have agreed a new recruitment partnership for the next four years for all permanent and nonpermanent recruitment. The new partnership includes work on initiatives encouraging greater local engagement and increased diversity and inclusion through the HaysHaringey Social Value Fund.

Workforce Recruitment Worcestershire recruiters Workforce Recruitment and Peach Recruitment have merged. The deal sees employees of Worcester-based Peach Recruitment, a public and professional service recruiter, relocate from their Pierpoint Street offices to Workforce’s new recruitment centre in the city’s Foregate Street. Peach’s managing director Sarah Mayo-Evans, who founded the firm in 2002, stays on with the company following the deal.

Bright Network Graduate careers network Bright Network has acquired paid internships platform WEXO for an undisclosed sum. Bright Network says the acquisition of WEXO will help expand its footprint into “smaller growth-oriented companies”. WEXO cofounder Robin Kennedy now joins Bright Network as an adviser.

Kubrick Group Technology staffing firm Kubrick Group has partnered with enterprise data science software maker Dataiku to help recruit and train groups of technical candidates in big data and data science technologies. The partnership sees Kubrick Group and Dataiku train mathematics, physics and computer science graduates in the latest big data engineering, data science and data analytics technologies.

Nakama Tim Sheffield, the founder of executive search and talent advisory firm Sheffield Haworth, has become a non-executive director at international recruiter Nakama. The move coincides with Sheffield Haworth taking a 24.1% holding in Nakama. Sheffield founded Sheffield Haworth in 1993 and is currently responsible for the leadership and strategic development of that business.

Alumni Global recruitment and professional services firm Harvey Nash’s Swedish subsidiary, Alumni, has bought Swedish HR consultancy company PAT Management from PAT Invest, a company owned by Hans Fribergh and Linda Wahlström. Wahlström will continue to act as managing director of PAT Management until 31 January 2020.

DEAL OF T HE MONT H

Gravitas Recruitment Group Global niche recruiter Gravitas Recruitment Group has bought Hong Kong-based banking technology and financial market recruiter Atlas Global Search. The acquisition opens Gravitas’ Asia-based operation

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to contract services and niche technology roles, as well as the permanent insurance roles in the region it already recruits for. Gravitas says the deal also provides market synergies with its UK technology division,

supporting the group’s global strategy in establishing specialist technology teams in Asia. Atlas’s team of 10 will move into Gravitas’ Hong Kong offices. Atlas co-founder Peter Barker joins as regional sales director

and Rhythy Yeung, junior partner at Atlas, joins Gravitas as business manager. Fellow Atlas cofounder Katie Eden will support the integration in a part-time capacity, with responsibility for people development.

More contract news at recruiter.co.uk/news

13/07/2017 11:16

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TRE NDS

INSIGHT

AIRLINE PILOTS: THE MODEL FOR INTELLIGENT RECRUITING? Artificial Intelligence can help fight the wars for future stars – you need only look at the role of a pilot BY DR ACHIM PREUSS

rtificial Intelligence (AI) is a new trend in the field of psychometric assessment – and it’s something that recruiters should welcome. The idea of artificially replicating the human thought process has been part of assessment for some time. Item generators – which randomly assign questions in psychometric assessments to ensure no two tests are the same – use a form of AI. Everyone thinks of AI as ‘robots’ but that’s only a small component. AI is the science of making intelligent machines. A machine is ‘intelligent’ when it can change its behaviour based on its ‘knowledge’ or internal representation of the world. Machine-learning means that the machine can adapt its internal representation based on feedback. Intelligent personal assistants, such as Amazon Echo, Apple’s Siri, Google Now, IBM Watson and Microsoft’s Cortana, are based on AI. They’re built on deep-learning based neural networks (that stem from an expert’s experience) and this enables them to deliver detailed, contextualised answers to users’ questions. With AI, expert knowledge is transferred into a system, so that the system is able to perform as if it is the expert. The AI systems of the future will add value in the recruitment process, helping recruiters by providing ongoing expert support.

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The recruitment process for many lowlevel jobs has already been automated and this trend is set to continue. It started with the move to unsupervised testing. Before this, employers had to observe psychometric tests. Then, the need for experts to review the test results was replaced by automated and easy-to-interpret reports based on a candidate’s responses. Now, voice recognition and facial analysis technology enable video interviews to be scored and evaluated by machines, further reducing the need for human interaction. But that doesn’t mean the recruiter’s role is dead. Machines can extrapolate and make predictions based on a learned model of past behaviour and experience, but currently they are not capable of envisioning a desired future. They can’t identify the requirements of future roles – or the situational context that needs to be assessed – if those roles don’t already exist. For example, with volume recruitment, a human element is important at the beginning of the process to determine what competencies or attributes are required in the role. AI could help with this in the future. An artiﬁcial recruiter could communicate with HR and ask what the new recruit should be able to do. Soon, ‘machines’ will be able to analyse aspects such as how team members interact and what

characteristics are missing for an ‘optimum mix’ team. The machine could then source suitable candidates by gathering ‘nonreactive’ data on individuals (that’s information on candidates, which already exists and can be captured without them necessarily being aware). The machine could then automatically assess, interview and appoint the ideal candidate. So, we’re reaching a stage where an individual could join an organisation without ever having interacted with a human in their application process. This might sound like Star Wars technology. But the ‘wars’ for your future ‘stars’ will be fought using systems such as this. As I said, recruiters will still play an important role in this process. For example, a machine may be able to source suitable external candidates but ‘human head-hunters’ will still need to contact and liaise with the individuals concerned, especially for senior roles. IM AGE | ISTOCK

13/07/2017 11:17

POWERPOINTS

2 3

Tomorrow’s recruiters will be like airline pilots – skilled experts who oversee automated processes and can take control in an emergency.

Welcome the advent of new technology. Developments in AI will ultimately help you to recruit the right people – and that benefits your organisation and your function.

Understand your strategic value and play to your strengths. Machines will increasingly support you but the essence of your role – which machines cannot replicate – is the ability to envision your organisation’s future talent needs, and to identify the competencies and attributes that will be required in upcoming roles.

↗

The future model for recruiters is that of an airline pilot. For instance, 90% of ﬂying a plane can be undertaken by a machine. It is effectively ‘management by exception’. But a pilot is still a prestigious role. These individuals need to be highly skilled, and they need to be able to step in and take control if something goes wrong. Importantly,

they provide conﬁdence to members of the public. As the developers of selfdriving cars have found, the concept of putting one’s life completely in the hands of a machine is difficult to accept. Recruiters can provide that same conﬁdence in organisations. In recruitment, low-end jobs will continue to be automated but there will always be a need to have an expert at the helm for more senior roles – not just in case something goes wrong but also to ‘create’ the talent requirements of the future. ●

Artificial Intelligence is changing the process of recruitment, leading to even greater automation when sourcing, assessing and interviewing candidates. But recruitment will always need a human face.

DR ACHIM PREUSS is co-founder and chief technology officer of assessment specialist cut-e

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08/02/2017 11/07/2017 10:42 10:34

T R E N DS

TECH & TOOLS

New data protection laws Six ways to help you prepare GREG PITCHER

It is less than a year until strict new data protection laws come into effect in the UK. The Information Commissioner’s Office says the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will apply from 25 May 2018, regardless of the UK’s negotiations to leave the European Union. There is a clear incentive to take note and use what time remains to prepare for the new laws. Fines for breaching the GDPR could be as high as €20m (£17.5m) or 4% of global turnover, and lawyers warn that it will be easier to bring cases. Recruiter asked legal and recruitment experts for their top tips on preparing for the GDPR.

REVIEW THE WAY YOU ASK FOR CONSENT GDPR is clear that when a person’s data is subject to multiple processes, they must give specific consent to each one, says Jowanna Conboye, an associate in the intellectual property team at Cornwall and Devon-based law firm Stephens Scown. “If you do anything with someone’s personal data, you are processing it. Even if you’re holding it to destroy it, that’s a process.” Review the way you ask for consent to hold, sort and use someone’s information – it may well not be specific enough for the new laws. Get standard forms in place to ensure you collect express, unambiguous and freely given consent wherever it’s needed.

MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN WITHDRAW CONSENT There is a ‘right to be forgotten’ under the

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GDPR so you must be able to delete data quickly, and only store it for a proportionate time in the first place, says Martin Pratt, partner at London and Cardiff-based lawyers Gordon Dadds. “You can’t keep people’s contact details forever. It’s on a case-bycase basis but if someone hasn’t got back to you for three years you will need a very good reason for having them on your system.” Check your databases – what information do you need to delete? And what processes do you have in place to do this on a rolling basis, or if people ask to be removed? “I get calls I don’t want from recruiters where I have been on their database for years,” bemoans Pratt. “That kind of thing should stop.”

BE READY FOR CHALLENGES Individuals will have a number of rights under the GDPR, including to have their records rectified if they are inaccurate, and to

transfer data in some circumstances. “This gives people the right to challenge data held about them,” warns Conboye. “If someone exercises a right, are you ready?” As well as clearly wanting to avoid a potentially huge fine for non-compliance, recruiters need to deal with challenges efficiently to prevent the requests themselves becoming a burden. “The likelihood of people making requests is going to increase,” says Conboye. “Do you have a process that lets this happen without interfering with your day-to-day earning?”

GO THROUGH YOUR CONTRACTS WITH CLIENTS AND SUPPLIERS “It’s possible that recruiters could be held liable for data breaches elsewhere in the recruitment supply chain,” warns Lewina Farrell, head of professional services at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). “People need to be talking to their vendors, clients and any intermediaries they work with.”

Make sure you’re happy with the arrangements in place with clients, payroll firms and any other companies you share personal data with. “Firms that share personal data with third parties – such as umbrella companies or payroll firms – must have a data-sharing agreement in place that complies with GDPR,” says Pratt. “Firms must therefore review, and amend if necessary, their contractual relationships with all those with which they share data to ensure they are GDPR compliant.”

TRAIN STAFF Everyone needs to understand the importance of the new laws and, critically, how to comply with them. This means ensuring the correct forms are signed, that calls regarding data are logged in the right manner and that mistakes are rectified as required. There are several ways of carrying out training, but

Conboye suggests it be as practical as possible.

THINK ABOUT WHY YOU USE PERSONAL DATA AT ALL Does a major manufacturer need someone’s name to decide whether to hire them for a production line job? Is someone’s age actually important for a temporary office role? Think about what data you really need to send to clients and suppliers, to minimise your risk of falling foul of data protection laws. “Pseudonymisation [the process of replacing personal data with artificial identifiers] is often appropriate for the first time of sending something,” says Conboye. “Recruiters need to start thinking whether they need to disclose information; if not then don’t put it in there. “There are a lot of issues for recruiters to consider, so it is important that they act now, so that they are ready for the new law coming into force next May.” WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 15

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INTE R AC TIO N

VIEWPOINT

Agency approbation Taylor Review recognises positive role of agency work BY TOM HADLEY

ollowing the publication of the Matthew Taylor report we’ve been busy making sense of the potential implications for our industry and the jobs market more broadly. We have some areas of concern – and we’ll be taking these up with government officials over the coming months – but overall it has been encouraging to read that the contribution of the agency sector is recognised.

