Recruiter December 2015

Business intelligence for recruitment and resourcing professionals

December 2015

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

THE MAN WHO R EI N V E N T S A B R A N D

Tim Cook looks beyond what has gone before and nGAGEs for the future

T&S LEGISLATION The possible knock-on effects for recruitment

www.recruiter.co.uk

AUTISM AT WORK SAP’s Stefanie Nennstiel takes up the spectrum IN-HOUSE SOURCING The FIRM reveals how in-housers are finding their talent

01_recruiter_cover_dec.indd 1

10/11/2015 14:57

Bookings

Timesheets

Use Flo’s cloud based technology to automatically process timesheet data for your candidates.

Flo’s weekly consolidation process automatically generates invoice and payroll data, tracks information for AWR, and produces multiple MI reports saving agencies time and money.

Invoices AWR Tracking MI Reports

REC.12.15.002.indd 2

11/11/2015 10:33

24

C R ONT ENT S 49

ING PORAT INCOR itment Recru ers Matt

COV ER IMAG E | PA L H ANSEN

A

NEWS

05 Focus on ‘fit’, not exams Employers benefit from dropping academic entry requirements for grads

06 PepsiCo’s referral fizz Professional networks and targeted emails get results

07 Redesigning the workforce As Turkish firm Hürriyet changes, so do the people

07 Thoughts from...

James Ballard, Charles Hipp and Jane McDonald

07 Star recruit: Richie McCaw, All Blacks captain 08 This was the month that was...

10 Contracts & Deals

B

TRENDS

12 The Numbers Agency hiring: Which sectors use them more

14 Insight SPECIAL Look beyond London for teenage talent

17

Insight SPECIAL Ways of better supporting LGBT staff overseas

21 Tech & Tools Online onboarding builds rapport with new recruits

C

INTERACTION

22 Agency View: Rob Mallaband 23 Letters 23 Soundbites

I M AG E | A K I N FALO P E

p03_recruiter_contentsNEW.indd 3

D

FEATURES

24 THE BIG STORY

Tim Cook, chief executive at specialist recruitment group nGAGE, on life after HCIG and the future of the revamped organisation

place! ’ to My ‘go

34 New rules, new landscape We look into the possible effects of government’s proposed T&S legislation: will it affect your business?

40 Through the spectrum SAP’s Stefanie Nennstiel opens the door on the company’s Autism at Work programme

E COMMUNITY 45 Social Network 46 Careers Agency/In-house 49 My brilliant recruitment career: Cem Ballikaya 50 Employability 52 Business Advice 56 Movers & Shakers 57 Recruiter Contacts 58 The Last Word

17 “I find myself using LinkedIn less and less, purely due to my eyes and brain becoming fried by the sheer volume of content” M AT T C H U R C H WA R D

58 WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 3

12/11/2015 15:13

www.contrella.co.uk T: 0845 450 4194 E: sales@contrella.co.uk

Limited Company contractors.

“

“

Let contrella manage your

All PSC’s covered under our PL, EL Insurance Policy

One single invoice and one payment to contrella

Incorporate and offer full accountancy services to all PSC’s

contrella create and pay into PSC business bank accounts

Provide IR35 friendly contract pack for your protection

contrella will guide every contractor through the process

umbrella

paye plus

cis

self-employed

limited company

contractor services

W: www.contrella.co.uk E: sales@contrella.co.uk T: 0845 450 4194 REC.12.15.004.indd 4

11/11/2015 10:38

W E LCO M E

UPDATE

Firms focus on fit WE LCO M E

LEADER

T

here’s an anomaly or two in this issue of Recruiter. Let’s start with our cover story, The Big Story, in which we tell the tale of Tim Cook and the newly rebranded nGage.

It’s a break from our standard operating procedures to run cover pieces on two companies in the same family two months in a row — or even in the same year (see our November feature on Debbie Smith, CEO of Caritas). However, we couldn’t miss the chance to have an in-depth, up-to-the-minute chat with Cook about the new “Inclusivity is vision for the former Human explore from Capital Investment a variety of Group (HCIG), a angles … we also delve into group with deep legacy to one of a pragmatic recruitment’s approach taken by SAP” best-known figures, James Caan.

Inclusivity is explored from a variety of angles, as featured in special reports on social mobility and overseas postings for LGBT employees by, respectively, Rare Recruitment and Nicoll Curtin. We also delve into a pragmatic approach to inclusivity taken globally by software giant SAP, and introduce you to Stefanie Nennstiel, the global lead on SAP’s Autism at Work initiative. Stefanie is also speaking at our inaugural Recruiter Show this week; don’t miss her session.

And that second anomaly? Our Recruiter HOT 100, usually published at this time every year, is going to be one of our late year gifts to you in the holiday season.

You’ll find it in the very next issue of Recruiter.

Have a very merry December!

SARAH MARQUET

DROPPING ACADEMIC entry requirements for graduate and school leaver programmes is a growing trend, with professional services firms PwC and EY and accountancy firm Grant Thornton leading the way.

Richard Waite, Grant Thornton’s head of student recruitment, told Recruiter that the firm dropped the requirements two years ago and has already seen an increase in diversity with more recruits likely to have gone to non-Russell Group universities, attended state school and to have received free school meals.

Last year, 12% of people the firm took on would not have previously made it through screening. That increased to 20% this year.

PwC dropped A-level results as a screening tool from May this year, though still requires applicants to have a 2:1 degree or higher. EY dropped all academic requirements from August.

While academic performance still “plays a part” in the recruitment of graduates and school leavers for the firms, it is balanced with other attributes including numerical reasoning and cultural fit.

But the reasons for making the change were varied.

Waite explained Grant Thornton’s motivation came from meeting students on campus visits and instinctively knowing they would be a good fit for the firm but then finding out their academic history did not match its existing standards.

Richard Irwin, PwC head of student recruitment, told Recruiter the firm had, after in-depth analysis, discovered its own online behavioural testing was just as effective in predicting success in professional examinations as the previous academic requirements.

EY managing partner for talent Maggie Stilwell told Recruiter her firm’s move was about a need to diversify and grow its workforce. ●

DeeDee Doke, Editor IM AGE | GET T Y

p05_recruiter_news.indd 5

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 5

12/11/2015 09:43

NE WS

UPDATE

27,489 FOLLOWERS AS OF 12 NOV 2015

PepsiCo gives referrals new fizz DEEDEE DOKE

A revitalised employee referral programme (ERP) launched by food and beverage giant PepsiCo UK has proved to be the company’s second most effective method of attracting talent, and saved £590m over two years.

Employees’ professional networks are the target referrals, PepsiCo’s Dan Fitzpatrick, talent acquisition manager, told attendees at a recent knowledgesharing event hosted by The FIRM [Forum for In-House Recruitment Managers].

“We’re not talking friends and family,” he said. The company has made “a very concerted decision to stay away from” that traditional ERP focus, he emphasised.

In 2013, 15% of PepsiCo UK’s external hires were employee referrals, in contrast to an industry benchmark of 30%, Fitzpatrick said. The number of candidates successfully referred has now risen to 20%.

Vacancies across the company are shared with employees via a weekly Career Possibilities email.

With the global pilot launched by PepsiCo’s UK team, the programme has also rolled out to the company’s

operations in Ireland, the Nordic countries, Romania and Turkey to date. Other countries and regions set to launch the initiative in 2015 are the Benelux, France, Germany and Iberia.

Jen Silvester, PepsiCo talent adviser Europe, told Recruiter that the aim was to have the initiative “up and running” across Europe by the end of next year.

The programme has leveraged the company’s popular food and drink brands in each market to witty effect for the internal campaign, encouraging employees to refer their professional contacts. Artwork is aligned to each specific geography. “We’ve had fun with our brands,” Fitzgerald said.

In countries in which incentive bonuses are awarded to employees who successfully refer a candidate, bonus amounts vary by market but range up to £1.5k tax-free. All employees who successfully refer candidates receive a ‘thank you’ card personally signed by the head of their company division.

Senior-level directors and internal recruiters are not eligible for cash bonuses. ●

Don’t cut out agencies GRAHAM SIMONS

In-house recruiters should not cut agencies out of the loop completely when reducing their reliance on them, advises Mo Karim (pictured), transformation consultant for strategic HR projects at CBRE. Karim and his team successfully implemented a 6 RECRUITER

p06_07_recruiter_news.indd 6

DECEMBER 2015

new recruitment model that moved the real estate giant from a traditional agency and word-of-mouth approach to one that added social media

20%

O

PepsiCo employees are sent targeted referral emails

to the firm’s recruitment mix.

Speaking at LinkedIn’s recent Talent Connect event in London, Karim revealed that CBRE had previously carried out 80% of its recruitment through agencies with the rest through word of mouth.

Karim told Recruiter since implementing its new model a year ago, 50% of CBRE hires now come through LinkedIn, while a “strong” talent pipeline has been built up through the use of a direct careers page and an employee referral scheme.

But CBRE still turns to agencies for hard-to-find roles, so maintaining relations with

them is crucial, Karim says. Be upfront with agency suppliers about moving to an in-house model, he urged, telling them they remain a very important sourcing channel, with their advice needed also on making the change.

“Agency relationships are crucial as part of any sourcing strategy,” he added. “Their wealth of knowledge and expertise in markets in particular for the very hard to fill roles is invaluable, particularly within the real estate industry. Our advice would never be to cut out agencies from a direct sourcing model.”

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news 12/11/2015 09:43

THOUGHTS OM……

FROM…

Hürriyet’s HR director, Tuba Köseoğlu Okçu

JAMES BALLARD

CO - FO UNDER AND PARTNER OF ANNAPU RNA RE CRUIT MENT ON WHY COMPANIES WANT IN- H O USE RECRU ITERS WITH TECH KNOWLEDGE

“Technology has moved from being a purely support function to being a revenue generator, and if you hire the person that builds the app and makes you be that disruptive business then that’s basically the crux of whether or not you are successful as a business.”

CHARLES HIPP

WC N CHIE F EXECU TIVE ON THE INCREASING USE O F ASYNC HRONOU S INTERVIEWS BY RECRU ITERS

“It’s not face-to-face... They ask candidates to record a two-minute video. You ask questions and they record answers. It’s a way of assessing someone’s oral communication skills when before all you had was a piece of paper. This gives you something about the non-verbal skills [of the candidate] as well.”

JANE MCDONALD

HE A D O F E NGAGEMENT AT JOB BOARD DIVERSITY JO BS O N RECRU ITING IN DIVERSITY OF THINKING

“It’s moving away from bringing in the same people in who just mirror who you are and what your background is. For some roles we know you need particular qualifications but there are different ways to think… They may not necessarily have the same qualifications you always looked for.”

I M AG E | G E TT Y

STA R RECRUIT

TOBY BABB, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND TECHNOLOGY RECRUITER HARRINGTON STARR, ADVISES ALL BLACKS SKIPPER RICHIE MCCAW ON POSSIBLE CAREER MOVES FOLLOWING THE RUGBY WORLD CUP After a world record 148 caps for the world’s greatest ever sports team the All Blacks (in which time they boasted an incredible 88.5% win ratio), captain Richie McCaw became the leader of the

Hürriyet redesigns the workforce SARAH MARQUET

AS DEMAND GROWS for digital content, Turkish media conglomerate Hürriyet is “redesigning the workforce” to support its digital transformation, its HR director Tuba Köseoğlu Okçu tells Recruiter.

Since March 2012, revenue from print media has declined 11% and is only forecast to fall further, she said following her recent talk at LinkedIn Talent Connect in London. Initially, she explains, the company tried to move people over from the print division by training them in the workings of digital media — search engine optimisation (SEO), for example. But many, of whom a number had devoted 15 to 20 years to Hürriyet, were unable to learn the skills and had to be let go.

Building the digital division has been equally hard. Unable to attract people to build the digital infrastructure via traditional and social media advertising, the company organised a 48-hour hackathon for coders to develop a talent pipeline, as well as targeting people from other companies.

Staffing the digital division is the current challenge as all hires must both speak Turkish and understand the local culture. They also need some understanding of digital media, though journalism skills will be taught. Also being hired are data scientists and analysts.