Reasons to be cheerful! The review makes plain that agency work plays an important role in business, and that many people choose to work in this way. This is the right starting point for debates about how to improve our jobs market. The speciﬁc recommendation that the Apprenticeship Levy should be reassessed so that it works better for agency workers is a big win for our industry – we’ve been making this argument for some time including in our submissions to the review. Taylor explains that the best way to achieve better work is not through national regulation, but via responsible corporate governance and good management. We agree, and we back the call for more focus on worker voice. Ensuring that all workers, irrespective of what type of contract they are on, are well managed and treated with

“Ensuring that all workers are well managed and treated with respect is vital” respect is vital, and this is central to our ongoing Good Recruitment Campaign.

Reasons to be fearful?

One of the recommendations we will question would give agency workers the right to request a direct contract of employment after 12 months. The only obligation on the hirer would be to reasonably consider the request, but members’ feedback is that this could create bureaucracy without adding value. Our own data, which is quoted in the report, shows that only 4.3% of assignments are longer than 12 months, and existing requirements under Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) already provide agency workers with access to employer vacancies. The report also recommends that Swedish Derogation should be repealed, and that the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EASI) should police AWR compliance. The focus should be on ensuring that the way the derogation is used complies with the regulations. Reopening the debate around AWR risks uncertainty at a time when businesses are already battling with political and economic headwinds.

What’s next?

TOM HADLEY is director of policy, Recruitment & Employment Confederation

The government will review the recommendations and make a decision about next steps by the autumn. This gives us a window to inﬂuence the ﬁnal outcome, and we’ve already got dates in the diary with senior officials. The insight from recruitment professionals in the front line of the UK jobs market informed all our messages to Matthew Taylor and will continue to drive our work with government over the coming months.

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13/07/2017 12:57

I N T E R AC T I O N

SOUNDBITES

The House of Commons has recently introduced a less formal dress code. Have strict dress codes had their day? SAM HUGHES D IREC TOR , H IG H F IEL D

T WIT T E R

@ROBINJFISHER Replying to @RecruiterMag @goodman_masson Why do you need a dress code? Trust people to dress appropriately for the work environment and rely on managers to address concerns

“In a modern working office it is becoming increasingly important to be flexible and innovative to boost your employer value proposition (EVP). At Highfield we believe dress code in today’s workforce has a role to play in talent attraction, engagement and retention, and so being flexible can actually help you stand out from your competition. It’s important to allow people to express themselves while keeping a professional or corporate vibe within our industry. We believe flexibility is the key and remembering it isn’t ‘one size fits all’!”

MARK ROBINS CEO A N D CO-FOUN D ER , N AT I V E G R AV I T Y

ROBIN FISHER JUL 6

@MIKKIL Replying to @robinjfisher @RecruiterMag @goodman_masson Well if you don’t have a dress code the majority would turn up looking like a bad weekend - what is wrong with standards expectations MIKKIL

JUL 6

@ROBINJFISHER Replying to @MikkiL @RecruiterMag @goodman_masson Kinda missed the point about managers taking responsibility for addressing it rather than creating more policy ROBIN FISHER

JUL 6

@DAVEBRABANDER Replying to @MikkiL @RecruiterMag and 2 others I know wtf happing to us .. basics if I go to court shirt tie pants shoes,suite minimum..most track suits trainers wtf DAVE BRABANDER

JUL 6

“I think the days of pinstripe suits and shiny black shoes are all but over. For the past few years, I have seen ﬁrst-hand in the digital market an increasing trend of companies enhancing their work culture to retain and attract top talent. What started as ‘dress down Fridays’ has now become the norm in all but the most corporate of environments. Some may argue that wearing a suit creates a more work-led mindset, but in my experience looking after people’s wellness at work only increases productivity. Now where did I leave that suit…?”

DAVE WAY CEO, Hedgerway “Strict dress codes have become a thing of the past, with the majority of the accounting and ﬁnance community having adopted sensible seasonal policies over the past couple of years. This aligned with agile working and giving employees some ﬂexibility in what they wear tends to be well received. Despite the trends away from strict dress codes we’re surprised that the House of Commons has taken their view on this matter noting that they are rarely one to break with tradition!”

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L LUC U C UCK UC CK K LUCK LU

H OF T E TH THE HE OF

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T H E B I G STO RY I R E L A N D

PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD LEA HAIR

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13/07/2017 11:19

TH E B IG STO RY IRELAND

“The biggest problem you have as a CEO is dealing with uncertainty,” tainty,” says Tim Cook, group CEO of nGAGE GAGE Specialist Recruitment, whose stable of multisector niche brands includes Eden Brown and Caritas. During his career, which has included being managing director of Hays UK and Ireland, Cook has faced more than his fair share of uncertainty, but it’s fair to say that Britain’s decision to exit the EU in June 2016 takes that to a whole new level. The response heard time and again, and one shared by Cook, is ‘business hates uncertainty’ because it knocks business confidence, puts off investment and ultimately is bad for the economy and for hiring. While this may be accepted wisdom, it doesn’t mean that recruiters can put off decisions indefinitely. Indeed in Cook’s case, the response to Brexit was immediate: the acquisition of GCS Recruitment, which has an office in Dublin, as well as two in the UK, and one in New York the very next day. “We didn’t really know why we did it at the time,” Cook reflects, “other than we did it as a mini hedge just in case.” A year or so on, Cook has no regrets. “Facing uncertainty you have to move towards uncertainty. You have to protect your business as best you can,”

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AUGUST 2017

S P OTLI G H T

Republic of Ireland: R Pros and Cons ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Relatively small domestic market Increasingly competitive market Difficult to find staff Shortage of office space History of ‘boom and bust’ Well-educated workforce English speaking Similar legal and regulatory system Gateway to EU talent and the EU market

he says. Indeed he is delighted with the progress of the GCS business. But more than this, he believes Brexit has fundamentally changed the business: “Pre-Brexit we were a domestic UK recruitment business across multiple sectors. Post-Brexit we are turning our eyes abroad. We see opportunity there that was certainly on the cards, but this has been signiﬁcantly accelerated by the situation.” For reasons not related to Brexit – but according to Cook, “because Amazon asked us to” – technical recruiter ewi, another in nGAGE’s portfolio, opened an office in Frankfurt.

Cook won’t go so far as to say that in establishing a physical presence in Dublin he has stolen a march on competitors, preferring the phrase “at the front of the curve”, but there is no doubt that things are stirring in the Irish capital, home to a booming tech sector and a burgeoning financial services hub. Companies are understandably coy about such a sensitive issue. However, comments by the head of international financial services at Ireland’s Industrial Development Authority, reported in The Guardian at the end of June, that more than a dozen UK-based banks and finance houses have decided to move some of their operations to Dublin, suggest that some of the talk about companies moving across the Irish Sea to have a presence inside the EU postBrexit is now turning to action. According to Tara Lescott, MD of rec-to-rec firm Recruiter Republic, recruiters are not sitting on their hands. “In our six years of trading, we have never had this volume of enquiries from Dublin,” says Lescott. “We have seen a massive upsurge from both corporates and independents, there are more roles available, they are ramping up and some are putting in headcount because they are anticipating more of their clients putting more of their business out of Ireland.” At the same time, she says, “more UK-centric recruiters are starting to look at their headcount there, and are actively considering their options of either opening an office or buying a recruiter in Ireland”. Brian Daly, MD of Dublin-based Crescenzi Consulting, who advises recruiters on compliance and regulatory issues across Europe, agrees that UK clients are increasingly “thinking strategically in the medium to long term that a bit of geographical diversification is necessary to be profitable”. Daly adds: “I am getting this from all of the people I speak to in the recruitment industry – and there are many – on a daily basis.” Lescott says she also sees increased levels of enquiries from recruiters in Ireland, whose clients are mainly in FMCG and manufacturing, and IM AGE | ISTOCK

13/07/2017 11:19

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TH E B IG STO RY IRELAND

currently based outside the EU. These clients see Ireland as a tariff-free gateway for their goods into the EU. They are also attracted by Ireland’s guaranteed access to the EU’s multimillion strong talent pool. The question for recruiters without an existing presence in Ireland is whether to follow Cook in establishing a presence in Ireland or should they hold their fire until there is greater clarity from the politicians and risk joining the party late? And what are the pros and cons of Ireland versus Continental Europe? Frank Farrelly, chief operating officer at Sigmar Recruitment and president of the National Recruitment Federation, the trade body for recruiters in the Republic of Ireland, says it is difficult to distinguish between the effects of Brexit on the Irish market and the effects of the Irish economy’s recovery, which sees levels of employment higher than at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom. However, he is clear that Brexit is already showing through. “Some of the headcount increase in financial services, legal and insurance can be attributed to the impact of Brexit,” he says. Farrelly says Ireland has a number of attractions for UK recruiters. “Anyone from the UK would find Ireland very familiar. It has very similar common law, and the country is very open to foreign direct investment.” Other recruiters cite a welleducated workforce, good schools and universities, and the English language. Daly says another attraction is the Irish Republic’s highly competitive corporation tax rate of 12.5%. However, Donal O’Donoghue, MD of professional recruiter Sanderson, whose parent company is UKheadquartered Resource Solutions Group, says making a success of the Irish market is not guaranteed. “It is easy to say you should launch a new

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office in Dublin, Cork or Galway way w wa ay a y – but bu b ut because of the shortage of talent, lent, len t the e ability to build a team is a challenge,” hallenge,” ha h a all llll ng nge,” he says. Other pitfalls, says O’Donoghue, oghue, ghue e are underestimating the loyalty alty of Irish clients to domestic recruitment ruitment ru u ent n companies. There are also cultural differences between the UK and Ireland, as a well as less use of recruitment process outsourcing ﬁrms (RPOs) and managed service providers (MSPs), says O’Donoghue, which means that any recruiter who simply exports their UK strategy across the Irish Sea will ﬁnd it difficult to succeed. And with more recruiters already entering the €2.25bn (£1.98bn) market – 100 recruitment companies set up in the

“Post-Brexit we’re turning our eyes abroad. We see opportunity there that was certainly on the cards, but this has been signiﬁcantly accelerated by the situation” Irish Republic last year, according to Farrelly – incoming recruiters are bound to face stiffer competition. O’Donoghue says a key consideration for UK recruiters is whether the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland will continue. This longsta standing agreement allows citizens of tthe Irish Republic and the UK the rig right to live and work in each other’s cou countries. Should this be affected, UK staffing companies would ﬁnd it mo more difficult to move staff internally b bet between their UK offices and any office

in Ireland. in Ire IIr r land nd. O’Donoghue O O’Don on n says Sanderson has ha h ass sidestepped ssid iid deste step t p d this th by exclusively employing e mploy m plo p l ing experienced experi e Irish-based recruiters. David Wicks, founder and MD of European Recruitment, who during his career has opened up offices in Germany and the Netherlands, says staff preferences are an important factor in where recruiters open an office in post-Brexit Europe. “Dublin and Berlin are probably my top two. No offence, but Frankfurt is probably not the nicest city in the world,” he says. Lescott says when it comes to establishing a base in Continental Europe, Paris and Frankfurt are top of recruiters’ lists, with Paris in the lead. However, overall, she says “Ireland wins” – even against Paris – on the grounds of cost of living and lower house prices. Thomas Leister, a partner at law firm Osborne Clarke in Germany, says the decision on where to establish a physical presence in the EU post-Brexit also depends on the regulatory framework, and how it fits in with a recruiter’s business model. For example, placing independent contractors is “relatively similar” across all EU member states, he says, whereas tougher labour leasing rules in Germany, where a licence is required, make it more difficult for those entering the market. Such considerations aside, it is “all go” at GCS in Dublin, according to nGAGE’s Cook, where the intention is to “double, triple and quadruple the headcount in short order, two to three years”. Cook may not be quite sure how things got to this point, but arguably, after what he accepts “was a leap of faith”, he is sitting pretty. “UK recruiters generally travel quite well because it is so competitive in the UK,” says Cook. But whether other UK recruiters will join nGAGE over on the Emerald Isle is only likely to become apparent if and when there is more clarity about the final Brexit settlement. ●

AUGUST G 2 1 2017

13/07/2017 11:20

RE CRUIT ER - O FF IC I A L M E D I A PA RT N E R

AFFINITY LEARNING CONTACT DETAILS

David Curtis E: info@affinitylearning.co.uk W: www.affinitylearning.co.uk Stand Number: F28

Affinity Learning is a learning & development consultancy that enables organisations to remain competitive and grow their business to achieve the commercial goals. We specialise in working with both companies and individuals to improve their strategic and operational skills to support them in being more effective. We do this by working in partnership with our clients to help them to form and execute on a learning & development strategy that is aligned to their business strategy. Our learning transformation programme (ALTP) offers clients the support to achieve its commercial goals through the development of its people. Our consultants work with you to devise the best learning & development strategy and then execute using the most up to date techniques. The ALTP gives our clients the opportunity to outsource their learning and development function and have access to some of the highest performing learning and development consultants in the industry.

WAV E G R O U P CONTACT DETAILS

David Jenkins T: 0118 986 8900 E: david.jenkins@wave-group.co.uk W: www.wave-group.co.uk Stand Number: C28

Wave specialise in helping consultancies attract more candidates and has been working within the recruitment marketing and media buying industry for nearly 20 years. Our core offering comprises: • Recruitment website builds • Media buying on all job boards • Multi-posting and advertising analytics We take a holistic approach to your digital attraction, from building an effective website that will attract candidates, purchasing media at the best possible rates, and then posting, analysing and tracking your advertising. We are the only agency to offer this ‘Build, Buy and Post’ approach. We will take the guesswork out of your recruitment marketing. You want to attract the best talent in the most efficient means possible. This is what we do best, and we’d love to do it with you. Come and see us!

ITRIS CONTACT DETAILS

Paul Sangster E: Paul.Sangster@itris.co.uk W: www.itris.co.uk Stand G3

itris is the benchmark for recruitment software, providing recruitment consultancies of all sizes with the optimum tools and features to manage their businesses. Since 1998, itris have built a reputation for enhancing business growth and profitability throughout the UK and global staffing industry. By being both fully configurable to clients’ specific requirements and one of the most feature rich systems on the market, itris contains all the functionality you need, regardless of the type of recruitment or sector you recruit into. We understand the need for flexibility, so the ability to tailor the system and functionality to your business’ needs is offered as standard at itris. You will be able to create unique fields and templates whilst automating key business processes which saves time and reduce administrative tasks. Seamless integrations with accounting and payroll software, multi-job posting and CV parsing services, SMS providers and social media sites means itris is suitable for all your recruitment needs.

ACC E S S G RO U P CONTACT DETAILS

Isabel Ubeda E: isabel.ubeda@theaccessgroup.com W: www.theaccessgroup.com/solutions/ recruitment-software/ Stand G17

User-friendly CRM system that streamlines the entire placement cycle serving as a central hub for assignments, contacts, candidates and clients. It integrates with our back-office Pay & Bill software so you don’t spend time collecting time sheets, billing and contract data. Instead, information feeds directly from the CRM. RDB ProNet is more than a ‘traditional’ recruitment software package. It is a ‘Step Change’ in your use of recruitment technology that gives you a rapid return on your investment. Book your demo today.

T O B E F E AT U R E D I N T H E R E C R U I T M E N T AG E N C Y E X P O S P O T L I G H T P L E A S E C O N TAC T J O S H . H A N N AG A N @ R E C R U I T E R .C O.U K WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 23

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FLE X IBLE WO RKSPACE

Recruiters are big users of shared workspaces, enjoying the beneﬁts of the ﬂexibility they offer and the shared knowledge of fellow companies. Colin Cottell and Greg Pitcher investigate

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13/07/2017 11:21

F L E XI B L E WO R KS PAC E

“THERE’S MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND, people doing their own thing, there’s a rooftop, a gym: the second someone comes to my office they chill out.” Gus Sargent, director and cofounder of technology sector recruiter Technuovo, is enthusing about the firm’s working environment, part of a shared workspace block run by the Office Group on Borough High Street in London. Use of flexible workspace is growing fast – fellow provider Regus has doubled the amount it offers in the past five years – and recruiters of all shapes and sizes are realising the benefits. These range from start-ups who don’t want to get tied into long-term leases for a company office, but for whom meeting candidates in their own kitchens or local coffee shops often doesn’t cut the

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mustard either, to larger and more established companies. Like many others, Technuovo found that shared offices allowed it to have many of the trappings and benefits of being a bigger company, while in reality it was a small company seeking to establish itself. “We paid £200 per month at first and just had internet,” says Sargent. “But it gave us a feel of having an office. There is a reception and when someone turned up, the people on the front desk knew us and directed them to us.” Although the firm has grown substantially in two years, it still uses the same building. “We have grown to 10 people and gone on to the top floor with our own office and a nice balcony. We could rent a traditional office, it would be a lot cheaper but we would need a reception, we’d have to maintain it and so on.” Sargent also believes the informal atmosphere of the firm’s current home plays into recruiters’ hands. “At a big company, if you go into a meeting room it feels like an official interview. We don’t give that feeling, which benefits us as relationships are based on trust and people warming to each other. With clients, we tend to go to them, so it doesn’t become an issue.” While Sargent speaks to Recruiter, he is interrupted by fellow recruitment boss Graeme Read, whom he met within the building, highlighting another positive aspect of the set-up. Networking is a key benefit for start-up recruitment agencies using flexible space, according to Read, head of enterprise at the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), and an adviser and mentor to the recruitment sector. “It is very difficult in the early stages of launching a business as you can be in a bubble,” he says. “In a shared hub people will help with technology issues and so on,” says Read.

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FLE X I BLE WO RKSPAC E

“There’s the community, the shared knowledge and experience, and the social aspect with end-of-week drinks, for example. You can get to know totally different companies, which might need candidates themselves. “Gen Y and Millennials have grown up with this,” Read continues. “It’s funky, there are hang-out areas, events at the end of the week – it’s a community. In fact, there is a settling-in period if you go from shared space to traditional office space.” Gavin Tew, co-founder of technology recruiter Source Technology, says the shared offices the company used in its start-up phase, until they outgrew them when staff numbers reached 25, were helpful for networking. The premises included conference facilities, meetings rooms and a common lounge area. The shared offices “were a kind of hub for lots of organisations at a similar stage of evolution”, while the fact that the offices were brand-new “was very attractive for hiring people”, adds Tew. Regus UK CEO Richard Morris says recruitment firms are a major user of the flexible space provider’s 350 UK locations, where they can use a desk for as little as an hour or sign up to private offices on rolling one-month deals. “Companies waste millions of pounds every year on property by turning it into a fixed cost when they don’t have to,” says Morris. “We have companies using

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“We have gone on to the top floor with our own office and a nice balcony” us to be more efficient and focus on their business without worrying about the hassle that comes with managing your own space.” Allowing firms to hire meeting rooms only for the hours they need makes a big difference to start-up recruiters in particular, says Morris.

Pierrine Carlier, digital content marketing manager at flexible workplace platform Nomad Space, highlights the financial benefits to recruiters of using flexible office space rather than permanent traditional offices. “You don’t have to pay for a 50-person office every month of the year when often there are fewer than 50 people actually working in the office,” she explains. Carlier says that while shared offices are popular among start-up recruiters, many of Nomad’s recruiter clients look to use flexible workspace as an add-on to augment their existing offices. This could be because they run out of space, need a training room or just give an important client or candidate “a feeling of luxury”, she explains. Other recruiters choose to keep their own private offices, but prefer a shared space with others in their building for break-out areas, with a pool table and so on. “It’s the variety of choice that they really appreciate,” she says. “It moving from a super-private space in a big old building towards a coworking trend, but without totally giving up privacy. You need some privacy when you are recruiting,” she adds. According to Carlier, the movement towards flexible and shared workspaces goes hand in hand with a wider trend in which those providing offices are tailoring it to the tasks people at work rather than the other way round. For example, she says it allows workers to move from areas where they do “their more focused and calm work” to special phone booths where they can make calls, and other areas “where you can be noisy just for the sake of being noisy”. ●

Top tips for recruiters Location. Location. Location. “What might be easy to commute to today might become difficult to move from as you grow – you would want to take your hearts and minds with you,” says APSCo’s Read. Before committing to a particular location, do your due diligence on what is available and the cost. If you only have to be in a particular location for half the

week, why not allow someone else to use it the other days and share the cost? Booking space for a week or even monthly can work out cheaper, and can include perks like extra facilities. Get a feel for the atmosphere and environment. Visit the workspace two or three times to see what it is like. Will there be competitors there? Ask for a trial day.

Give out your own phone number, not the office provider’s number, because if you move the business centre may not be happy for you to take it with you. The same advice holds true for postal and email addresses. Security including cyber security is another issue to consider: Where do you lock stuff up? How secure is client and candidate information?