This challenge has seen Köseoğlu Okçu and her team track down Turkish talent all over the world — Silicon Valley, for example — as “they don’t exist in Turkey”.

In the coming year, first team to win backhas all the credentials. the organisation will to-back Rugby World Just maybe though increase the headcount Cups and became sport’s there is another, softer greatest ever captain at route for him after 14 years in its digital division the tender age of just 34. of being kicked in the How do you find a career head. He was voted in the by 200 and decrease that could come as close ‘Mega Kiwi Sex Survey’ print by 100. Hürriyet to every New Zealander’s to be the most desirable ultimate dream? man in New Zealand. To currently employs What next? Is Living preserve the All Black 1,500 people, with 600 Legend a viable career legacy, maybe he should path? Superman needs a be sent out to stud? The new hires since 2012. makeover, it’s a role Richie next generation of Richie The transformation is has been living for a McCaws may just edge decade already. Time for that win ratio up to 100%. expected to be complete a new Bond? He’s proved Long live Richie V2 — he he’s indestructible and deserves it! by 2018. ● WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 7

p06_07_recruiter_news.indd 7

12/11/2015 09:43

NE WS

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 November issue of Recruiter was published O C T O B E R •‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒→ TUE, 27 OCT

W E D, 2 8 O C T

STAFFLINE IN REDUNDANCY TALKS WITH PEOPLEPLUS EMPLOYEES

NUT PROTESTS AT AGENCIES OVER SUPPLY TEACHER PRACTICES

Staffing services, outsourcing, training and employability organisation Staffline Group has entered redundancy negotiations with 220 of its employees working under the PeoplePlus brand.

PeoplePlus, a work programme provider formerly known as A4E, is not closing down though, Staffline chief executive Andy Hogarth told Recruiter. Instead, “we are a victim of our own success”, he said, explaining the falling unemployment rate meant fewer people needed the company’s services.

TUE, 20 OCT

More: http://bit.ly/1kJKyGH

JO HAND LAUNCHES NEW AGENCY FOLLOWING LIQUIDATION The founder of Jo Hand Recruitment has launched

a new agency after her business was forced into liquidation due to the recent closure of the SSI steel plant in Redcar.

In a statement, the firm’s founder Jo Hand revealed she has set up a new firm that started trading yesterday as Jo Hand Recruitment and Consultancy, after the Middlesbrough-based recruiter was forced into liquidation due to £500k owed by SSI. Hand added she has the “full support” of former clients and has been able to preserve the jobs of seven staff and more than 200 contractors.

MON, 26 OCT

EMPLOYERS HIDE APPLICANT NAMES TO STOP DISCRIMINATION Recruiters have backed an agreement between the government and employers to remove names from job applications to reduce discrimination against people with exotic names.

The agreement covers graduates applying to work for the BBC, the Civil Service, Deloitte, HSBC, KPMG, learndirect, local authorities, the NHS, Teach First and Virgin Money.

“We are a victim of our own success,” he said, explaining the falling unemployment rate meant fewer people needed the company’s services

National Union of Teachers (NUT) members protested at the central London offices of two education recruiters over how supply teachers are employed.

The union is calling for a new system of sourcing supply teachers it says would save schools money while paying supply teachers fairly. The protests took place at the central London offices of Protocol Education and Hays Education.

An NUT spokesperson told Recruiter in a statement the two agencies were chosen as “representative” agencies because their offices are safe locations for leafleting. “We have informed both Protocol Education and Hays Education that the lobby is directed against the industry, not individual agencies. The leaflets also make that clear,” he added.

More: http://bit. ly/1MmfyUq

A N DY H O GA RT H

More: http://bit. ly/1PmKYzZ

More: http://bit.ly/1kshROv 8 RECRUITER

p8_9_the month that was.indd 8

DECEMBER 2015

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news 12/11/2015 14:18

T H U, 5 N O V

InterQuest appoints Eldridge CEO •‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒→ IT, analytics and digital staffing specialist InterQuest Group has appointed Chris Eldridge as its new chief executive. ve.

An InterQuest statement revealed Eldridge would succeed Mark Braund, who ho it y was announced in July would be leaving to join telecommunications company Coms as its new CEO early next year.

31

DAYS

←‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒• N O V E M B E R

W E D, 4 N O V

MON, 9 NOV

ARRESTS FOLLOWING RAID ON RECRUITMENT AGENCY

OSBORNE’S PAYROLL PLANS SLAMMED BY UMBRELLA, SELF-EMPLOYED GROUPS

Five people were arrested following raids, including at the Derby office of Smart Recruitment UK, the Derby Telegraph reported.

In a joint operation led by the Pensions Regulator and involving Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire police, and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, three men and a woman were arrested at the recruiter’s Derby office.

The fifth was arrested in a separate raid at a business in Nottingham city centre.

All were arrested on suspicion of fraud.

A statement from the Pensions Regulator, sent via Nottinghamshire police says a sixth person, who voluntarily attended a police station, was questioned.

It also says all those arrested were released on bail with appointments to return to a police station in the new year.

A spokesperson for the Pensions Regulator told Recruiter it was unable to comment further on an ongoing investigation.

Recruiter also contacted Smart Recruitment but was told no one was available to comment.

More: http://bit. ly/1kshROv

W E D, 4 N O V

USE SOCIAL MEDIA CAUTIOUSLY Recruiters have been warned to tread carefully when vetting candidates using social media because of potential discrimination claims.

Last month job board Evenbreak founder Jane Hatton cautioned recruiters in the use of professional networking site LinkedIn, among other social media sites, saying it could lead to unconscious bias.

Employment lawyers warn while using social media to vet candidates is not illegal, recruiters need to make sure they are not basing hiring decisions on discriminatory factors.

Elizabeth Marshall, an associate in the employment practice at technology and digital media law firm Kemp Little, told Recruiter in a statement: “This is actually more complicated than one might think. In particular, social media sites often contain information relating to a candidate’s age, gender, race, political views and sexual orientation, none of which should be taken into consideration when deciding on their suitability for a role. If they are, the business is likely to face an expensive discrimination claim.”

More: http://bit.ly/1RXxqZj

I M AG E S | J E SS H UR D / SWN S / G ETTY / SH UTTER STO C K

p8_9_the month that was.indd 9

THERE ARE SOME

4.6M SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS IN THE UK WHO WILL HAVE TO GO ON THE PAYROLL •‒‒‒‒‒→

Organisations representing umbrella companies and the self-employed have condemned reported government plans that would see freelancers and contractors working through personal service companies (PSCs) moved onto the payroll.

The Guardian, quoting a government source, reported Chancellor George Osborne is planning the measure that would see freelancers and contractors forced on to the payroll if they work for a business for more than a month.

Attacking the proposal, trade association for professional employment services FCSA chief executive Julia Kermode said in a statement the plan would have a “significant” impact on the UK economy, contractors and companies that hire them. “There are some 4.6m self-employed workers in the UK who will have to go on the payroll of each of the clients they work for after a month if this legislation comes into force. It is simply not workable.”

The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) CEO Chris Bryce said he is seeking urgent clarification on whether the plans are under serious consideration and if they are, he urged a rethink.

“Springing such a measure on a sector already short on confidence could cause significant harm to the economy which relies on independent professionals for flexibility and innovation.”

More: http://bit. ly/1WMglmp WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 9

12/11/2015 14:18

500

NE WS

CONTRACTS

IS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE OMEGA RESOURCE GROUP HAS BEEN TASKED TO RECRUIT FOR DALEPAK

CONTRACT & DEALS

CDI AndersElite US-listed CDI Corp’s UK subsidiary CDI AndersElite has acquired the recruitment business of London-based Ship Shape Resources, a privately held company that provides payroll solutions to the recruitment industry.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Chartwell Staffing Solutions Pennsylvania, USbased multi-sector recruiter Chartwell Staffing Solutions has acquired Georgia, US-based multisector recruiter Victory Staffing Solutions and New York City-based legal staffing, recruiting and training agency Tiger Information Systems. Tiger Information Systems has been rebranded as Chartwell Staffing Solutions, with staff retained by the new owner. Meanwhile, Victory founder has retired and the team is to merge with Chartwell’s Atlanta team. Financial terms of both deals were not disclosed.

Cross Country Healthcare US healthcare staffing specialist Cross Country Healthcare has acquired Mediscan, Mediscan Diagnostic Services and Mediscan Nursing Staffing, which provide temporary workers to the healthcare and education sectors. Mediscan is headquartered in California and provides services across 11 states to more than 300 clients. The transaction was worth about US$28m (£18.1m) in cash and $5m in Cross Country Healthcare shares.

NetJobs Swedish jobs board provider NetJobs is to acquire two competitors — School Jobs Sweden (Skoljobb Sverige) and Medrek Recruitment (Medrek Rekrytering).

According to a NetJobs statement, the companies operate in the wider Scandinavian online recruitment market, primarily providing job sites for schools and healthcare recruitment. Medrek also operates in the UK and Germany.

School Jobs and Medrek will be run as separate business areas.

Omega Resource Group International recruiter Omega Resource Group has won a multi-million pound recruitment contract with East Midlands logistics firm Dalepak. Omega has been tasked with recruiting 200 people in November and an additional 300 over the coming few months.

DEAL OF THE MONTH

Empresaria Group UK-headquartered international staffing specialist Empresaria Group has made its first US acquisition, buying healthcare recruiter PS. Boston, Massachusetts-based PS includes the companies Pharmaceutical Strategies, Recruitment Strategies, Medical Recruitment Strategies and Recruitment Strategies Group.

TeamHealth US-based physician services organisation TeamHealth has acquired Fremont Emergency Services, Advanced Care Emergency Services and Advanced Care Emergency Specialists. The three firms collectively manage and staff eight hospital emergency departments in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Not only does the deal allow access to the US market, but increases Empresaria’s presence in the healthcare staffing sector.

Total cost of the acquisition is expected to be US$12.1m (£7.95m).

The Curve Group Outsourcing and talent management firm The Curve Group has been appointed outsourced resourcing partner for Thistle Insurance Services, part of the Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT) Group. Curve already provides outsourcing solutions to JLT Employee Benefits and JLT Management Services. The new contract covers all types and levels of hires including permanent, contractor and internal mobility across the UK, as well as Middle East and Africa.

SP O NSO RE D BY

N° 1 QUALITY 10 RECRUITER

p10 contract dealsNEW.indd 10

DECEMBER 2015

Financial & administrative support as affirmed by our award-winning clients

01 260 280 290 www.backofficesupportservices.co.uk

More contract news at recruiter.co.uk/news

23/11/2015 10:56

3D\UROO ǩ &UHGLW &RQWURO ǩ ,QYRLFLQJ ǩ )XQGLQJ ǩ 'HEW 3URWHFWLRQ

WE ARE DIFFERENT. Call us on 01 260 280 290 For more information on our unique service, go to

www.backofficesupportservices.co.uk/different

REC.12.15.011.indd 11

11/11/2015 10:39

TRE NDS

THE NUMBERS

AGENCY HIRING: WHICH SECTORS USE THEM MORE Businesses operating in the accountancy, creative/design and utilities/ energy sectors are among the more frequent hirers of recruitment agency-sourced talent, a For instance, 57% of utilities/energies in-house new survey by The FIRM recruiters responding to the survey reported to have filled over 25% of their vacancies with agency-sourced [The Forum for In-House talent, The FIRM’s Annual Membership Survey 201516* revealed. On the lower end of the hiring scale, Recruitment Managers] has respondents from the advertising/PR, education, found. healthcare, non-FMCG [fast-moving consumer goods] and retail sectors reported that they hired less than 10% of their hires via agencies.

O

OT HER INFORMATION UNEARTH E D BY TH E SU RV E Y

Spending on recruitment agencies: → Attracting and sourcing candidates: ↓

38% OF IN-HOUSE RECRUITMENT MANAGERS SPENT 25% OR MORE OF THEIR BUDGET ON FILLING VACANCIES VIA AGENCIES IN 2014.