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11/07/2017 10:36

E M PLOYABILITY

PAGEGROUP PARTNERS WITH MENCAP BY PETER LENNOX

JUST 6% OF PEOPLE WITH A LEARNING disability are in paid employment in the UK – a quite staggering statistic and one that suggests changes must be made. Whether it be complicated application processes, lack of inwork support or negative employer perceptions, a huge talent pool is currently not being utilised. A new partnership between international recruiter PageGroup and learning disability charity Mencap aims to address these issues. PageGroup will support Mencap through a number of fundraising efforts, but it was the firm’s belief that they could help people with learning disabilities find employment that was key in their decision to strike up the partnership. “Every two years we allow our staff to choose a charity partner,” explains PageGroup executive director Oliver Watson. “For a lot of our people now, it’s a little bit more than just fundraising. The real appeal for our staff was the opportunity to do a bit more for an organisation.” In June, during Learning Disability Week, PageGroup held their first skills-sharing workshop with Mencap. Here, people with learning disabilities received one-to-one guidance from PageGroup consultants on CV writing and interview techniques. Watson himself provided some expert advice, and spoke of the skillset he believes recruiters need to successfully support people with learning disabilities. “Consultants need the ability to dedicate time, they need to be very good listeners and they need to be

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AUGUST 2017

broad-minded,” he said. “They also need the ability to inﬂuence and educate their clients as to the value of employing people with learning disabilities. “They also need to be able to explain to clients there are better ways of assessing people with learning disabilities than traditional interviewing methods. For example, as the market’s moving towards more transactional hiring, using video interviewing is probably just going to present another barrier.” Mencap’s head of employer engagement Mark Capper agrees that the hiring process needs to be a lot more ﬂexible. He says this is one of many factors contributing to the low employment rate. “We want to see employers being open to more creative ways in their recruitment process,” Capper says. “So, rather than having an online-only application process, allowing people to come in and demonstrate their skills

SP OTLI G H T

Curtis Gibson has a learning disability and is profoundly deaf. He attended the skills sharing workshop and explained to Recruiter the challenges he’s faced in finding employment. “For three years, I’ve been struggling to find a job,” he says. “Every time I apply, and I don’t hear anything back, it makes me feel like they don’t want to know me. But they haven’t seen the real me. “Last week, I found out I have got an interview, with Wilko, and I was completely shocked. I literally dropped my phone when I read the email! “The workshop was really helpful. I learned how important it was to prepare properly, have a good attitude and show good body language.”

PHOTOGRAPHY | PAGEGROUP

13/07/2017 11:25

E M PLOYA B I L I T Y

DID YOU KNOW…

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example, household tasks, socialising or managing money – that affects someone for their whole life

1.4m

An estimated 1.4m people have a learning disability in the UK

In a study, 72.2% of employers regarded the impact on company morale as an “important factor” in deciding to employ someone with a learning disability

72.2%

through a work trial. Also, having a working interview rather than a sitdown formal interview, because we know people will potentially struggle to contextualise questions that are asked in a formal setting. “One of the key issues is being openminded and allowing a bit of ﬂexibility around that [hiring] process. We also provide a lot of in-work support. Again, many employers won’t know about this. “They’ll make an assumption that there’s a signiﬁcant cost involved in employing someone with a learning disability, but actually the access-towork scheme through the Department

Mencap research revealed that people with a learning disability stayed in their jobs 3.5 times longer than their non-disabled co-workers A further study revealed 92% of consumers felt more favourable to people with learning disabilities

92%

for Work and Pensions pays for a member of staff to support somebody while they’re learning their new job role. Unfortunately many employers are not aware of this.” Capper also says the benefits of hiring someone with a learning disability must be promoted more. He’s hoping the firm’s link-up with PageGroup can help to highlight these benefits. “The fact someone with a learning disability will have gone through a big challenge to get that job in first place, their loyalty to that company is immediate and really strong,” says Capper. “They tend to value those jobs much more, so they come into a workplace and have a lot of enthusiasm towards the employer. This actually impacts on all the people around them, improving morale. “People with learning disabilities also tend to have low sickness rates. Because they actually enjoy coming to work, they’re not going to take sick days when they don’t need to. “They also tend to stay in those jobs longer. So there are financial benefits in that employers do not have to cover sick days or recruit frequently, particularly for entry-level roles. “We’re really excited about the prospects this link-up can bring, but we’d like to think that there’s a learning opportunity for PageGroup as well. It’s not just Mencap that will benefit from the partnership.” Watson echoes this view. He hopes PageGroup’s new partnership can help to showcase the benefits this untapped candidate base can provide – and contribute towards filling the UK’s skills shortage. “All of our clients tell us that they find it hard to recruit, in all jobs in the UK,” he says. “Here’s a pool of talent they could potentially draw on – which for whatever reason they’re not drawing on at the moment. “Hopefully, over the course of the partnership, we can play some small part in educating our client base as to the values of exploring a broader pool of talent.” ●

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INVESTING IN

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AWARDS 2017

TO THE 2017 SHORTLIST

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11/07/2017 10:43

Issue 52 August 2017

RECRUITMENT MATTERS The View and The Intelligence Future of Jobs

Big Talking Point Post-Brexit immigration

Legal Update

Awards

GDPR

Seven ways to create an IRP Award-winning entry p8

p6-7

p2-3

ADECCO’S CHRIS MOORE NEW REC CHAIR President of group operations at Adecco Group UK and Ireland Chris Moore has been elected chair of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation council, replacing Simon Noakes. Moore has worked in the industry for more than 20 years, including eight years in senior leadership positions at the Adecco Group. He has been a member of the REC council since 2013, and is a member of the REC’s Future of Jobs commission launched in June. Moore says he is excited by the opportunity. “I’ve been in recruitment for most of my working life and I’ve seen the REC grow in influence and importance to the industry. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to

@RECPress RM_AUG_17.indd 1

contribute to the REC vision, to help guide the organisation forward and to add value to members by providing strategic and tactical insight,” he says. “I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the council, and with Kevin

and his team to help our industry become even more successful.” REC chief executive Kevin Green says Moore is a “proven operator” who knows the recruitment industry inside and out. “This is a very exciting time for the industry – we’re bigger than ever before and the value that recruiters bring to clients becomes even more important in the context of widespread skills shortages and economic uncertainty,” Green says. “As chair, Chris will play a central role in helping us take advantage of opportunities to demonstrate the important role our industry plays in the lives of individuals, for business and the wider economy.”

REC COUNCIL 2017-18 CORPORATE DIRECTORS Chris Moore (chairman) Jeanette Barrowcliffe Jacqueline Hilton Rebekah Handford Gary Irvine Diane Martyn Sarah Thewlis Mandy Brook Simon Conington Karen Davison-Renouf Janette Withey Steven Street Aidan Anglin Allena Clarke Paul Sharpe Michelle Mellor Sarah Hopkins IRP DIRECTORS Michael Bennett Neeti Gupta Louise Hewett Mark Edwards Heather Salway Mark Channon Paul Jacobs

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Leading the Industry

THE VIEW

The REC-led Future of Jobs Commission is taking shape, says Tom Hadley, REC director of policy and professional services

An evidenced-based immigration system is vital for jobs growth, says Kevin Green, REC chief executive It’s now getting serious: the government is starting to pull together a plan for the postBrexit immigration system. The REC has argued since the referendum that we need a thoughtful and balanced approach to policy, which recognises the requirements of business. We understand the political imperative to demonstrate control of our boarders. However, we think that the British public deserve a more nuanced debate that recognises the need for more not less immigration over the coming decade. The UK jobs market is already very tight, and employers across the board are facing labour, skill and talent shortages. It’s clear that the demographics mean we will have less people of working age in our labour market in the next 10 years, so if our economy continues to grow, employers are going to find it increasingly difficult to fill their vacancies. This means that business and public services will either move work overseas or increase automation. In the REC’s latest report, ‘Building the post-Brexit immigration system’ (rec. uk.com/brexit) we make 21 recommendations to government to help alleviate the skills crisis, including: • give EU workers currently in the UK the right to stay and work

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FUTURE-GAZING • any policies which will reduce access to talent and labour from the EU should be phased in so that businesses can prepare • base the new immigration system on evidence provided by the Migration Advisory Committee and other objective bodies, following a detailed assessment of businesses needs in different sectors and regions • make sure the new immigration system is easy and quick for business. The REC is working tirelessly on behalf of our members to influence the approach to immigration after we leave the EU. However, we need your help – we want members to contact and meet their local MPs to help get the message across. We have data you can reference, template letters you can use, and where possible we will attend meetings with you. We’d also like members to link us up with local business bodies so we can provide data and align messages. Recruiters are on the front line of the jobs market – let’s make our voice heard in this important debate. I will resume my tour of the UK in August – join us in Newcastle and Aberdeen. I’ll also be hosting a webinar on the 15th, members can sign up at rec.uk.com/webinars Follow me on Twitter @kevingreenrec for all things recruitment.

In addition to our work to influence current labour market debates, such as our recent report on post-Brexit immigration, the REC has been doing a fair amount of future-gazing since launching our Future of Jobs Commission in June. Here are some of the initial discussion points identified by our expert group of employers, academics, think tanks and labour market experts: • What should a future jobs market look like? Rather than predicting what might happen, the commission is tasked with articulating what the future UK jobs market should look like, and outlining a road map for making it happen. The £35 billion question is, what kind of recruitment industry and jobs market do we want to see emerge postBrexit? • Can there be one vision that works for everyone? Can a jobs market simultaneously meet the needs of employers as well the needs and aspirations of individual workers? The commission will build a consensus about areas where there is common ground. • How can employers and individuals prepare? TREC17 was an opportunity to take stock of how employers are planning for the future in areas such workforce demographics, working patterns and inclusive recruitment. We clearly still have a need to better prepare the next generation of workers – this is an issue we’ve been talking about since our youth employment taskforce back in 2010. The commission will provide some fresh thinking on how we can finally make this happen. • What place will the recruitment industry occupy? Will technology drive ‘dis-intermediation’ or will recruiters provide an increasingly important outlet for clients and candidates seeking to make sense of an evolving jobs landscape? The move towards “more tailoredmade, output-based recruitment solutions” was flagged in the World Employment Confederation’s Future of Work white paper – a core aim of the commission is to take a view on how seismic changes to the way we live and work will impact the role of recruitment professionals. The best way to predict the future is to create it, which is why we will actively be seeking the views and input of REC members as the project progresses. You can follow Tom on Twitter @hadleyscomment nt

www.rec.uk.com

12/07/2017 14:44

THE INTELLIGENCE

On 29 June, the REC published its latest research on post-Brexit immigration, in partnership with Migration Policy Institute and immigration law specialists Fragomen LLP. The report provides fresh analysis of the ONS’s Annual Population Survey and Labour Force Survey to provide a national, regional, and sectoral breakdown of the EU nationals living and working in the UK. The report found that the EU population represents close to 6% of the population but 7% of the labour force. The EU population was also more likely to be in employment than the native population, with an employment rate of 81% for EU nationals versus an employment rate of 75% for UK nationals. The report also found significant variations of EU workers by region, with London (17%), Northern

UPTICK IN NUMBER OF CLIENTS BILLED IN Q1 2017 HELPS RESTORE NFI/GP As highlighted last month, after four quarters of negative year-on-year growth in the Net Fee Income (NFI)/ Gross Profit of the median RIB recruiter, Q1 2017 saw a return to positive territory. The latest information from the RIB Index (sponsored by Bluestones Group) highlights that, despite a continued decline in the annualised NFI/GP per

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Ireland (9%), and the East of England (7%) among the most reliant on EU labour. Looking from a sectoral perspective, EU nationals are more likely than British nationals to work in low-skill occupations. EU workers comprise 33% of food production workers, 18% of warehousing workers, nearly 14% of hospitality workers, and 15 per cent of agricultural workers. Moreover, this data does not accurately capture all seasonal workers and the true percentages of EU workers are likely to be higher. So far much of the debate around post-Brexit immigration has been focused on ensuring skilled workers are able to remain in the UK, such as healthcare workers, engineers, and academics. Whilst migrant workers in highly skilled sectors make huge contributions to the UK economy, this new analysis also allows us to consider the important role played by lessqualified EU workers in the UK economy.