18% SPENT 26-50% OF THEIR BUDGET ON RECRUITING VIA AGENCIES

O

10% SPENT 51-75% OF THEIR BUDGET THIS WAY

49%

SPENT OVER 75% OF THEIR BUDGET TO RECRUIT THROUGH AGENCIES

56%

24%

85% 84%

PAY PER CLICK

8%

CORPORATE CAREERS SITE

AGENCIES

FIXED-FEE RECRUITMENT SITES SUCH AS RECRUITMENT GENIUS

6% ONLINE RECRUITMENT MARKETPLACES SUCH AS TALENT PUZZLE

40% DO NOT CURRENTLY USE ONLINE RECRUITMENT TOOLS AND PRACTICES DECEMBER 2015

p12_recruiter_trends_info.indd 12

O

TO P FI V E SO U R C I NG C H ANNE LS I N 201 4 :

USE AGGREGATORS SUCH AS INDEED AND JOB RAPIDO

12 RECRUITER

O

10%

LINKEDIN EMPLOYEE REFERRAL SCHEMES

65%

79% JOB BOARDS/CV DATABASES

* T HE FIRM ANNUAL M EM BERSHIP SURVEY 201 5 - 1 6: SENT TO 8,5 00 M EM B E RS , 20 5 RE S P O N S E S

12/11/2015 11:37

See your recruitment agency through Eploy.

It’s your business. You know what it needs to succeed.

If you want to achieve your goals, you need to visualise WKHP ȴUVW :LWK (SOR\ 5HFUXLWPHQW 6RIWZDUH \RX FDQ set your targets‌ then smash them.

(SOR\ +HDGV 8S 5HFUXLWPHQW

Jane Emerson

Jobs on this week : 28 Perm GP this month : ÂŁ21,886 Perm GP target : ÂŁ20,000

Connected calls : 65 CV’s sent this week : 53

Brad r d Whitehead ead d

Jessica Smith

Connected calls : 50 Jobs on : 22

Sarah Fry

Placement GP this month : ÂŁ26.4K Interviews this week : 35 Candidate meetings this week : 5

Team Stats CV’s sent

Team GP this month : ÂŁ127,687 Jane Emerson Sarah Fry Brad Whitehead Sienna Holmes Jessica Smith John Wyatt

ÂŁ28,265 ÂŁ26,451 ÂŁ21,886 ÂŁ18,431 ÂŁ16,760 ÂŁ15,894

178% 178 %

Tom

105 5%

Brad

98% 98 % 143% 143 %

Jessica John

Team CV’s sent vs Target

eploy.co.uk/see REC.12.15.013.indd 13

11/11/2015 10:40

TRE NDS

INSIGHT SPECIAL

TAP INTO TEENAGE TALENT BEYOND THE BIG CITY Companies may be missing out on talent in schools and could do more to boost attainment, especially outside London — the socio-economic landscape is often far more varied than we think

E

ducational inequality within London, or educational inequality without London?

These two perspectives tell markedly different tales.

London is the bloated fulcrum upon which the UK appears — economically, politically and culturally — to pivot.

London is an unequal city: the richest 10th of Londoners hold 270 times the wealth of the poorest 10th.

Despite London’s wealth, it houses some of the highest numbers of the poorest people in Western Europe. Its inequality is in line with its geography: travel on the Central Line from West Ruislip towards Central London, and life expectancy drops by two months per minute.

Yet London is a city that doesn’t age — the gold-paved streets in its heart still attract the country’s (as well as Europe’s and the world’s) young, brightest and most ambitious workers in their droves.

What does this mean for education and — particularly — the attention schools in certain areas receive?

For many years, it has been assumed that inner-city schools in the most deprived areas are where life chances are the toughest. To an extent, this used to be true. This assumption — among other reasons — makes choosing to focus on the inner city easy, but it is out of date.

Research by thinktank Demos last year examined the differences in educational attainment and

14 RECRUITER

p14_15_recruiter_trends.indd 14

DECEMBER 2015

improvement in the UK. London — in relation to the rest of the UK — is a success story. Teach First and the London Challenge have led to great at improvements since 2000. In 2013, inequality was rising in 50% of all locall authority areas — yet 17 out of the 20 local authorities with the narrowest attainment gaps were in London.

On average, London’s young people are 36% more likely to progress to university than young people from elsewhere in the country. So, what’s happening elsewhere?

School performance is struggling in many of the UK’s seaside towns and rural areas, as well as in provincial towns on the edges of cities beyond the M25. For example, according to research by the Centre for Social Justice in 2013, 26.9% of England’s largest seaside towns were deprived, compared with 20% across England. Crucially, to talk of deprived schools and neglected areas demands a nuanced understanding of UK geodemography.

Our focus should be recalibrated.

If this is the case, why don’t efforts by businesses to work with schools reflect the subtleties of and variation in education and geography?

London and other inner cities are easy. Why? First — distance decay.

Traditionally, the further away you are from a university or a business, the less likely you are to be influenced by it.

With London’s corporates, for example, a cautious analysis of commuting distance/time data identifies schools that are not within 40 minutes’ easy access of them, so might miss out on

270x THE RICHEST 10TH OF LONDONERS HOLD 270 TIMES THE WEALTH OF THE POOREST 10TH

CSR [corporate social responsibility] reading clubs or bespoke broadening access programmes like Allen & Overy’s Smart Start experience.

The same is true on a larger scale.

Distance decay leads to attention neglect; some places are neither prominent nor practical to reach.

Employers have not collaborated with schools in the ways universities have, through partnerships targeting under-recruited areas and deprived groups such as Raising Aspirations in the North-East and Realising Opportunities, run across 15 English universities.

Nor does it appear common for businesses to use data to focus on neglected regions, schools and areas,

IM AGES | ISTOCK

12/11/2015 09:44

26.9% OF ENGLAND’S EN LARGE LARGEST SEASIDE TOWN TOWNS ARE DEPRIV DEPRIVED

WHY SHOULD BUSINESSES BE

INVOLVED? IT IS A QUESTION OF PURPOSE AS WELL AS PRACTICALITY as universities have done through a variety of programmes and strategies.

Such strategies might include regional hubs as well as schemes where Oxbridge colleges are individually responsible for particular underrepresented (read: deprived and under-recruited) regions and London boroughs.

Why should businesses be involved?

It is a question of purpose as well

as practicality. For businesses, it is about where attention to schools sits internally — does this concern CSR (widening participation) or the recruitment pipeline?

For many businesses, outreach to schools is strategically disconnected from bringing students into their business. However, in the coming years, we might see an increase in attention paid at school level as more students, concerned about debt, may decide against attending university in favour of apprenticeships.

So, are companies getting all the talent they can? With practical constraints, the influence of assumption, a lack of data and, sometimes, hazy impetus, the answer is: no, they’re not.

Who is reading this now? It appears that the relevance and feasibility of this article will decrease the further you move beyond London’s heart and

without London, as you course between inter-metropolitan areas.

To begin to address this, we need to question the received wisdom — the educational landscape is far more varied than we give it credit for. We need to learn from universities, too.

We must understand the context of education and socio-economics across the UK better, and better unpack the status quo through collaboration, data and strategy.

If you’re reading this on the Central Line, consider the advice here, but be wary of your next stop, too… ●

↗

36%%

LONDON’S YOUNG PEOPLE ARE 36% MORE LIKELY TO GO TO UNIVERSITY THAN YOUNG PEOPLE FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE UK

JOSHUA OWARE is research manager at Rare

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 15

p14_15_recruiter_trends.indd 15

12/11/2015 09:44

World class staffing & recruitment software

Hays is a global business operating across 33 countries and communication between our 8,000 consultants, candidates and clients via the internet is a key business issue.

multi-lingual capabilities, sophisticated integration options, and social media enablement combined with scalability through a web-based The latest Adapt system brings us

Steve Weston | Group Technology Director | Hays

delivery model. This provides a platform to enable business options that historically could never be imagined, let alone realised…

one global process but retain the flexibility to adjust for local functionality and data requirements. We chose Bond because they had We wanted the ability to define best practice through

the ability to configure and integrate to our other systems and to scale to our size with their Adapt platform. We are now seeing benefits of our investment where we have deployed. As we continue the further rollout, I expect to see extensive cost savings and productivity improvements over additional deployments.

Jonas Prising | Chief Executive Officer ManpowerGroup Americas

Global Vision Connecting people and processes everywhere.

Chosen by the world’s leading recruitment organisations for its multi-lingual and multi-cultural capabilities, Adapt enables global businesses to connect their offices and streamline operations via an intuitive cloud platform.

Feature rich specialist recruitment software, Bond Adapt, is 100% configurable and fully scalable for effective global deployment. By managing the entire placement cycle, Adapt improves productivity, providing global organisations with the right tools to maximise their business performance.

Contact us to find out how Bond Adapt can transform your business.

T +44 (0) 1903 707070 www.bondadapt.com

E sales@bond.co.uk

One world. One future.

Bond International Software www.bondinternationalsoftware.com

REC.12.15.016.indd 16

11/11/2015 10:44

T R E N DS

INSIGHT SIG IGHT HT TS SPECIAL P

D

espite discrimination and downright hostility to lesbian gay bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people in many parts of the world, employers should allow same sex partners to accompany their employees on international assignments in exactly the same way as they allow partners of heterosexual employees.

That is just one of the recommendations of a white paper by Nicoll Curtin Senior Appointments, the international IT recruiter’s executive search division.

The report entitled ‘Diversity & Globalisation: Supporting diverse talent overseas’, argues that in a world in which male homosexuality is still illegal in 80 countries and female homosexuality illegal in 49, employers need to do more to support and encourage LGBT talent to take up overseas assignments.

Ashleigh Clowes, co-head diversity & inclusion and researcher at Nicoll Curtin Senior Appointments and author of the report, tells Recruiter: “International experience is becoming an important prerequisite for leadership roles, and organisations risk losing talented LGBT employees if they feel they are not offered or supported in pursuing international development opportunities.”

The report recognises that while across much of Europe, North America and Oceania, legislation and societal attitudes to LGBT people have changed out of all recognition in the last few decades, in many other parts of the world LGBT people face discrimination, negative attitudes, even physical danger and death.

Even in countries where legal protections are in place, the report says that LGBT employees may find that attitudes towards them “are still highly negative”. It highlights Russia, Uganda, Nigeria and Malaysia as being particularly hostile.

However, the report argues that the benefits of a supportive approach for both organisations and their LGBT staff are huge. These include a happier more productive and skilled workforce, better business outcomes that come from deploying the best person to the job irrespective of their

SUPPORTING LGBT TALENT OVERSEAS A report by Nicoll Curtin Senior Appointments points out that if employers don’t encourage LGBT employees to take up overseas assignments or offer them adequate support, businesses could be missing out on essential leadership talent in the future COLIN COTTELL

sexuality, higher staff retention, and enhanced reputation as an employer of choice among talented LGBT candidates.

Among a range of practical suggestions (see Power Points, p18) made in the white paper, perhaps one of the most important is that organisations identify ‘Global Champions’.

These are individuals within organisations who can drive change by making the all-important link between inclusive diversity policies and driving those policies on the ground.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 17

p17_18_recruiter_trends2.indd 17

12/11/2015 11:37

TRE NDS

INSIGHT SPECIAL “Leaders, allies, sponsors and role models can encourage change with everything from conversations over dinner, to expressing their support while collaborating with colleagues, to articulating the business case for gay equality with local senior business leaders, officials and policymakers,” says Clowes.

The report emphasises the importance of not automatically assuming that LGBT employees are not interested in taking up international assignments even in countries that might be considered hostile or even dangerous. And employers should support their staff ’s decisions, whatever they might be. “It is equally important to support LGBT employees in saying ‘no’. In doing so organisations will retain the best and most diverse talent, regardless of sexuality,” says Clowes.

Clowes goes on to explain that when an LGBT Nicoll Curtin employee turns down an opportunity in its Singapore office because of their sexuality, the company tries to offer them an equivalent position in Zurich or London.