THE REPORT ALSO FOUND SIGNIFICANT VARIATIONS OF EU WORKERS BY REGION, WITH LONDON

THE REPORT FOUND THAT THE EU POPULATION REPRESENTS CLOSE TO 6% OF THE POPULATION BUT 7% OF THE LABOUR FORCE

Of the 2.2 million EU nationals working in the UK, the research identifies over half a million who work in what are classified as ‘elementary’, low-skill occupations. Despite requiring no specific qualification or skill, many of these jobs are of huge national importance, such as working in distribution centres, ensuring crops are picked during harvesting windows, and working on food manufacturing production lines. Even with current migration levels, labour shortages already exist for these sectors in the UK. Not only does official data indicate more EU citizens are returning to their country of origin, REC research conducted for a forthcoming report has highlighted the difficulties that recruiters and employers have in attracting UK workers to fill these low-skill roles.

Figure 1. Annualised NFI/GP per client and the total number of clients billed versus last year (%): median RIB recruiter, Q1 2015-17 50

-2

-4

-6

-8 Q1 2015 Q2 2015 Q3 2015 Q4 2015 Q1 2016 Q2 2016 Q3 2016 Q4 2016 Q1 2017 Annualised NDR per client ■ Total number of clients billed v last year

client, the notable 11% uptick in the number of clients billed by the median recruiter in Q1 restored overall

NFI/GP to positive year-onyear growth (+0.6%) With no significant change in the volume of new clients

WITH REC SENIOR RESEARCHER, MARK HARRISON

6% 17% 9% 7%

NORTHERN IRELAND

AND THE EAST OF ENGLAND

AMONG THE MOST RELIANT ON EU LABOUR

Whilst some low-skill EU workers will qualify for continued residency under the recent proposals put forward by the government, they are less likely to be included in any kind of immigration system going forward that prioritises skills and qualifications. The government needs to heed the evidence which demonstrates the importance of migrant workers in elementary roles and ensure arrangements are put in place so employers are able to access the low-skilled labour they need. as a percentage of total clients billed within the quarter, it would appear that the median recruiter has successfully maintained and/or rekindled legacy relationships. Belinda Johnson runs employment research consultancy Worklab, and is associate knowledge & insight director of Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIB) – part of the Bluestones Group. The RIB Index provides bespoke confidential reports on industry benchmarks and trends. See www.ribindex. com; info@ribindex.com: 020 8544 9807. The RIB is a strategic partner of the REC.

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12/07/2017 14:44

The Big Talking Point

BREXIT Immigration has contributed to the political, social and economic success of the UK throughout our history. However, Brexit will determine a new phase in the UK’s approach to immigration. The REC is a leading commentator on the UK labour market, which is why it commissioned a comprehensive and insightful analysis in partnership with the Migration Policy Institute and Fragomen LLP into how EU nationals currently participate in our labour market, and how this may change post-Brexit. The report – Building the post-Brexit immigration system: an analysis of shortages, scenarios and choices – outlines 21 immigration recommendations the REC wants to see once the UK leaves the EU. Recruitment Matters looks at the big six areas of focus:

SIX ASKS FOR POST-BREXIT IMMIGRATION

1) Agree a sensible settlement for those EU nationals already working in the UK (and UK nationals based in other EU states): The evidence presented in the REC report highlights that the vast majority of EU nationals residing in the UK come here to work. Their relative youth means they will be an ongoing and important source of labour as the UK’s population ages. The REC recommends the government should protect this potentially vulnerable workforce by seeking an early agreement on their future. Practical necessity means that the cut-off date for a new immigration system (that is when applications by EU nationals coming to the UK for work will not be considered under the current free

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www.rec.uk.com

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movement of labour rules) will have to be the date the UK finally leaves the EU, rather than backdating this. Any EU national with a UK National Insurance number and currently in work should be given an ongoing right to reside and work in the UK. They are actively contributing to the labour market, are a source of tax revenue for government, and are consumers of products and services. 2) Introduce a transitional immigration system Brexit is an unparalleled opportunity to assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of the UK immigration system, and design a future system for a modern 21st-century economy. In doing so, we should build on what already works rather than start from scratch. A proposed transitional system should be outlined in an Immigration Bill as soon after the general election as possible. This interim system will allow time for extensive consultation with business and the general public, enabling government to accurately assess the needs of the UK economy. The REC asks this national conversation start as soon as a new immigration bill is announced. To ensure there is clarity for business, the REC proposes the government develops a roadmap for its immigration policy to 2022 – that is the full term of this parliament. 3) New immigration system should focus on speed, cost and predictability

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The Resident Labour Market Test is not achieving its stated aim of helping businesses find talent from within the UK, the REC says. Fewer countries are now using such tests and the REC says we too should no longer require employers to advertise roles with Jobcentre Plus. So as not to unduly penalise small and mediumsized businesses, the REC recommends significantly reducing the immigration skills charge for SMEs. A system which allows businesses and their representatives to designate certificates of sponsorship without the need for a visa would be a cheaper and more workable approach than civil servants trying to manage and inspect all UK employers and individual migrants seeking the right to work. 4) We need an immigration policy that covers all skill levels EU nationals currently make up 7% of the total UK workforce, but the percentages differ greatly by sector, occupation and region. To avoid a trade-off between sectors or regions, the new immigration system should be based on a clear understanding of need. This differentiated approach should include the ability for employers to continue to use EU nationals to fill a role when UK candidates are not available and while potential candidates from the UK are trained up and better supported into work. The REC suggests a jobseeker visa would be useful for higher-skilled roles where employers have talent

shortages and difficult in attracting people from the UK. Employer-sponsored visas have been shown to be successful in helping manage demand in other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, and should be investigated further, especially for lower- and mid-skilled roles. 5) The UK must retain its flexible labour market To facilitate an evidencebased approach to immigration policy, there needs to be a focus on improving the data collection for temporary work-based migration. The REC says that the temporary labour market will be disproportionately impacted by a change in EU migration. To create deeper understanding of the temporary labour market, the REC wants to see improved use of real-time vacancy data, and better mapping and integration of HMRC and DWP datasets – this will also support the government’s transformation strategy. A temporary work visa that supports the self-employed, freelancers and smaller businesses to flourish should be introduced, learning the lessons from schemes such as those in Germany and the Netherlands. The validity of the approach can then be evaluated within the interim system, before any final decision is taken. 6) The future immigration system must be evidence-led and free from day-to-day political pressure The strong reputation enjoyed by the Migration Advisory

Committee (MAC) is largely due to their independence. Ultimately though the MAC can only deliver work commissioned by ministers, there is an inherent risk that narrowly drawn questions will be asked, limiting the scope for the MAC to provide comprehensive advice that works for the economy. There will always be a trade-off between immigration and economic policies but such matters should be open to full scrutiny before advice is provided, given the importance of the topic. Putting the questions to Parliament for approval, perhaps by way of a statutory instrument, would provide that scrutiny. The REC says MAC’s role should be enhanced and its independence and new enhanced role should be cemented in the Immigration Bill. The MAC and government should use data and evidence from businesses to inform its approach – we recommend a new business forum is instituted as a sub-committee to the MAC, with a specific role to help inform, design and evaluate immigration policy. Independent economic and labour market analysis from sources including the Bank of England, the Low Pay Commission and business experts must be sought to inform next steps and should be the basis of decisions made by the MAC. The full report – Building the post-Brexit immigration system: an analysis of shortages, scenarios and choices – can be read and shared at www.rec.uk.com/ brexit

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12/07/2017 14:46

Legal update

DATA PROTECTION

THE GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATION By Lewina Farrell, solicitor, head of professional services The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect across the EU on 25 May 2018. Post-Brexit, the GDPR will continue to apply to any organisation based outside the EU but providing services within the EU. The government also plans to introduce a new Data Protection Bill post-Brexit. The definition of personal data Personal data is any data which relates to or identifies a living person. The GDPR will expand the definition of personal data to include both location data and biometric data. The GDPR will enhance the rights of individuals to control their personal data: • the basic principle is that individuals will have to give express consent so that their data can be processed. Express consent is consent that is actively and freely given. However there are alternative legal bases to consent including “legitimate interests” and “necessary

for the performance of a contract” – however these must be used only where appropriate. So for recruiters, legitimate interest could be used to provide work-finding services generally but express consent would be required to transfer personal data to another party, such as an umbrella company; • the right to withdraw consent; • the right to request that any incorrect personal data is corrected (rectification); • the right to request that their personal data is erased (aka the right “to be forgotten”); • the right to data portability. The GDPR will also impose new obligations on organisations: • organisations will need express consent to be able to process data. They will no longer be able to rely on pre-ticked or opt-out boxes. However organisations may also be able to rely on ‘legitimate interests’ to process data;

• some organisations will have to appoint a data protection officer (DPO) because of the nature and volume of personal data that they collect, e.g. significant amounts of sensitive personal data or because they are a public authority; • under the DPA individuals have the right to make a subject access request (SAR) to find out what data an organisation holds on them. Organisations can currently charge up to £10 per SAR and must respond within 40 days. However under the GDPR, organisations will no longer be able to charge for a SAR except where the individual makes repeated or unfounded SARs. They will also have to respond within one month, though this can be extended to two months where the request is particularly complex; • accountability principle – organisations will have to be able to show how they will comply with the GDPR ie.

that they have appropriate processes in place to inform individuals of their rights, manage requests to withdraw consent, or rectify or delete data when requested. The GDPR allows member states to apply appropriate sanctions for non-compliance including fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual worldwide turnover (whichever is the highest) for the most serious breaches. The REC legal team have engaged with the Information Commissioner’s Office to develop recruitment specific guidance. We will support members throughout 2017 and 2018 so that they are well prepared for the changes ahead.