In addition to practical measures, the report illustrates how companies can use their ‘economic clout’ to influence governments. It notes how in Singapore, for example, where homosexual male sex is punishable with up to two years’ imprisonment, Google and Barclays are stepping up support for Singapore’s annual gay rights event. The report quotes Lord Browne, ex-BP chief executive and prominent out businessman, who explains in his book The Glass Closet how this sort of action can “send a strong message to governments who understand the importance of international companies for job creation and the economy”.

While true and unfettered global mobility of international organisations’ LGBT staff remains some way off, the message of this report is that unless international organisations want to lose out on the benefits of having the best LGBT talent, they must both support those individuals and their partners, and be prepared to stand up for the policies they espouse. ●

IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT LGBT EMPLOYEES

18 RECRUITER

↗

IN SAYING ‘NO’

.

IN DOING SO ORGANISATIONS WILL RETAIN THE BEST AND MOST DIVERSE TALENT

ASHLEIGH CLOWES is co-head diversity & inclusion and researcher at Nicoll Curtin and author of ‘Diversity & Globalisation: Supporting diverse talent overseas’

POWER POINTS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A global diversity and inclusion policy, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of sexuality, sends an important message to both employees and governments around the world.

Global polices on LGBT staff need to be calibrated; for example, by taking into account that in some cultures discussing personal issues of any kind in the workplace is taboo, and recognising the need for a more subtle approach.

Don’t assume that LGBT staff do not wish to take up appointments even in hostile or dangerous environments.

Support LGBT employees in whatever decision they come to about accepting or turning down an international assignment.

Allow same sex partners to accompany LGBT assignees in exactly the same way as heterosexual assignees.

In jurisdictions where same sex partners are not recognised and visas refused, think about ‘creative solutions’ — for example, allow the LGBT employee more flexibility to travel home to see their partner.

If an LGBT employee turns down an assignment offer them a suitable alternative.

Establish and support LGBT networks as a way to help LGBT employees overseas feel less isolated.

Don’t ‘out’ LGBT staff on overseas assignments. This could compromise their safety and have an adverse effect on their relationships with clients and colleagues, particularly in conservative countries.

DECEMBER 2015

p17_18_recruiter_trends2.indd 18

12/11/2015 11:37

ons Rea s

t o co

unt

ay S on P

t ream

: #16

We’re prepared for whatever’s round the corner.

Always nurturing talent Here at Penna, we come to work to make a difference. Collaborative. Supportive.

Inspiring. Accountable.

We foster an environment where people can grow. Where talent is cultivated.

And it’s working for us. For the 7th year running, we’ve been in the ‘Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For’.

To view all our current vacancies, visit our website http://mixitup.penna.com/#home or call our MD Julie Towers on 07764 791736.

At PayStream we know you can’t always predict what’s round the corner. But you can still be prepared for it. So whatever changes may occur in the contractor landscape in the months and years ahead, you can trust us to have the knowledge, expertise and experience to advise and guide you. Keeping your contractors informed, HMRC-compliant and certain that they’re taking home the maximum pay possible: that’s another reason to count on PayStream.

@pennaplc

Penna

penna.com

Call 0800 197 6516 e: info@paystream.co.uk or visit www.paystream.co.uk

REC.12.15.019.indd 19

11/11/2015 10:51

Proudly celebrating our 10th year of providing agencies with unbeatable, low paid umbrella services.

Contact us Today: T: 01706 830820 | E: info@zeva.co.uk W: www.zeva.co.uk Because you need a Trustworthy Partner

REC.12.15.020.indd 20

11/11/2015 10:51

T R E N DS

TECH & TOOLS

Online onboarding builds rapport quicker Forging relationships with new recruits sends positive signals SUE WEEKES

DEFINED: The online environment helps employers to start onboarding far earlier and provides greater scope for preparing individuals for their first day at work. A mix of technologies and tools can be used, including dedicated stand-alone software, specific modules that can be integrated with an existing recruitment/talent management systems, web portals, social media and mobile apps. However, online onboarding alone can’t prepare employees for their new roles, and must be accompanied by direct contact with recruiters or managers.

Recruiters regularly tout the virtues of onboarding for ensuring new employees ‘hit the ground running’. However, many still don’t realise the online environment’s potential to help out.

As Catherine Jack, principal consultant at Hudson HR, points out, having an online hub is particularly useful for those working out a lengthy notice period. “The employee and line manager can begin forging relationships and building a rapport long before their first day,” she says. Clearly, an efficient onboarding process sends a positive message about you as a progressive and caring employer to the recruit.

F IVE KEY POINTS

➊ STAND-ALONE OR INTEGRATED?

➋ WHAT ARE YOUR AIMS?

➌ MATCH TOOLS TO COMPANY

➍ REDUCE COMPLIANCE ADMIN

➎ HUMAN

A range of software specifically designed for onboarding is available and can be bought as a stand-alone module or integrated with existing talent management software. Typically this will help automate some routine tasks associated with onboarding and can improve the candidate journey if the entry point to onboarding is consistent with your recruitment platform, says Darren Nuttall, director of networx, which offers onboarding as part of its end-to-end recruitment software.

“Stand-alone onboarding systems, regardless of how well they are tailored, create inconsistency and potentially a new platform for candidates to negotiate,” he says. “Ideally companies need to create a continuous flow throughout the candidate’s entire journey from applying all the way through to their first day without the need for new systems with new log-in credentials.”

Consider carefully what you want to achieve during onboarding. Instead of seeing it only from a formfilling, rather administrativeonly standpoint, take advantage of online tools such as company Facebook pages and web portals featuring video content, as well as the mobile environment to make the person feel part of the team and its mission before they join.

Communicate key objectives and overall organisational culture in these spaces to boost engagement and reduce any feelings of isolation.

Providing links to learning and development opportunities will also create an interesting experience.

Ensure onboarding activities “match company culture, marketplace, sector and be accessible”, says Katie Bancroft, managing director of recruitment and HR specialist Exceptional Solutions. “For example, a manufacturing site will use differing online tools to an office-based business.”

Remember also that a complex blend of social media could alienate recruits who aren’t techsavvy. “Delivering the right candidate experience is never achieved by adopting a ‘one-sizefits-all’ approach, and onboarding is no exception,” says Nuttall. Be sure to personalise information to candidates when possible.

Maximise the online environment for achieving consistency in your onboarding practices but also traceability when it comes to compliance requirements for new employees. This is particularly useful for organisations operating across multiple sites or countries.

“With human error, aspects may be missed or not comprehensively managed with each and every new employee,” says Bancroft, adding: “Health & safety training will be in the main similar for all employees (environment depending) and therefore is a simple activity that can be assured complete and compliant if delivered online.

“Recording completion of activities and gaining feedback can be automated online and therefore removes the ticksheet exercise that is both costly in time and not 100% accurate or flaw-free.”

Technology can never replace human contact.

Directly engage with the new hire at “all possible touch points” in the period before they start, says Jack.

If executed properly, online onboarding can free up time that will make faceto-face meetings with the individual richer and more meaningful.

“An online platform cannot assess behavioural aspects easily, nor take a new employee for that first day lunch,” says Bancroft.

“But a mix of online and offline can help to generate that great welcome feeling needed for a new employee to know that they have made the right move.”

I L L UST RAT I O N | ISTO C K

p21_recruiter_techandtools.indd 21

TOUCHPOINTS

+ For more on induction and onboarding, see Careers, p46

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 21

12/11/2015 11:38

C

INTE R AC TIO N

AGENCY VIEW

Trust, freedom and a credit card Still the best way to build business ROB MALLABAND

credit card with unlimited budget and six months out in the field to meet as many people as possible — that would make a successful recruiter, regardless of the decade your business is operating in.

I’m often asked what makes a successful recruiter. People want to know the secret formula that would add to a recruitment consultant’s DNA to help them achieve great results. The secret is that there is no secret — you need to build your network and, to build your network, you need to get off your chair and meet people.

When I embarked on my career in recruitment, I was fortunate enough to be presented with the enviable task of getting out in the field and networking. My boss at the time, who was also a great believer in the power of a network, handed me a credit card with an unlimited budget and told me to get out there and mix with my fellow contractors in a social setting.

This is a practice I have carried with me throughout my career and, in the early days of Crimson, I went out and met with 200 contacts, with the aim of gaining market insight ahead of trading. You may think this is a wasted activity but, as a result, 70% of the contacts I met with then continue to

A

Technology: a help, not a leader

I know what you’re going to tell me: “I haven’t got the time to go out and spend six months meeting people — and why do I need to when I have recruitment technology and social media, which can help me build connections in seconds?”

There’s absolutely a place for technology in recruitment and networking. If there wasn’t, I wouldn’t be running a recruitment technology business. But recruiters need to view technology as an integral assistive technology, rather than their primary source of business.

You can intuitively use candidate sourcing software to source new candidates in record time or search your CRM (customer relationship management) system to find an existing contact — technology is great for finding people.

However, if a candidate is not successful at an application, that’s where you need to deploy old-fashioned techniques: pick up the phone and talk to them, take them for coffee. It just might be that they are perfect for another role, in which case you can return to your desk and update your recruitment software to that effect. You would never have known if you hadn’t picked up the phone.

+ ROB MALLABAND is group managing director and cofounder of Crimson. Find out more at www.crimson.co.uk or @CrimsonITJobs on Twitter

22 RECRUITER

provide the source of Crimson’s growth today.

As new people have joined the Crimson team over the past few years, they’ve been given the same task: to go out and meet as many people as they can with a company credit card. By affording them this trust and this freedom, our entire team has excelled and become one of the main channels for referrals and repeat business orders over time.

DECEMBER 2015

p22_23_recruiter_agency_soapbox.indd 22

Tenacious dreamers What makes a successful recruiter? For me, it’s all about identifying those who are unstructured and tenacious — someone who is always on the phone, who never switches off.

Someone who is a huge dreamer, working beyond the realms of 9-5, with an innate ability to turn bad news to their advantage.

Find someone like this, marry them up with the right recruitment technology and you have a recruitment match made in heaven — it’s just like placing a candidate in their perfect job. ●

IM AGE | ISTOCK

12/11/2015 11:38

T WEET I N T E R AC T I O N

SOUNDBITES S OA P BOX / LETTERS

SINGLE STANDARD WOULD IMPROVE REPUTATION At Alium Partners, we would definitely support a single, independent professional standard so there is a level playing field for all good, professional recruitment firms (Recruiter, ‘Single standard’, October 2015).

Without any form of standard, there is no barrier to entry — one of the reasons, we feel, that our profession still suffers from a somewhat tainted reputation with some clients and candidates.

A standard would be a badge of quality, a sign to all our stakeholders — clients, candidates and those who work for us — that this is a professional, ethical and trustworthy organisation, one that adds real value to the recruitment process.

Nigel Peters, managing partner, Alium Partners

EDUCATE OVER ‘EXOTIC’ NAMES In response to ‘Major employers to hide applicant names to stop discrimination’ (recruiter.co.uk, 26 October), as far as I can tell, all of my clients are happy to interview and make offers regardless of name. My job would be a lot harder if I had to think about who I put forward based on a name.

I like to believe that the world has moved on but perhaps not. In the past nine years that I have worked in graduate recruitment, it never occurred to me that this was going to be an issue when I send a shortlist and clients seem very happy to interview people based on their skills and experience.

When I started, I found some clients would pick people with traditional, Britishsounding names but I continued to send through the candidates who were the best regardless of names and, after a while, they stopped doing it.

From a different perspective, a candidate with a traditionally white-sounding name believes that when she turns up to interview she is met with prejudice because of her colour; whether this is because the client is just surprised or if this is a genuine prejudice I am not sure but her experiences are very real and happen continuously.

I believe employers have got past this prejudice with names but, if this is still the case, then I think this article could be very educational and hopefully make the remaining people wake up.

If blind CVs are the way it has to go, then that is a shame but if that’s what it takes, we are very happy to do it to clients we feel are this way inclined — luckily, very few.

Kate Evans, Best Graduates

“New government rules could tighten pre-pack arrangements or ‘phoenixing’.

What effect, if any, might this have on the recruitment industry?”