GDPR WORKSHOPS – COMING SOON The REC will be running a series of workshops around the UK to ensure that our members are ready for these changes. More information will be shared with members at www.rec.uk.com/gdpr

BUSINESS PARTNER: ADVANCE It’s nearly 18 months since legislation regarding supervision, direction or control (SDC) and salary sacrifice changed the rules on umbrella expenses. During that time, several misconceptions have gained traction in the industry. Here we seek to set the record straight. Under HMRC rules, contractors who are

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employed by an umbrella can still have their hometo-site travel & subsistence (T&S) expenses reimbursed if they aren’t supervised, directed or controlled on their assignment. Some umbrellas no longer offer expenses, but this is a commercial decision based on the fact that risk and liability if the rules are misapplied sit with them.

Some umbrellas claim to offer expenses when SDC does not apply, but in reality will deem 99% (if not 100%) of contractors to be subject to SDC. Others will only allow eligible contractors to claim mileage. At ADVANCE we do things differently. We take a fair and common-sense approach to SDC and give eligible contractors

(those who aren’t subject to SDC) the chance to be reimbursed not only for mileage, but also for food & drink, accommodation and travel. Interested in our FCSAaccredited umbrella with expenses solution? Call 01244 564 564, email experts@advance. online or visit www.advance.online.

www.rec.uk.com

12/07/2017 14:46

Inspiration

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS

The View

Aisling Ward is a team leader at Russell Taylor Group p

Q&A Can you start off by telling us about your role? I have been working as the team leader for the Construction Management division for Russell Taylor for one year, and prior to this I worked my way up from trainee to senior consultant over three years with another national recruitment firm. Do you have a favourite aspect about working in recruitment? Making that phone call to tell a candidate that they have been successful and were offered the job! Sometimes you are completely changing someone’s life for the better – whether they have been working away from home and now get the opportunity to spend time with their family, or whether they have been made redundant and were worried about paying the bills. You are helping people with a massive milestone when they change jobs, and their reactions can be fantastic – I feel it is such a rewarding moment for the both of us. Do you have any career highlights or most memorable career experiences? Both! My career highlight (so far) was being nominated as the Best Trainee Consultant in the UK and Ireland whilst in my first year working with my previous company. This certainly gave me a boost of confidence and motivation to continue a successful career in recruitment. The most memorable experience to date has been very recent – winning a spot on a company incentive trip to Portugal from Russell Taylor for being one of the top performers in Sales; this was so much fun and a really rewarding experience for all of us, the incentive made all of Sales incredibly motivated in the run-up and it meant the four-day break was all the more enjoyable knowing I had worked hard and earned my ticket!

“YOU ARE HELPING PEOPLE WITH A MASSIVE MILESTONE WHEN THEY CHANGE JOBS”

Donna Rowlands is the business development consultant at Recruit Right

WHAT I KNOW What motivated your decision to join the recruitment industry? I got into recruitment through a relative, as my cousin used to be in the recruitment industry. They suggested that I would be suited for the challenge, so I applied to be a trainee consultant… and the rest is history! What is the best part of your job? Working in recruitment is a very rewarding experience and there are quite a few things about my job that I love. The top three would have to be getting the word out about amazing recruitment agencies such as Recruit Right and defying the bad image agencies tend to have, the excitement and rush of winning tenders for contracts with large or well-known companies that really challenge you to perform, and providing jobseekers with advice/support and opportunities for work. A lot of positives! Are there any downsides? It is a huge disappointment when contracts come to an end, especially unexpectedly, and I really dislike having to release hard-working and loyal candidates from their contracts. We all know the contractor game and understand that it happens, but it unfortunately doesn’t change the fact that it’s the worst part of the job! Can you tell us about your most memorable experience as a recruiter When I was 21 – only one year into working within the recruitment industry – I won North West Temporary Consultant of the Year. Not only was this such a confidence boost but it also came with a cash prize (safe to say I spent it on a holiday)!

“THE EXCITEMENT AND RUSH OF WINNING TENDERS... REALLY CHALLENGES YOU TO PERFORM”

To keep up to date with everything the Institute of Recruitment Professionals is doing, please visit www.rec-irp.uk.com

www.rec.uk.com

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Awards

SEVEN WAYS TO CREATE AN IRP AWARD-WINNING ENTRY If you’re writing your IRP Awards entry right now, make sure you read this before you continue. We want to make sure you make your entry the best it can be, so have pulled together our judges seven top tips to follow when creating an IRP Award-winning entry.

1. CLARITY IS KEY. BE SUCCINCT AND STICK TO THE WORD COUNT. Try not to get carried away while writing your entry – we recommend you don’t go over 500 words per category question, and this should be more than enough to get each point across. Bullet points are your friend! Be as concise as possible.

2. MAKE SURE TO READ AND FOLLOW THE ENTRY CRITERIA CAREFULLY. Everything you need to create the best entry is contained in the specific category criteria. Remember to study it and make sure you address all the points you’re being asked for. Even if you write a great entry, if you don’t answer the question, unfortunately you won’t get far. Our IRP

Awards Entry Pack lays out the specifics of what you need to include in your entry.

3. BRING IT TO LIFE. INCLUDE TESTIMONIALS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. It’s one thing saying you did something – but you’ve got to show the evidence behind it. This doesn’t just mean financials or numbers of placements – each category asks for specific supporting documents, whether that’s candidate testimonials or even testimonials from your colleagues. Great supporting documents strengthen your entry.

4. SHOW YOUR DIFFERENTIATOR. TELL US WHAT YOU DO THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND. It’s important to really show the judges what makes you different. Are you doing anything innovative? Have you figured out a solution to a problem that’s really changed how you do things? Do you have lots of great testimonials? Include

this information. It may feel strange to big yourself up, but don’t be shy about shouting about what makes you the best.

5. DON’T LEAVE IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. It can be tempting to leave everything right until the last minute – but it’s unlikely you’ll end up with a quality entry by following this logic. Take the time to craft your entry and give yourself time to proof-read. It’s amazing the amount of silly mistakes you can spot when taking a step back and leaving your drafted entry even for just a day.

6. CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK. GET SOMEONE OUTSIDE YOUR TEAM TO PROOF-READ YOUR ENTRY. You may think your entry is perfect – but are you too close to it? Many of us make the mistake of missing crucial grammar mistakes, or simply not realising that we’re using too much company jargon in our entries. A good way to test this is to get someone outside your team to take a look over your entry – if someone who doesn’t know much about what you’re referring to can understand what you’re trying to say, that’s a great sign.

7. BE INSPIRING. EXPLAIN THE IMPACT OF WHAT YOU’VE ACHIEVED, RATHER THAN JUST WHAT YOU DID. It’s easy to just state what you did to achieve a goal – to hit that target or to get that business. But try and take that a step further. Our judges are interested in the impact of your actions, what made them different and how it’s changed things since. This will really make your entry stand out.

RECRUITMENT MATTERS

Membership Department: Membership: 020 7009 2100, Customer Services: 020 7009 2100 Publishers: Redactive Publishing Ltd, 78 Chamber Street, London EC1 8BL. Tel: 020 7880 6200. www.redactive.co.uk Editorial: Editor Michael Oliver michael.oliver@redactive.co.uk. Production Editor: Vanessa Townsend Production: Production Executive: Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6209 Printing: Printed by Precision Colour Printing

The official magazine of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation Dorset House, 1st Floor, 27-45 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NT Tel: 020 7009 2100 www.rec.uk.com

© 2017 Recruitment Matters. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither REC, Redactive Publishing Ltd nor the authors can accept liability for errors or omissions. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the REC or Redactive Publishing Ltd. No responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts or transparencies. No reproduction in whole or part without written permission.

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13/07/2017 15:14

A DV E RTO RIA L

Legislation Brought to you by

FIVE GOLDEN RULES FOR SUPPLYING CONTRACTORS Working with personal service companies (PSCs) has historically been viewed as a straightforward and low-risk option for engaging contractors. However, changes in legislation (in particular the agency tax rules and now IR35 in the public sector), mean that working with PSCs has become much more of a minefield. At Lawspeed, we regularly advise recruiters on relationships with hirers and contractors, as well as contracts, risk, disputes and liability. Our expertise has lead us to develop some golden rules for ensuring recruiters protect themselves when dealing with contractors. 1) Know who you are dealing with Whilst it may seem obvious, it is essential to ensure that you are actually contracting with the correct legal entity. When disputes arise, agencies often produce contracts that say ‘TBC’ or a trading name, rather than the actual company name, making commercial protection in the terms null and void. Whether or not the individual is a director or has ownership/control over the company can have a significant impact on the AWR [Agency Workers Regulations], the validity of opt-outs from the Conduct Regulations and even the application of the new public sector IR35 rules. 2) Check the contract that you are using A contract should be appropriate to the situation and reflect the relationship. For example, are payments made to the correct party, is commercial protection in place and does the contract need to be ‘IR35 friendly’? If the hirer is a public authority, you should now ensure that the contract includes provisions to allow for the deduction of PAYE and NICs, if applicable. Using the wrong type of contract is likely either to require re-negotiation or result in a lack of commercial protection. 3) Avoid being stuck In the middle Recruiters operating on hirers’ own terms are often asked to provide indemnities or assume liability for matters which are not within their control, for example the contractor’s negligent acts or omissions, employment-type claims or intellectual property that the contractor develops. These same obligations may not be covered within standard operating contracts used with PSCs, potentially creating a gap in liability, which may not be covered by insurance.

↗ THERESA MIMNAGH Associate Director, Lawspeed

Payment is a particular risk area, as without good payment provisions and opt-outs in place, a recruiter may be liable to pay a PSC but not necessarily entitled to receive full payment from a hirer. Termination of assignments, notice periods and unsatisfactory services are particular flashpoints.

Theresa Mimnagh Associate Director, Lawspeed

4) Obtaining payment confirmations Save for where the hirer is a public authority and PAYE/NICs are already being deducted, the agency tax rules mean that an employment business has potential tax liability in respect of payments a PSC makes to its worker, unless it can be established that the payment is already being treated as employment income (i.e. subject to PAYE/ NICs), or that the manner in which the services are provided is not subject to supervision, direction or control (“SDCM”). Although establishing SDCM is an option, it is far from straightforward, so the easiest way for recruiters to protect themselves when dealing with PSCs is to obtain clear and carefully worded confirmation that payments are made appropriately, with the fall back of suitable contractual protection. 5) Protect against “back door hires” As with any supply arrangement, recruiters should have protection to restrict, or be appropriately compensated, in the event that a contractor is engaged by a hirer, or tries to compete. This protection can be in the form of transfer fee provisions, and where a contractor has opted out of the Conduct Regulations, can also be addressed contractually with a PSC. Overall, a great starting point for protection is an appropriate and commercially protective contract with a PSC; however, additional protection can be obtained via internal processes and by ensuring that contracts with hirers are properly reviewed, and steps taken to reduce risk. During Lawspeed’s 20 years as the UK’s recruitment and employment law experts, we’ve helped thousands of recruiters, ensuring that they have robust contracts and processes in place, supported by a legal helpdesk. This places recruiters in the best possible position to minimise risk and deal with the situation should liability arise. Contact us on 01273 236236 at info@lawspeed.com

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11/07/2017 10:48

CO M M U N I T Y

SOCIAL NETWORK WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? GET IN TOUCH!