NATASHA MAKHIJANI FOUN D ER , OL IV ER S A N D ERS ON

“The new rules will perhaps be a stronger deterrent, but the government needs to be clear what the parameters are. In a recent case, a business was pre-packed because its main client went into administration and the company could not meet its temporary staff payroll.

Was that the company director’s fault? Maybe, because their client concentration was too great and therefore risky. But in a situation such as this, the business that went into administration was the catalyst. The recruiter appears to have stretched themselves too far to try to accommodate the non-payment from that client. In all these cases it is the worker who loses out, so perhaps the government could look at this and find a compensation rule, so the workers are not the biggest losers.”

WAYNE BROPHY MA N AG IN G D I REC TOR , CA ST UK

“This is a much-needed step to clamp down on ‘phoenixing’.

Directors of any business (not solely recruitment) have a duty of care to honour contracts with suppliers. Failure to do so should result in prosecution to deter irresponsible behaviour. I’ve been in business for over 10 years and during that time I’ve paid every supplier on time and never over-exposed the business. This creates rewarding relationships built on trust, as well as ensuring a safe and secure environment for my employees. I feel passionate about this as I’ve been on the receiving end of it. Even the term ‘phoenixing’ suggests there is some form of associated glory, when actually in reality it’s the polar opposite.”

RICHARD HOOPER S A L ES D I REC TOR , BA L A N CE RECRUIT MEN T

“I don’t see the new rules having a big impact on the recruitment industry, although they should help to enforce a more cautious approach from the recruitment business owners who are too heavily focused on achieving rapid headcount growth regardless of sustainability. They should also offer some encouragement and safeguarding for recruitment businesses who invest a significant amount of time working with SMEs [small and medium enterprises] and start-up businesses, which can prove to be very profitable clients, but also very costly if things go belly-up, particularly those that rely on contractors and temporary staff.”

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 23

p22_23_recruiter_agency_soapbox.indd 23

12/11/2015 11:38

TH E B IG STO RY TIM COOK

PHOTOGRAPHY PAL HANSEN

H

TIM COOK: NGAGE -ING ON TOP OF THE WORLD

History is literally being rewritten at specialist recruitment group nGAGE, where online references to its previous existence as Human Capital Investment Group (HCIG) have been replaced with nGAGE. Although it’s tempting to see this as just another example of a staffing company going through a cosmetic rebadging exercise, Tim Cook, nGAGE’s chief executive, says the new name announced in October signifies changes that are much more than skin deep.

“We see this as the coming of age, the maturing of the group. We didn’t like HCIG because we don’t see ourselves as an investment company, we see ourselves as a recruitment business; we wanted to move away from the legacy investment model to a ‘we are a growing specialist recruitment group’. We wanted to signify the next phase of our development,” says the ebullient Cook, speaking to Recruiter from the company’s seventh floor boardroom in the City.

COLIN COTTELL

24 RECRUITER

DECEMBER 2015

p24_31_recruiter_bigstory.indd 24

12/11/2015 09:47

Iain Dennis CEO, Eden Brown Built Environment & Eden Brown Synergy

Emma Bjelan National social care director, Eden Brown Synergy Lisa Hart International sales director, Proactive Technical Recruitment

Tim Cook Chief executive, nGAGE

Aaron Keep Managing director, Proactive Technical Recruitment

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 25

p24_31_recruiter_bigstory.indd 25

12/11/2015 09:47

TH E B IG STO RY TIM COOK

“I work hard and I play harder. I still work 60 to 70 hours a week, and I genuinely believe in the people here”

The journey has not been easy, but a year after Cook led a management buyout (MBO) from HCIG, the indications are that nGAGE, whose specialist brands include social care recruiter Caritas, and health, social care, charity and public sector specialist Eden Brown, is putting the past behind it and moving on.

According to Cook, September saw the group’s best results ever.

Although he won’t provide a companyby-company breakdown, a clearly delighted Cook says that in the first half of the year both EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation] and gross profit were up 14% on H1 in 2014.

The number of employees has also shot up from 350 when Cook took over 26 RECRUITER

as CEO in 2013 to what he expects will be “north of 600” by the end of the year. In the past 18 months, the group’s incubator division has invested in five recruitment start-ups. “All our startups are making money. I am very proud of that,” says Cook.

Moving the model Cook is quite open in admitting that moving on from HCIG also means departing from the Hamilton Bradshaw business model championed by James Caan. “We are moving this business from this hugely entrepreneurial world, the James Caan world, to a slightly more [than usual] entrepreneurial corporate position. This is the professionalisation, the growing up of what was a successful business but at times a little random. It

was ‘make £1 is good, where you make that £1 is irrelevant’.”

By way of contrast, Cook continues, “I believe in a very focused specialist businesses driving into their sectors rather than, if you like, spreading across many sectors. nGAGE is a pure play specialist and it won’t be anything else, and within that we go to market with specialist brands.” By way of example, he adds: “We will never be nGAGE Caritas.

“I have added the corporate gloss to the model, and I think that allows us to scale up in a way that is better governed.”

Asked whether nGAGE is now competing with Hamilton Bradshaw and Caan, Cook responds: “No, not really, we are moving into a slightly different phase of our growing up,”

DECEMBER 2015

p24_31_recruiter_bigstory.indd 26

12/11/2015 10:20

REC.12.15.027.indd 27

11/11/2015 10:53

REC.12.15.028.indd 28

11/11/2015 10:54

T H E B I G STO RY T I M CO O K

COM PANY

nGAGE Formerly known as Human Capital Investment Group until rebranded as nGAGE in October 2015 Formerly part of Hamilton Bradshaw until management buyout completed in December 2014 Specialist companies covering: the built environment, engineering, health and social, public sector and not-for-profit, and professional and financial services

Main brands ▶ Eden Brown Synergy ▶ Resourcing Group ▶ Caritas ▶ Proactive Technical Recruitment ▶ ewi ▶ Eden Brown Built Environment Number of consultants: 600 14% rise in gross profit and EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and earnings) compared with H1 of 2014 24% increase in net fee income between H1 2013 and H1 2014

WHO IS HE? pointing to the doubling of earnings to £13m-£14m.

Slightly later, when asked about Caan’s incubator division Recruitment Entrepreneur, Cook says: “I don’t have a view on what James is doing; we have moved on, we are in the next phase.”

While clearly keen to leave the past behind, Cook recognises that although Caan exited the business a year ago, he leaves an important legacy. “James is just a fantastic entrepreneur, and people are very excited to own their own boat and sail it in an appropriate direction.

James understands people and the legacy is the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Building by incentives Cook says he has carried this on in the way that the executives within the group’s constituent businesses are incentivised. He points to the MBO, which resulted in six people making “north of £1m, and others who made significant upsides”, and to longerterm incentives: “If they build their businesses over the next three to five years, there are other value creation points at which people can get some benefit from their efforts.”

That said, Cook explains “the current plan is to sell the group as a whole”. As to his position, he appears in no doubt. “I am here for the next 10 years,” he says.

The transformation of the company

Tim Cook 2013-present Group chief executive, nGAGE Specialist Recruitment (formally Human Capital Investment Group [HCIG]) 2010-13 Group head of digital and innovation, Hays

since last year’s MBO should hardly come as a surprise following Cook’s decision to leave Hamilton Bradshaw.

“I had a hankering to be captain of my own smaller boat. The intention was always to do something with the asset that was formerly HCIG,” says Cook, though he adds “it was not clear at the time whether to sell it, float it, or do a management buyout”. In the end, the decision was taken to go with private equity firm Graphite Capital.

With expectations of “one or two reasonably significant acquisitions in the next 12 months”, Graphite Capital gives nGAGE “more firepower” when it comes to future acquisitions, explains Cook. “To turn the dial more, you have to invest more.” To date Graphite “are

2008-10 Managing director, Hays UK & Ireland 2006-08 Managing director, Hays Construction & Property 1987-2006 Various roles from recruitment consultant to director level, Hays

absolutely on the money”, he says, before adding “but then we are hitting our numbers”.

After more than two decades at whitecollar recruiter Hays, where he rose from trainee to managing director UK & Ireland, among other senior roles, Cook is clearly relishing his role in the top job.

“Honestly, I love it,” he says. While he enjoyed his time at Hays, he says that for the last two and a half years, he has “genuinely skipped to work”. It’s clearly been an exciting time. “The metaphor I used is I jumped off a cliff, and I decided to pack my parachute on the way down, and I joined James Caan.”

Cook says he has learned a lot since the MBO, particularly about the world of private equity finance that previously WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 29

p24_31_recruiter_bigstory.indd 29

12/11/2015 09:48

REC.12.15.030.indd 30

11/11/2015 10:56

T H E B I G STO RY T I M CO O K

he says he didn’t even know existed. Not that it has all been plain sailing. Asked what was the most difficult decision he has had to take, he quickly identifies the merger of Eden Brown and Synergy that completed this autumn, a move he describes as “a ballsy call”.

As Cook explains the rationale: “They were very similar businesses around the public sector, and we thought they would be a stronger player as a joint merged entity.” Cook says he was “very sensitive to the staff and their loyalties to their existing brands” and spent “a significant portion of a month” personally in meetings, and “working out where people’s careers were going” and “in creating the vision and aligning people behind it”.

Cook says he is “thrilled” that through the whole process, only four people left the business. “It is hard work; you have to get down in the trenches,” he admits.

Cook is content with the outcome.

“With 250 staff, it looks a lot stronger as an entity. Customers are broadly happy, we are starting to see some economies, and nobody was made redundant.”

The merger of Alpha Tec and Proactive to form Proactive Technical Recruitment, which was completed on 1 October, has created a 70-strong entity that puts it in the top five recruiters in that sector. There are currently no plans for further mergers, he says.

Sustainable future As to the future, Cook says he “fully intends to have north of 1,000 staff in the next three to five years. Our ambition is to become a significant recruitment player in the UK. The end game is to have market leadership in our chosen sectors”. That means creating “a much more sustainable and scalable model”.

“It’s about helping companies to burst through the 30-40 consultants barrier to 50-60… to help them transition from ‘small co’ to ‘mid co’, and build their management structures so they can grow.”

Cook points to the calibre and experience of three key members of the group’s senior management: group chief financial officer Andrew Burchall, group chief operating officer Adam Herron and group chief information officer Tim Styles. “The message behind the team is scale,” he says.

“Being a specialist is where the value sits and being able to add value by knowing your customers is what it is all about” Cook says his role and that of the senior management team is to facilitate others to succeed. “We provide them with the tools so they have more time to focus on placing people,” he says, referring to nGAGE’s central platform of services such as back office, IT and technical support, and investment in staff training and development.

Asked about his own leadership style, Cook says “is about enabling, it is not about managing”. Whether dealing with a consultant or a managing director, he explains, the approach is the same: “How can we help you grow your business? That is my strapline. That is how we talk at meetings.”

And part of that enabling includes teaching staff about brand, and helping them understand that “brand and the logo are the polish, and it’s the culture and the values that are the important piece,” Cook continues.

“Our singular brand essence is to do less, better. I want our business to focus on looking after its core customers, delivering to them and being mindful of the impact of not delivering on those core promises.”