From skydiving to karting, It’s a Knockout-ing to gunging, recruiters have certainly been busy over the summer…

ATHONA TAKES TO THE SKIES FOR BLUE CROSS VIA Employees from Brentwood-based Athona Recruitment skydived from 10,000ft and raised an impressive £2,662.06 for one of Athona’s charities of the year, the Blue Cross animal charity. The charity skydive is just one of many challenges Athona’s employees have been getting involved in to raise funds for their chosen charities of the year – the Blue Cross and Brentwood MIND.

£2,662.06k WILL DROP OUT OF THE SKY TO THE BLUE CROSS

From left to right: Marcus Blyth, Amy King, Amie Fearn, Lee Webster and Natalie Leach

Portfolio Payroll’s Tara Betham and Halim Ahmad running for COSMIC

PMP KICKS OFF FUNDRAISING WITH FOOTIE AND A GUNGING VIA The football season may have finished, but that didn’t stop staff from PMP Recruitment putting on a footie tournament and raising £12,663 for Marie Curie and modern slavery charity Unseen. Staff, local families and visitors also took part in a charity auction, before being invited to gunge managing director Jamie Reynolds – which left him rather (Lionel) Messi… Looking good Jamie!

TW I TTE R THREE R’S CELEBRATES WITH CHARITY CHALLENGES VIA To celebrate its 15-year anniversary, Kent-based Three R’s Teacher Recruitment is attempting to complete 15 challenges by December. One of them was taking part in Pilgrim’s Hospice ‘It’s a Knockout’.

PORTFOLIO PAYROLL’S COSMIC FUNDRAISING VIA COSMIC (Children Of Saint Mary’s Intensive Care), a unit in St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, is Portfolio Payroll’s charity of the year. As part of its challenge to raise £10k by the end of the year, two Portfolio team members took on the Vitality 10k run through London. Both Tara and Halim even came out with personal bests. Since April Portfolio has raised over £6k with various fundraising efforts – so keep going everyone, and good luck reaching the £10k!

Tile Hill @TileHillUnLTD Really interesting article in @RecruiterMag on the balance between protection for workers & the need for a flexible workforce #flexiblework

@RecruiterMag instagram.com/recruitermagazine/ recruitermagazine.tumblr.com/

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E CAREERS CO MM UNITY

The Workplace BY GUY HAYWARD

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amount of holiday but how we holiday that can make a huge difference to how our people think about working for us. Organising company group trips to ski resorts and unusual places like Iceland can make an impact on our life experiences, and while the holidays may only last a few days, the friendships and memories built last a lifetime – and of course they are great fun. We should all be doing them but avoid falling into the trap set out by Paul Papas of doing ever more extreme trips for your people and for charity. Move away from the traditional bake-sale model and into the unknown, think big and make your trip/challenge for charity more Instagram-worthy. Companies like Charity Challenge are offering businesses the chance to make a real difference, not only to their chosen charity but also allowing their employees the opportunity to gain a life-changing experience. From adventuring up mountains to trekking the Sahara Desert, these charity trials are an offer to do something usually out of reach for a lot of us. We’re taking a team of 12 across the terrain of Madagascar for 10 days later this year, counting ourselves among companies like Reuters and Gala Coral Group

“Take care of your employees and they’ll take care of your business” Richard Branson

who have done similar. We understand from when we canoed down the Zambezi the impact these trips have on the relationships you develop in your team, not to mention the thousands of pounds you are able to raise. Creating a life-changing experience shouldn’t just have to extend to trips away. You can create the same effects right here in our capital city and across the UK. Using the organisational skills that a business is more likely to have than your old uni buddies, why not set a Guinness world record, canoe down the Thames, walk from London to Brighton,

↗

ALLOW YOUR EMPLOYEES THE CHANCE FOR A LIFECHANGING EXPERIENCE It’s no big news that London and the world of work are changing. From yesterday’s cube-like boxes and open plan offices, from the rapid rise of chill-out rooms to in-house concierge services, London firms are redefining and seeking more and more creative ways to allow their employees to interact on a day-to-day basis and to build a closer togetherness. As the world catches up with these changes, however, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out. While the little things are exciting at first, we can’t expect a new coffee machine to keep our employees satisfied and loyal for long. Paul Papas of IBM Interactive Experiences hit the nail on the head when he stated: “The last best experience that anyone has anywhere, becomes the minimum expectation for the experiences they want anywhere.” That means to keep up with the Joneses’, we’re having to go big with our benefits and ensure they’re more life changing than a macchiato. The amount of holiday we offer our employees has been a big topic for discussion recently, with many progressive companies altering their allowance to an unlimited amount. At the same time, it’s not just the

GUY HAYWARD – redefining the modern workplace CEO, Goodman Masson

or cycle Lands End to John O’Groats? These experiences are all about ﬁnding what works for your company and whether big or small, there’s something out there for every enterprise. We know that ‘There is more to life than work®’ and doing something so very unusual and for your chosen charity goes some way to proving it.●

AUGUST 2017

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CO M M U N I T Y

CAREERS

It’s a marriage not a one-night stand

Find your next move in recruitment on jobs.recruiter. co.uk

BY TARA LESCOTT

↗ TARA LESCOTT is managing director of recruitment-torecruitment agency Recruiter Republic

IN TODAY’S DIGITAL WORLD YOUR WEBSITE HAS TO WORK HARD to deliver your brand values, engage your target audience and encourage candidates to identify themselves to you. Your site has to do some really clever things if you want to take the edge in your field and be seen as market leader. Your candidates think like consumers. They want clear and compelling messaging that speaks to them personally, obvious calls to action, minimal clicks and engaging content. To deliver these, you must partner with a great website design and management team. Approach this type of relationship as a marriage and not a one-night stand. Do your due diligence and think about what you want before you even meet these firms. Fortunately, my background in digital transformation in recruitment has helped me to define what I want and I have enough

“Do your due diligence and think about what you want before you even meet these ﬁrms” technical knowledge not to be bamboozled. But even with that advantage I have twice found myself at the rough end of a web project relationship. Fortunately for me it has been third time lucky. But humour me a little. Allow someone who has felt the stress, time and money wasted and sheer frustration of not being listened to or valued, to share straightforward strategies you can – and must – employ to stay on top of a relationship from the start. Deﬁne what you want 1. Before you even talk to a website design company decide if you're happy with your current branding. Revisit it now before investing in your online presence. 2. Once you’re happy with your image, think about functionality and website styling. You will end up with something far better at the end of the project if you can share good visuals with your

I M AG E | I STO C K

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chosen firm at the start. Create a collection of websites you like and reasons why. 3. Create a list of functionality that you want. How will you use video? What should the job application process look like? Do you want a personalised experience? Should people be able to apply with LinkedIn/ mobile/with or without a CV? 4. Think about what data you want to gather; ensure your Google Analytics is configured correctly from the start, so you can refine and improve your site by monitoring current performance. You want people to stay on your site. Which pages do they visit? Which terms do they search for? 5. With the imminent changes in how we store candidate and client data (see p15), how compliant will your website be? There’s no such thing as too much detail Make lists. They don’t have to be technical but you must have a shopping list of the functions, pages, integrations and features for your website. It will give you a list of content to create, and will also give you a tick list for the final contract. Don’t sign your life away And this is where you will get caught if you’re not careful. The firm you partner with should break down exactly what they need from you and when. If they won’t do this, then run for the hills. ●

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E BUSINESS ADVICE CO MM UNITY

ASK THE EXPERT Q: Office costs are 22% of my gross margin. Would a virtual model dramatically increase my profitability? Office costs are a significant issue for many recruitment companies, especially in major UK cities where rents have been steadily rising. Your costs seem high – I would expect them to be lower as a percentage of gross margin. Going purely virtual could result in you losing some members of your existing team who value office interaction, therefore having an impact on revenue. However, ‘going virtual’ is not black and white. Encouraging remote or flexible working might enable you to reduce the office space you need, alternatively serviced offices, while expensive per sq ft, would give you flexibility as you find a model that works for you.

Why consider flexible working? ● Technological improvements: CRM systems, VOIP and cloud computing are still transforming how we actually work. ● A performance-based industry: if your top biller is billing £400k+ a year, do you mind how many hours they’re working within reason? ● Access a wider pool of talent: offering remote/ ﬂexible working can give you access to a rich talent pool. ● Recruitment isn’t 9 until 5: networking with clients and candidates can transform ok billers into top billers. Recruiters are often more ﬂexible around candidates’ availability.

The cons…

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The SME Coach

Tips for making virtual working successful ● 1. Communication: the more virtual your office, the more important good, structured communication is. ● 2. Empowerment: set clear expectations but empower your consultants so they understand they are responsible for their own destinies. ● 3. Invest in technology: used correctly, technology gives you the ability to monitor all the KPIs you need to manage your workforce anywhere. ● 4. Set and manage targets: while it is important to empower remote workers, every employee should have clear targets and regular performance. ● 5. Incentivise appropriately: minimising both basic salaries and notice periods, weighting remuneration towards commission will reduce the likelihood of remote workers coasting. ● 6. Invest in brand: your website, social media, advertising, marketing collateral, events etc. will create a sense of belonging ● 7. Organise team building events: the social interaction from these events will improve inter-team communication and create a sense of loyalty or camaraderie that will dramatically reduce staff turnover.

↗

● Communication and team building: is undoubtedly easier to do face-to-face. ● Bricks and mortar: are reassuring to many clients, candidates and prospective employees. ● Consistent brand values: the more disparate the workforce, the greater the effort you need to put into standardising service levels and creating a consistent brand. ● Rookies need hand holding: it is harder to give new recruiters the support, coaching and supervision they need remotely.

Alex Arnot

ALEX ARNOT is non-executive adviser to the directors and boards of more than 25 recruitment companies.

AUGUST 2017

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CO M M U N I T Y

CAREERS

‘We have so many great things like ﬂexible working and unlimited holiday’ MY BRILLIANT RECRUITMENT CAREER What was your earliest dream job? I always wanted to be a footballer.

↗

What was your first job in recruitment and how did you come into it?

LEE WALKER, director, Expand Executive Search

A lead generator – I stumbled into it by chance. I got asked to do a half day’s work by a recruiter, who was trying to get me a new job, and I was so good that they offered me a job at the end of the day.

Lee Walker

Who is your role model? My wife – she manages to balance everything. She’s always on the level and keeps me on the level. She makes me do my job better.

What would you consider to be the most brilliant moment of your career?

What’s the best or worst interview question you’ve ever heard?

My team hitting their year target.