If that message gets through, then far from simply rewriting history this is one rebranding that could be the launch pad for a recruitment company creating its very own. ● WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 31

p24_31_recruiter_bigstory.indd 31

12/11/2015 09:48

RACS GROUP IS EXPANDING

UNIQUE CAREER OPPORTUNITY

tĞ ĂƌĞ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƟŶŐ ĨŽƌ ZĞŐŝŽŶĂů ĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ DĂŶĂŐĞƌƐ ĂĐƌŽƐƐ ƚŚĞ h< >ŽŶĚŽŶ Ͳ ŝƌŵŝŶŐŚĂŵ Θ DŝĚůĂŶĚƐ Ͳ EŽƌƚŚ Due to unprecedented commercial growth, RACS Group ŝƐ ƐƚƌĞŶŐƚŚĞŶŝŶŐ ŝƚƐ ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ŶĞƚǁŽƌŬ ŽĨ ZĞŐŝŽŶĂů Development Managers. ĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ƐŚŽƵůĚ ďĞ ĚLJŶĂŵŝĐ͕ ŵŽƟǀĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ĂŵďŝƟŽƵƐ with experience of the outsourced payroll sector. džĐĞƉƟŽŶĂů ĐĂƌĞĞƌ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ĨŽƌ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ leading brands in the recruitment industry and a Sunday dŝŵĞƐ sŝƌŐŝŶ &ĂƐƚ dƌĂĐŬ ϭϬϬ ĐŽŵƉĂŶLJ͘

ZĞǁĂƌĚŝŶŐ ZĞŵƵŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ WĂĐŬĂŐĞ͗ ͻ ŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ ƐĂůĂƌLJ • Uncapped commission • Car allowance ͻ hŶŝƋƵĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚƐ • Inspiring culture

/Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶƐƚĂŶĐĞ͕ ƉůĞĂƐĞ ƐƵďŵŝƚ LJŽƵƌ s ĂŶĚ ĐŽǀĞƌŝŶŐ ůĞƩĞƌ ƚŽ ŚƌΛƌĂĐƐŐƌŽƵƉ͘ĐŽŵ ƌĞĨĞƌĞŶĐŝŶŐ ǁŚĞƌĞ LJŽƵ ǀŝĞǁĞĚ ĚĞƚĂŝůƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ǀĂĐĂŶĐŝĞƐ͘

Head Office RACS Group House, Three Horseshoes Walk Warminster, Wiltshire. BA12 9BT

REC.12.15.032.indd 32

0845 604 0571 info@racsgroup.com racsgroup.com

11/11/2015 11:00

Issue 32 December 2015

RECRUITMENT MATTERS The View and The Intelligence

2015 in Review

Legal update and the IRP

Events and training

Golden rules for the industry p2-3

We look back on the year p4

Conduct regulations and IRP fellows p6-7

IRP Awards and more Greg Savage

p8

KEY STATS

BUSINESS IS £31.5 PICKING UP 9% RECRUITMENT

BN

UK RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY IN 2014-15

MARKET GROWTH IN 2014-15

INDUSTRY WORTH £31.5 BILLION The ‘golden age of recruitment’ has arrived in style, with the UK industry booming.

The ‘2014-15 Recruitment Industry Trends Survey’ has found the UK recruitment market is now worth £31.5bn, up £1.8bn on the previous year.

It’s also £4.5bn larger than the market was before the last recession.

REC chief executive Kevin Green says the UK market is in the best shape it’s been in for 20 years.

@RECPress RM_DEC_15.indd 1

“People often ask me if recruitment’s a big industry.

We’re bigger than plastics, we’re bigger than fashion, we’re bigger than electronics, we’re bigger than toys,” he says.

“As an industry we need to punch our weight and talk about the value we bring to the economy.”

The report predicts the industry will grow a further 9% in 2015-16 and 8% in 2016-17.

Permanent revenue rose

11.5% this year to £2.9bn, with temporary and contract revenue up 9.5% to £28.5bn.

It’s the second highest rise permanent business has seen.

“We have got as good an environment to operate a recruitment business as you can have,” Green says.

Permanent margins have also risen. Eight per cent of fees charged being more than 25%, up from 2% in 2013-14.

But the story is different for temporary and contract margins. Seventeen per

11.5%

PERMANENT BUSINESS

9.5%

TEMPORARY BUSINESS

cent of recruiters received fees under 9% for temp and contract roles. A little more than 45% of recruiters were paid 10-14% in fees.

The full report is free for REC members and can be downloaded at rec.uk.com/ research

www.rec.uk.com 11/11/2015 15:02

Leading the Industry

THE VIEW

The skills squeeze is impacting on the UK market, says Tom Hadley, REC director of policy and professional services

Three golden rules for 2015, says Kevin Green, REC chief executive

It’s great news – the UK recruitment market is bigger than ever before at £31.5bn, according to our new Recruitment Industry Trends Survey.

That’s a £1.8bn increase in the last year, and £4.5bn more than in 2007/08. It’s especially encouraging to see a significant uptick in margins for perm recruitment.

With opportunities to make more money all around us, here are three golden rules that winners in our industry follow in order to take advantage of the growing market.

1) Does your business have a really clear vision, strategy and plan? In my experience many recruiters get confused between the three or perhaps have one without the other. Your vision is your purpose: why do you exist and why you are different?

It should be an aspirational message that excites clients, candidates and staff. Your strategy should articulate how you are going to deliver your vision. Which markets will you operate in? When you will invest in technology and brand development?

Finally, your annual plan should define your targets, activity and budget for the year ahead.

2) You need leadership and talent in abundance. My message to budding entrepreneurs is that your job is to bring in people who are better than yourself. If

FOUR IDEAS you can achieve this you’re likely to have a business which has significant value, whether that’s to your own management team or to an outside investor.

In a recruitment business your team leaders are key to unlocking superior performance because they manage your fee earners.

So they need to be great coaches, motivators and listeners. Ask yourself: have you got the depth of leadership you need to get to the next stage of your journey?

3) Invest in your business ahead of the next phase of growth. To take your organisation to the next level you usually have to do something different, whether that be adding new skills, more resource, new technology or new marketing approaches. So the revenue generated by the business needs to stay within the business to fund these investments.

Finally the REC is here to help your business grow and be successful – that’s why we created the Scale Up campaign and have partnered with Elite leaders. For more insight, our podcasts with recruitment leaders are a great source and you can download these for free at www.rec.uk.com/scaleuppodcasts

2 RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015

RM_DEC_15.indd 2

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @kevingreenrec

With the skills squeeze threatening to stifle business growth and suffocate the UK jobs market, here are four ways that we are trying to make a difference.

1. Building the bridge – Developing and updating practical skills is one of the biggest challenges. This is why we were delighted to be a lead partner on the government’s WeCan initiative which encourages employers to provide work experience opportunities. Helping the next generation to visualise the world of work is at the heart of our Youth Employment Charter and has resulted in hundreds of REC members building links with local schools and colleges.

2. Enlarging the talent pool – Addressing candidate shortages must involve reaching out to under-represented groups. A key element of the formal partnership agreement between the REC and the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) is to work together to radically increase the number of disabled people in work. The recent RIDI awards played a huge role in showcasing our industry’s contribution.

3. Driving the good recruitment agenda – Employers need to adapt their hiring strategies to reflect the increasingly candidate-driven market. The core aim of our ongoing Good Recruitment Campaign is to engage businesses in a debate around what good looks like and to promote the role that recruiters can play in helping their clients to review selection processes and criteria.

4. Influencing skills policy – As well as working constructively with ministers and key government departments, we are engaging on a regional level with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). The focus on devolution and ‘northern powerhouses’ makes it important for us to have a strong regional voice. Recruiters are uniquely placed to ensure that local-level skills strategies reflect evolving skills needs.

Jobs transforms lives, which is why our industry is committed to helping more people develop awareness, clarity and aspiration with regards to work opportunities. Addressing the skills disconnect is crucial to business growth and is also a cornerstone of our underlying mission of helping to build the best jobs market in the world.

You can follow Tom on Twitter @hadleyscomment

www.rec.uk.com

11/11/2015 15:02

60%

THE INTELLIGENCE

The success story which has come to categorise the UK jobs market is rapidly being overshadowed by the growing threat of skills shortages As highlighted by trends in the REC and KPMG Report on Jobs, the UK labour market is entering a new phase. Since stagnating in June, hiring activity is being noticeably constrained by a lack of suitably skilled candidates.

The pool of available skilled workers shrank yet further in September, resulting in the slowest rise in permanent placements for two and a half years. The pace of increase of temporary placements was also the weakest reported in the past 29 months.

This ties in with findings from the annual CBI/Pearson survey of 310 companies,

STILL GROWING SLOWING I have been talking for some time about how the welcome revenue growth recruiters have been seeing has been slowing. This downward trend has unfortunately continued in July, with median RIM recruiter revenue growth slowing to only 1.4% in September (Figure 1).

Additionally a quarter of RIB members are seeing revenue growth of over 13% – a significant slowdown from the more than 30% in the summer.

www.rec.uk.com

RM_DEC_15.indd 3

which together employ over 1m people. The 2015 survey found that 65% of firms expect to need more skilled workers in the year ahead. This demand is particularly pronounced in high-growth sectors including construction (73%), manufacturing (69%) and engineering, science and technology (52%).

The lobby group EngineeringUK has already issued warnings about Britain’s current annual shortfall of 55,000 people with key engineering skills. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) reports that 60% of small construction firms are struggling to hire bricklayers, whilst more than half struggle to find carpenters. An anticipated shortage of drivers and distribution workers has also remained a constant theme throughout 2015 in the REC’s JobsOutlook report, causing particular alarm in the run up to Christmas.

Research from O2 suggests that by 2020 the UK will need

65%

OF FIRMS EXPECT TO NEED MORE SKILLED WORKERS IN THE YEAR AHEAD THIS DEMAND IS PARTICULARLY PRONOUNCED IN HIGHGROWTH SECTORS INCLUDING 65% OF SMALL CONSTRUCTION FIRMS ARE STRUGGLING TO HIRE BRICKLAYERS, WHILST MORE THAN HALF STRUGGLE TO FIND CARPENTERS

2.3m digitally-skilled workers, highlighting the growing technology talent gap in the labour market. The UK manufacturing sector is also predicted to require 1m more workers by 2020 to replace those retiring or leaving. According to the British Fashion Council, 60% of workers in textiles manufacturing are over the age of 40, exposing a pressing need to encourage younger people into UK fashion manufacturing.

Skills shortages are taking their toll. Research conducted

by Everline and the Centre for Economics and Business

Figure 1: Recruiter turnover growth

30 20 10 0 -10 Oct 13

Nov

Feb 14

May

Additionally a quarter of RIB members are now seeing revenues FALLING by more than 10% on a year ago.

This extreme divergence in revenue growth demonstrates the importance of benchmarking performance against

Aug

MANUFACTURING

ENGINEERING, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Research suggests the UK economy is losing out on £18bn a year as a result of the 520,000 vacancies that small businesses cannot fill due to a lack of relevant skills.

This figure is only set to rise.

The onus is now on recruiters, employers and the government to find a way of equipping the British workforce with the skills it so desperately needs.

On a more positive note, although RIB member turnover growth slowed to only 1.4% in September, net disposable revenue was growing significantly faster at 5.1%, and the top quartile of RIB members are still seeing NDR growth at around 30%.

40 ■ Upper Qtile ■ Median ■ Low Qtile

-20

73% 69% 52%

CONSTRUCTION

%

SKILLS ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER BEFORE

Nov

Feb

Sep 15

other recruiters to maximise performance. The slowing revenue growth is clearly related to a slowing in the UK labour market, with growth in vacancies slowing from over 25% a year ago, to 7.7% this September.

Chris Ansell is chief financial officer at Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIB). The RIB Index provides bespoke confidential reports on industry trends.

See www.ribindex.com; info@ribindex.com: 020 8544 9807. The RIB is a strategic partner of the REC.

RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015 3

11/11/2015 15:03

The BIG talking point

2015 REVIEW

THE REC IN REVIEW 2015 marked another strong year for the recruitment industry.

Here’s what shaped members, the industry and policy over the past year

JANUARY

Membership: The REC launched Scale Up, its flagship campaign, designed to help recruitment businesses make the most of the economic upturn.

Policy: An REC survey found almost 40% of recruitment agencies thought attracting workers aged 55 and above

required more thoughtful advertising.

Industry: Eighty per cent of employers planned to take on permanent staff within the first quarter of 2015, and only 7% intended to reduce their numbers, according to the REC’s first JobsOutlook survey for 2015.

FEBRUARY

Membership: 193 recruitment agencies were denied REC Membership in February for failing to pass the REC’s compliance test.

Industry: REC chief executive Kevin Green rejected claims the industry was unregulated and too profits focused. “The majority of temporary workers have weighed up the options and made a positive choice to work in this way because it suits them best,” he wrote.

Policy: The REC offered support to education charity WorkTree’s school Ambassador Pack, designed to promote recruitment as a viable career option for young people.

4 RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015

RM_DEC_15.indd 4

MARCH

Membership: execappointments.com joined the REC’s Business Partnership scheme, offering members a new channel for sourcing top executive talent.

Industry: The REC called for more government investment in STEM industries: “It is in these sectors where we will need even more people now investment has been confirmed.”

Policy: The REC launched plans for an Older Workers Pledge to be developed alongside Age UK.

APRIL

Membership: The Good Recruitment Campaign celebrated its first birthday.

The first anniversary was marked by the launch of the new GRC online hub plus a number of new signatories.

Industry: The month’s KPMG/REC Report on Jobs found permanent staff placements rose at a similar

pace from the start of the year, with temp placements slightly down on the record high recorded in February.

Policy: The Policy team produced a breakdown of every major political party’s manifesto in the lead up to May’s general election.

MAY

Membership: More than 260 students sat May’s Level 3 Cert RP exam, with a pass rate of 74%.

Industry: The REC’s Director of Policy Tom Hadley responded to criticisms by NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens that agencies were “ripping off ” the service.

“The overwhelming majority of NHS trusts manage their agency spend through framework agreements which cap prices.”

Policy: REC chief executive Kevin Green said the new Conservative government would mean a stronger focus on the UK’s place in Europe and immigration’s effects on the labour market.

www.rec.uk.com

11/11/2015 15:03

JUNE

Membership: Bespoke Recruitment director Simon Noakes was elected chair of the REC at June’s AGM, replacing Neil Smith.

Industry: The June 2015 edition of the REC/KPMG Report on Jobs showed growth in starting salaries and in temp billings, but growth of permanent placements began to ease.

Policy: The REC responded to Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt’s proposals to reduce agency spend in the NHS. “[Hunt] is scapegoating agencies for the NHS’s own mismanagement of workforce planning,” said REC director of policy Tom Hadley.

JULY

Membership: Specialist sector guides were produced for the first time, offering members details on the latest industry trends.

Industry: The REC releases its ‘Planning for growth: attract

www.rec.uk.com

RM_DEC_15.indd 5

and retain talent for your recruitment business’ report.

It found that 52% of recruitment consultants and managers received a pay rise in the year ending April 2015.

Policy: The Good Recruitment Campaign continued to grow with EY, River Island, Jaguar Land Rover, Johnson & Johnson, Wincanton, SAB Miller, Leeds NHS Trust and WaterAid and signing its charter.

AUGUST

Membership: Exams were taken in more than 15 locations in the UK and overseas, including Dubai, Jersey and Kazakhstan. More than 260 candidates sat the Level 3 Cert RP exam.

Industry: August’s JobsOutlook survey found that 98% of employers intended to maintain or increase their use of temps over the following quarter, as demand for staff continued to rise.

Policy: The REC is announced as a lead partner on the government’s WEcan campaign, designed to help young people

prepare themselves for jobs in the future.

SEPTEMBER

Membership: The REC announced the launch of ‘Jobs transform lives’ a new way of talking about the important work recruiters do in transforming workers’ lives.

Industry: A strategic alliance between the REC and Elite Recruitment Network was announced, with Elite’s suite of managerial and leadership courses now forming part of the REC’s corporate offering.

Policy: The REC announced a relationship with the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA).

All umbrella companies holding REC business partner status would now need to have FCSA membership.

OCTOBER

Membership: There were overwhelming reviews from members for the REC’s Greg Savage Masterclasses, held as

part of the Scale Up campaign.

Industry: The REC/KPMG Report on Jobs found that growth for both permanent placements and temp billings began to slow in October, but salary growth continued heading into November.

Policy: The REC rejected claims made by the National Union of Teachers that agency teachers don’t have access to sick pay, maternity pay or pensions. It also explained agency fee structures in the education industry.

NOVEMBER DECEMBER

Membership: Members celebrated a successful year with the awarding of the annual IRP Awards in London.

Industry: The REC’s 2014-15 Recruitment Industry Trends report found the recruitment industry grew to £31.5bn in 2014/15, with an 11.5% increase in margins for permanent placements.

Policy: The REC welcomed changes to the UK’s Tier 2 Skilled Migrant visa, which saw nursing placed on the Shortage Occupation List.

RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015 5

11/11/2015 15:03

Legal update

SKILLS SHORTAGES AND THE CONDUCT REGULATIONS

By Lewina Farrell, solicitor and head of professional services at the REC Recruiters are in the business of finding the right people for the right job and so are keenly aware of any skills shortages in their sectors. However, when recruiting either for permanent or temporary roles, recruiters must know what they are required to do by law if they cannot attract individuals with the right skills within the UK and wish to extend their search overseas.

THE CONDUCT REGULATIONS: Employment agencies (EAs) who introduce work-seekers for direct engagement by a client, and employment businesses (EBs) who supply temporary workers are required to comply with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 when engaging with both clients and work-seekers.

Regulation 19 provides that neither an EA (when introducing an individual to work with vulnerable persons) nor an EB, can introduce a work-seeker to

a client unless it has obtained confirmation that the workseeker has the experience, training, qualifications, and any authorisation which the client considers are necessary, or which are required by law or by any professional body to work in the position which the client seeks to fill. So what happens when a recruiter cannot find a candidate with the right skills and qualifications in the UK? Can they simply advertise overseas?

In short, no. Regulation 27A (Advertising in other EEA states), which took effect in January 2015 prevents an EA or EB from advertising a GB vacancy (ie. a vacancy in England, Scotland or Wales) in another EEA state without either advertising that vacancy in English in Great Britain (a) at the same time or (b) in the 28 days ending with the day on which it advertises the vacancy in the EEA state. Though Regulation 27A has been in place for only a few months, BIS are consulting on further changes (the consultation

closes on 23 November). They wish to extend Regulation 27A to reduce the scope of recruiters to fill vacancies in GB with people from anywhere overseas without first advertising them in GB. Interestingly the consultation states that those who advertise via the Government’s Universal Jobsmatch will comply with the new regulation. It will still be a defence to say that it would be disproportionate (based on reasonable grounds) to advertise in GB in English – the consultation uses the example of translators. We expect the proposed amendment will take effect some time in 2016.

Further amendments are being proposed to the Conduct Regulations though they are outside the scope of this article. Pleased see www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/recruitmentsector-changes-to-theregulatory-frameworkincluding-stopping-eea-onlyrecruitment for details.

RIGHT TO WORK IN THE UK: Having sourced the right person, the obligation to check whether an individual has the right to work in the UK differs depending on whether acting as an EA or an EB. When acting as an EA, legal responsibility lies with the client to employ only individuals with the right to work in the UK. If the individual is an EEA citizen s/he will have the right to work in the UK. If a nonEEA citizen, the client who is the prospective employer must sponsor the candidate.

Importantly neither EB’s nor umbrella companies can sponsor temporary workers to work in various roles with various clients.

Further information is available on the REC legal Guide at www.rec.uk.com/ legal-resources/legal-news/ Home-Office-statementtier-2-visas/Home-Officestatement-Tier-2-visasMay-2015.pdf and in the Sept/ Oct 2014 edition of the Legal Bulletin.

BEST SOFTWARE INTEGRATION YET REC Business Partners, Voyager Software and ISV Group have integrated their CRM and skills testing platforms to provide the most advanced search and selection technology on the market.

Launching in October 2015, the seamless integration provides more functionality than previously seen, enhancing recruiters’

6 RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015

RM_DEC_15.indd 6

ability to successfully place candidates.

From this month, recruiters using Voyager’s Infinity software can access ISV’s FastPath skills testing platform directly from inside the front office recruitment system. Consultants can administer tests directly from inside a candidate record with results also reported and stored within

Infinity. Recruiters have access to the full FastPath library of skills tests covering topics ranging from literacy and numeracy through to commercial driving and the Microsoft Office suite.

There is more functionality in this Voyager and ISV combination than has been seen before between a recruitment database and skill testing

provider. Recruiters have the ability to search their entire database of candidates for test results that meet the client’s requirements, candidates can be shortlisted, and Infinity can set review and expiry dates for tests so consultants don’t need to spend time chasing candidates.

For more information, visit voyagersoftware.com

www.rec.uk.com

11/11/2015 15:03

Inspiration

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS

The View

Sarah Gordon is an associate director at Sammons Pensions and an honorary fellow of the IRP

Tony Taylor is an HR consultant and honorary fellow of the IRP

ADVICE

WHAT I KNOW

What makes a good recruiter?

It’s a real passion for recruitment and an understanding that what we do changes peoples’ lives and transforms businesses.

Good recruiters see the whole person Successful recruiters understand how decisions made during the process have a profound effect on people. For the candidate, it’s not about a change in job, it’s about a change in careers and lifestyle. Recruiters should never forget the effect they had on the candidate and their family.

What is the most important tool in a recruiter’s toolkit?

Listening. Most recruiters are incredibly good at talking, but the best recruiters listen to what’s said and what’s not said.

If you’re probing a candidate on reasons for leaving a job, what they’re not telling you is the whole story.

What are some major challenges facing recruiters?

One of my personal bug bears is time to hire. A lot of clients are still taking their time, which doesn’t work with candidate expectation of a quick turnaround. Some wait two to three weeks. It’s a huge challenge for recruiters to manage. We want things to move very quickly because time does kill deals.

What are you most excited about?

There is so much happening in the world of technology in terms of getting big data. The more info you have in the current economy, the more power you have. But you also need tools for understanding the quality. We have huge networks and if you harness technology, you can get the best out of that. But technology will never replace the work a recruiter does.

The benefits of listening Listening is the sign of an outstanding recruiter. It’s a skill that takes a lot more effort and sill than people imagine. Non-verbal communication is important – the way a person says what’s not being said is worth paying attention to.

Value what you do Recruiters are the barometer of the economy. We’ve got a situation where recruiters are fundamentally vital to the UK economy. The challenge for the industry is to make sure we are able to identify passive and active candidates who are going to be right for niche roles. It’s a worn-out phrase, but recruiters need to be proactive and innovative.

The golden age As recruiters we live in in pretty exciting times as the industry becomes more and more professional. I find those kind of conversations with recruitment students and people I help train invigorating. I think 2016 will be a remarkably successful year as we see more efforts to professionalise by REC members.

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

RM_DEC_15.indd 7

RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015 7

11/11/2015 15:04

Events and training

AWARDS

LISTEN UP, WE HAVE MORE GREG SAVAGE THE REC IS GIVING YOU MORE GREG SAVAGE, FOLLOWING ON FROM HIS SOLD-OUT MASTERCLASSES IN OCTOBER. The awesome Aussie stars in a special episode of the Scale Up Podcast with Kevin Green.

Download now at rec.uk.com/scaleuppodcast

RECRUITMENT MATTERS

Membership Department: Membership: 020 7009 2100, Customer Services: 020 7009 2100 Publishers: Redactive Publishing Ltd, 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP. 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

Š 2015 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.

8 RECRUITMENT MATTERS DECEMBER 2015

RM_DEC_15.indd 8

www.rec.uk.com

11/11/2015 15:04

donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get left out in the cold

discover the ultimate in recruitment software REC.12.15.041.indd 41

www.itris.co.uk

11/11/2015 11:02

LE G ISLATIO N

With government plans to change the travel & subsistence (T&S) legislation, the effects may be hard to predict but the recruitment sector is sure to look different should it go through

BY COLIN COTTELL

s anyone who has worked in the staffing sector for more than five minutes knows only too well, predictions about the future are particularly difficult to get right.

In the past decade, there have been dire warnings about the catastrophic effects of the Agency Workers’ Regulations, and before that, managed service legislation. But somehow the sector — chameleon-like — adapts and emerges stronger, confounding the prophets of doom and gloom.

It is tempting to see the government’s intention to bring in legislation to stop workers operating via employment intermediaries from receiving tax relief on their travel & subsistence (T&S) expenses in the same light as this previous legislation. However, industry veteran Barry Roback, director of umbrella and accountancy solutions provider Anderson Group, warns that agencies will be caught by a ‘double whammy’ that will force them “to reengineer their business model”. Other experienced industry professionals describe the likely changes as “the most impactful of all recent legislative change”, and having “huge collateral

A

NEW RULES, DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE 34 RECRUITER

DECEMBER 2015

p42_44_legislation_feature.indd 42

12/11/2015 11:40

damage”. With these thoughts in mind, perhaps it is time to take notice.