Worst: can you draw a sheep? There’s no rhyme or reason to why – just can you use the white board and draw a sheep…

What’s your top job to fill at the moment? What do you love most about your current role? The autonomy. We have so many great things like ﬂexible working, unlimited holiday. I have got two kids and I know if one of them is ill I can come in later or work from home. If my client wants me to be in Barcelona next week, I can go – I don’t have to jump through hoops.

Communications for a mobile publisher.

What is your signature dish? Beef Stroganoff.

What would you regard as your theme tune? We Built This City by Starship – it makes you go and get ready for the day.

Laugh or cry, what did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why? The most memorable candidate wanted to me to pick them up from Heathrow at 1am and drive them to their hotel because they were scared of getting taxis in London – they’d come from York. Of course I picked them up.

I M AG E S | SH UT T E R STO C K

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E RECRUITMENT WWW. RE CRUITE R .CO.UK

View the latest jobs at jobs.recruiter.co.uk To place your advertisement E: jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk or T: 020 7880 7621

Recruiter Jobs helping you to attract the best candidates for your vacancies.

Jude Rosset

jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk +44 (0)20 7880 7621

Recruiter Jobs is the online recruitment site for Recruiter magazine, the principal magazine for recruiting prin and resourcing professionals. You can search through a wide range of roles; from recruitment consultants to in-house recruitment, based in both the UK and International markets. 46 RECRUITER

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JUNE 2017

12/07/2017 10:08

Recruite

View the latest jobs at jobs.recruiter.co.uk To place your advertisement E: jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk or T: 020 7880 7621

W WW. R E C RU I T E R .CO.U K

RECRUITMENT

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E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

24-7 STA F F IN G: Dan McLeod and Carl Stenning join the independent recruiter as branch managers for Bristol and Chippenham respectively. Jonathan O’Shea becomes non-executive chairman.

A MR OP : The executive search ﬁrm has appointed Dan Cole head of business and industrial services in its London office.

Sanjeev Vegad, a partner since 2016, is promoted to director.

F UTURE STE P : The division of global people and organisational advisory ﬁrm Korn Ferry has appointed James Peskett joins as managing consultant in the ﬁrm’s EMEA search consumer practice and Andreas Perklitsch as a managing consultant its EMEA search life sciences practice.

Department store House of Fraser has appointed Michelle Maynard chief people officer. Maynard, who has held HR roles at ﬁrms including British Airways, Coca-Cola and the AA, joins from insurer Aviva, where she was director of talent and organisational development, but most recently held the top people role for Aviva France. Leading the HR team across the group’s business, Maynard will report directly to CEO Alex Williamson when he joins House of Fraser on 31 July. She will have responsibility for the HR function, including internal communications.

GATTACA:

A R MSTR ON G CRAVE N : The talent mapping and pipelining specialist has made Jordi Pastor global client partner in its healthcare and life sciences division.

EA MES C O N SULTI N G G R OUP : Glen Roberts has joined the global ﬁnancial and professional services recruiter as director of banking & asset management in London. 40 RECRUITER

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Rudi Kindts has resigned as a non-exec director at the specialist international recruitment group. He also steps down as chair of the ﬁrm’s remuneration committee and a member of the nomination committee.

I MULTI PLY: The Edinburgh-headquartered recruiter has appointed entrepreneurship expert John Anderson as chairman. Mark Probert, formerly of accountancy firm Grant Thornton, is the firm’s new financial director.

KE N TE MP RE C RUIT MENT & STAF F I N G: The Canterbury-based

recruiter welcomes group account manager LauraJane Yates; head of specialist engineering recruitment Christopher Maslen; head of facilities recruitment Sarah Watson; head of recruitment for security services Ben Whorewood; and head of recruitment for catering services Christina Pope.

MAZDA MOTORS UK: The car company has appointed Liesa Neal as HR director.

MANPOWERGROUP: Becky Frankiewicz is the recruitment giant’s new president of its North American business.

HAMLYN WILLIAM S : Katherine Ibbotson joins the corporate governance front office staffing specialist as head of front office banking for EMEA.

OAKLEAF PARTNERSHIP: The HR recruiter has made Suzie Miller a manager – interim/commerce & industry.

T HE NEIGHBOUR H O O D : The creative agency that works with recruitment agencies has hired inventor Becky Williams; senior account manager Hannah Beasley; copywriter Sarah Taylor-Forbes; and project manager Claire Lutes.

Email people moves for use online and in print, including a short

13/07/2017 11:31

Sally Bennett to lead its new executive search division.

Redactive Publishing Ltd 78 Chamber Street, London EC1 8BL 020 7880 6200

CONTACTS EDITORIAL +44 (0)20 7880 7606 Editor DeeDee Doke deedee.doke@recruiter.co.uk

PEACE RECRUITMENT: The construction, property and engineering staffing specialist welcomes former Search MD Kai McCabe Murray as a non-executive director.

RAW TALENT ACADEMY: The sales recruitment and training organisation has appointed a board of nonexec directors. They are: John Walker, a former president and CEO of manufacturer Interface Europe and Asia Pacific, as non-exec chairman; former multisector recruiter Morgan Hunt CEO and MD Sue Cooper as non-exec director; and experienced finance director Bradley Whittock as non-exec director (finance).

WORKDAY: The human capital management software provider has appointed Gonzalo Benedit as president of EMEA and Asia-Paciﬁc.

PRODUCTION +44 (0)20 7880 6209 Production executive Rachel Young

Contributing writers Peter Lennox, Greg Pitcher, Sue Weekes Production editor Vanessa Townsend vanessa.townsend@recruiter.co.uk

Designer Nicola Skowronek Picture editor Akin Falope

+44 (0)20 7880 2762 Senior sales executive Will Hunter

ZI N C RE S OURCING: The Central London-based recruiter has made Fiona Cully a director.

YOUR NEXT MOVE

S R IC HEY E N N E :

Recruiter Republic Divisional director London £65k-£75k + bens

Recruiter Republic Head of freelance recruitment London Construction & property £65k-£70k + 35% comms

Recruiter Republic Senior recruitment consultant London Facilities management £32k-£36k + good comms

rachel.young@redactive.co.uk

PUBLISHING +44 (0)20 7880 8547 Publishing director Aaron Nicholls

RECRUITER AWARDS/ INVESTING IN TALENT AWARDS +44 (0)20 7324 2771 Events eventsteam@redactive.co.uk

william.hunter@recruiter.co.uk

CIRCULATION and SUBSCRIPTIONS Recruiter is the leading magazine for recruitment and resourcing professionals. To ensure each issue of Recruiter magazine is delivered to your desk or door, subscribe now at https://subs. recruiter.co.uk/subscribe. Annual subscription rate for 12 issues: £35 UK; £45 Europe and £50 Rest of the world • Recruiter is also available to people who meet our terms of control: http://bit. ly/RecruiterCC • To purchase reprints or multiple copies, or any other enquiries, please contact mysidekick@recruiter.co.uk or +44 (0)20 8950 9117 CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions are invited, but when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Articles should be emailed. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during delivery, transmission or in the editor’s hands. © 2017 Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. This publication (and any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format (including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet) or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of Redactive Media Group. Redactive Media Group accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. The publishers cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non-publication of any advertisement for any reason whatsoever. ISSN 1475-7478

Total average net circulation between 1 July 2014 & 30 June 2015 – 18,667. is also sent to all REC members

For more jobs, people moves and career advice go to ● recruiter.co.uk/jobs ● inhouserecruiterjobs.co.uk ● internationalrecruiterjobs.com

biography, to recruiter.editorial@redactive.co.uk

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colin.cottell@recruiter.co.uk graham.simons@recruiter.co.uk

josh.hannagan@recruiter.co.uk

A selection of vacancies from recruiter.co.uk

The Bournemouth and Poolebased recruiter welcomes recruitment specialist

jude.rosset@redactive.co.uk

aaron.nicholls@redactive.co.uk

The tech and engineering staffing specialist has promoted Michael Nourse to business manager from sales team manager in its London office.

TEA MJ OB S :

Reporters Colin Cottell, Graham Simons

ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7880 6220 Senior sales executive Josh Hannagan

R O C S EA R CH:

The executive search and consulting boutique has appointed Keith McAllister as a partner focusing on digital media, technology and private equity placements in New York.

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7880 7553 Senior sales executive Jude Rosset

Scan here to get your own copy of

13/07/2017 12:53

E THE LAST WORD CO M M UNITY

Matt Churchward Tips for recruitment Armageddon

Not a day goes by without reading some self-serving ‘end of days’ article about the impending death of recruitment. So let’s picture recruitment Armageddon at the end of this year. What next for us poor, sheltered recruitment types? Out into the big bad world with a limited skillset and a poorly written CV! I thought I would give us all a head start for 2018 by drawing up a list of jobs that allow for transferable skills – plus my verdict of whether it would work in reality. 1. School teacher: Working in an environment ﬁlled with immature people, using sales skills to encourage students to do something they’d rather not do, like be at school, working set core hours under strict KPIs (government targets). A doddle for hardened recruiters – if you can get Barry to his 8am interview on Monday, you can get 30 children to your History lesson, right? Wrong. VERDICT: Try getting 30 Barrys to interview at 8am on a Monday. Show one chink of weakness and the kids will be running the show. Try again.

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2. Management consultant: Clients don’t know what you do for your fee, your parents won’t know what you do, you will not be sure what you actually do. Long hours, ﬁnancially lucrative. VERDICT: No go. At ﬁrst glance, a lot of similarities BUT you may have to work alone quite a bit. Without being able to soak up the adulation of open-mouthed colleagues, what is the point?! 3. Chef (Recruiter)/Sous chef (Resourcer): Perfect for temp recruiters, fast-paced, dealing with the general public, producing your best knowing that no matter how good the result some customers will send it back; intense working atmosphere with choice language and raised voices. VERDICT: May have to work weekends. No go. 4. Sport professional: Earn more money from sponsorship (read: umbrella

companies) than in wages, equally important that you look good as perform well; enjoy structure, competitive. VERDICT: Sounds good, but let’s be honest – those past 10 years behind a desk haven’t been kind. And no, stand-up desks do not equal exercise. 5. Surgeon: God complex. Ummm, yep that is about it for similarities. VERDICT: This would mean studying. Everyone in recruitment made a solemn promise that university was the last exam they would ever sit. If they went to university.

Those past 10 years behind a desk haven’t been kind

MATT CHURCHWARD is director at the Green Recruitment Company

6. Estate agent: Just kidding, we would never lower ourselves to that. 7. Prime Minister: Hated by at least 50% of the population. When the proverbial hits the fan, you get the blame, regardless of whether you even worked in the company/ government at the time. Thick skin required, always have someone on your case who doesn’t actually have to do your job (the Opposition/your manager), everyone thinks they could do your job. VERDICT: We have a winner. Seek out your preferred party, and pay that annual subscription – at this rate you could be in power by 2018. ●

IMAG E | A K IN FA LO P E

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