The government’s intention to change the rules is set out in a discussion paper published on 23 September, which is out for consultation until 16 December, with legislation due next April. Although the paper does not contain any firm proposals, the government’s goals are clear, says Christopher Tutton, partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell.

“The government wants to restrict the ability of employment intermediaries to offer tax advantages arising from the current system,” Tutton says. “Specifically, they want to stop umbrella companies and personal service companies [PSCs] being used by temporary workers to get tax relief for T&S.” The government expects to bring in an extra £155m to the Exchequer in 2016-17 and £175m in 2017-18 as a result of the changes, says Tutton.

So what would be the effects if the government were to achieve its goal?

According to Crawford Temple, chief executive at PRISM, a trade association for service providers and payment intermediaries, the UK has as many as 1.6m contractors, of which “in theory 90% plus will be affected”.

Temporary workers who move around from site to site and boost their takehome pay through claiming their T&S expenses tax free are a feature of the UK’s flexible workforce, and Temple says that in a recent survey by independent membership organisation Professional Passport, 83% said they would be hit by the new rules. He says one estimate is

that is that overall contractors will see a 20% fall in their take-home pay.

“We are probably expecting tax relief to go in the majority of cases,” adds Julia Kermode, CEO of FCSA, a trade association for umbrella, accountancy and payroll service providers. A £3k drop in average take-home pay is “the most conservative estimate”, Kermode says.

Roback believes that the knock-on effects of contractors seeing their take-home pay drop will be huge as recruitment agencies are hit by “a double whammy”. The first part will be pressure on agencies to increase their rates to contractors to compensate them for receiving less money in their pockets, says Roback. The second ‘double whammy’ will be felt in the financial contributions or rebates many agencies receive from their umbrella partners.

This is taken out of the fees, typically between £10 and £30 a week, which umbrellas receive from their contractors, and passed back to the agency.

“The margins won’t be there for umbrellas to indulge in those kind of practices, mainly because contractors won’t pay the same amount to be processed as they did before because if they lose their tax advantages they won’t be getting the same financial advantage,” says Roback.

He estimates the amount umbrellas will be able to charge contractors for their services will drop to between £5 and £10 a week. Matthew Brown, managing director at umbrella firm giant group, agrees: “Regular rebates are unsustainable in the long term.”

Potential effects of government’s T&S legislation ➊ Contractors’ take-home pay falls, leading to higher assignment rates ➋ Contractors no longer willing to pay the same fees to umbrellas ➌ Lower margins for intermediaries and agencies ➍ Agency revenue drops as rebates paid by umbrellas to agencies fall away ➎ Umbrella/payroll companies whose business model overly relies on T&S disappear ➏ Umbrellas focus more on non-tax relief benefits ➐ Agencies cut costs of admin and non-fee earning functions ➑ Agencies focus more on finding talent

As a result of margin erosion and pressure to increase assignment rates, Roback says that in the short term agencies will be forced to outsource non-revenue producing functions, and to increase the proportion of sales roles.

“That is where the pressure point will come in getting those costs down,” he says. “Agencies will need to look at their budgets and at how they run their business with less revenue coming through,” agrees Brown.

Temple warns of “huge collateral damage” to the sector, citing the example of the construction industry that has gone down the same route as the government intends for temporary workers working via intermediaries.

He argues that HMRC’s proposed ▶

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 35

p42_44_legislation_feature.indd 43

12/11/2015 11:40

LE G ISLATIO N

test to determine whether a worker is self-employed — by proving they are not “under the supervision, direction or control of any person” and as a result are entitled to claim tax relief on T&S expenses — is flawed.

He explains that a similar test in the construction sector has resulted in most workers being forced into PAYE [pay-as-you-earn]. An additional factor pushing workers out of self-employment is the financial liability for any unpaid taxes and National Insurance on the supply chain if a worker is found not to be genuinely self-employed. “This has led

“There is a misconception that umbrellas formed as a way to claim tax relief.

That is not why they exist; they provide a whole host of services” JULIA KERMODE

36 RECRUITER

to a risk-averse approach,” says Crawford, which if repeated in the wider contractor workforce would see genuinely selfemployed contractors lose their right to claim T&S expenses tax free.

Temple warns a knock-on effect in the construction sector has resulted in some smaller companies entering the market, which are prepared to take the risk of engaging workers as self-employed, leading to larger compliant recruitment firms losing significant amounts of business. “The smaller recruitment agencies aren’t subject to the same audit standards as the larger companies, and end clients are happy to go with whoever is the cheapest,” he explains.

Agencies will not be the only ones in the supply chain to be hit by the likely changes. According to Tim Cook, CEO at specialist recruitment group nGAGE, “it will have a significant impact on umbrella schemes”. Andrew Pinnell, marketing director of umbrella service provider RACS Group, agrees: “This is probably going to be the most impactful of all recent legislative changes because it is going to potentially remove a model that a huge amount of people have been accustomed to. In a short space of time all facets of the industry are going to have reinvent themselves, and reevaluate their whole way of working. It’s a huge burden on business.”

Damian Broughton, MD of contractor accountancy and payroll services provider Danbro, says the inevitable outcome of umbrella companies having to reduce fees they charge contractors will be lower margins. Broughton says the fee umbrellas charge in future will depend on what other services and benefits they can offer contractors, who lose their tax-free T&S expenses status.

These could include life insurance or BUPA membership, he suggests.

Broughton expects that 80% of Danbro’s contractors will be caught by the new rules, with only the remaining 20% able to continue as self-employed and able to claim T&S expenses taxfree. However, that doesn’t mean he expects to lose contractors’ business.

“The 80% who are caught will still need a vehicle through which to operate a contract, whether that is an umbrella

company or a PSC [a contractor’s own limited company],” he says. He predicts that some workers who switch to a PSC model may return to umbrella worker status after finding that they too are caught by the legislation.

Kermode says those predicting the demise of umbrellas have got it wrong.

“There is a misconception that umbrellas formed as a way to claim tax relief. That is not why they exist; they exist to provide a whole host of services to agencies, such as full employment rights and maternity pay, as well as minimising agencies’ risk in employing a temporary workforce,” she says, adding the casualties will be limited to those that “base their profitability too much on tax relief”.

Rob Crossland, CEO of professional contractor service provider Optionis Group, agrees the new legislation “will be felt most keenly at the low end, by those companies who are exploiting expense to prop up margins”. An analysis by his company found 50% of its contractors didn’t claim T&S expenses at all. “There may be an economic rebalancing around take-home pay, or a slight change in margins, but we are not predicting a cataclysmic event,” he says.

In addition to the short-term effects on the staffing sector, Roback predicts the ripple effects of the likely changes will have long-term repercussions both for agencies and the supply chain. One effect, he adds, is that they will be forced to focus more on their bottom line.

Agencies will go back to what they do best, which is finding talent, he says.

“My long-term vision for agencies is they will find contractors for a fee, and the actual suppliers to the end users will be people like today’s umbrellas.”

Danbro’s Broughton is already thinking along similar lines. He envisages a future in which “agencies come to us and say ‘we have got this group of contractors, can you employ them?’, so we are the employer of record, not the agency or the end user” — a model already popular in the US. Whether Broughton is right and how the effects of next year’s T&S legislation exactly pan out is of course unclear, but at the very least the sector is in for an interesting ride. ⦁

DECEMBER 2015

p42_44_legislation_feature.indd 44

12/11/2015 11:40

Industry Leading Recruitment Software

Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x2122;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;ÇŻÂ&#x2022; Â&#x2013;Â&#x192;Â&#x17D;Â?Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2030;ǤǤǤ â&#x20AC;&#x153;A great product provided by a business that understands customer serviceâ&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The support process is superb... First Choice listens to our requestsâ&#x20AC;?

Simon Samuel

Mark Dainty Director

â&#x20AC;&#x153;V l ffor money â&#x20AC;&#x153;Value and return on investment are essential in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business world and RDB delivers just thatâ&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...the team at First Choice have always been highly supportive and responsive to our business needs.

I believe RDB ProNet is the best product in the market, backed up with responsive, intelligent supportâ&#x20AC;?

Patrick Bell Director

Ian Walters Managing Director

â&#x20AC;&#x153;...categorically the best software on the market today...RDB ProNet is an integral part of our businessâ&#x20AC;?

Rohan Shah Managing Director

...about the ƤÂ&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2026;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Â&#x2039;Â? Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;Â&#x2026;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2013;Â?Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2013; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021;

Â&#x201E;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2018;Â? Â&#x192; Â&#x2020;Â&#x2021;Â?Â&#x2018;Â?Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x201D;Â&#x192;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2018;Â? Â?Â&#x2018;Â&#x2122; Â&#x2013;Â&#x2021;Â&#x17D;ÇŁ ÎŽÍ&#x153;Í&#x153; Č&#x2039;Í&#x2DC;Č&#x152;Í&#x2122;Í&#x161;Í?Í&#x17E; Í&#x203A;Í&#x2122;Í&#x153;Í&#x17E;Í&#x2DC;Í&#x2DC; Â&#x2122;Â&#x2021;Â&#x201E;ÇŁ Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2039;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2026;Â&#x160;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2039;Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021;ǤÂ&#x2018;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2030;ǤÂ&#x2014;Â?

ProNet people I process I placements

Giving back First Choice Software are proud sponsors of the following 2015 events

REC.12.15.045.indd 45

Developed by

Â&#x2022;Â&#x2018;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2013;Â&#x2122;Â&#x192;Â&#x201D;Â&#x2021; Â&#x201E;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2039;Â&#x17D;Â&#x2013; Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2018;Â&#x201D; Â&#x201E;Â&#x2014;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2021;Â&#x2022;Â&#x2022; Â&#x2022;Â&#x2039;Â?Â&#x2026;Â&#x2021; Í&#x2122;ÍĄÍĄÍ&#x17E;

2015 Charity Ball HEADLINE SPONSOR

HEADLINE SPONSOR

Global Recruiter Industry Awards

Ri

Recruitment International Awards HEADLINE SPONSOR

Ri

Top 500 Summer Party

first choice software ft wa arre part of Access Group

Marketing & Digital Recruitment Awards

Awards Category sponsor

11/11/2015 11:04

AWARDS E REC.12.15.046-047.indd 46

T N

I R

S E 5 1 0

2

2.

1 .

8

1 e in

l d a

e d y

r

t En

11/11/2015 16:51

N E P ORIES CATEG O RECRUITMENT LEADERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

1) AGENCY RECRUITMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR 2) IN-HOUSE RECRUITMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR 3) RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

15)

BEST INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY

16)

BEST IT RECRUITMENT AGENCY

17)

BEST NEW AGENCY

IN-HOUSE RECRUITER AWARDS - FOR EMPLOYERS

18)

BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RECRUITMENT AGENCY

19)

BEST PUBLIC SECTOR RECRUITMENT AGENCY

4) BEST CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE 5) BEST APPRENTICE-SCHOOL LEAVER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY 6) BEST GRADUATE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY 7) INNOVATION IN RECRUITMENT 8) MOST EFFECTIVE EMPLOYER BRAND DEVELOPMENT 9) BEST RECRUITMENT TEAM EXTERNAL RECRUITER AWARDS - FOR AGENCIES 10) 11) 12) 13)

BEST RECRUITMENT MARKETING TEAM BEST CANDIDATE CARE BEST CLIENT SERVICE BEST BANKING-FINANCIAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY

14) BEST CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING RECRUITMENT AGENCY

20) BEST TEMPORARY RECRUITMENT AGENCY 21)

NEW FOR 2016 MOST EFFECTIVE BACK OFFICE OPERATION

PARTNER AWARDS 22) BEST EMBEDDED RECRUITMENT TEAM 23) OUTSTANDING OUTSOURCED RECRUITMENT ORGANISATION 24) RECRUITMENT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION OF THE YEAR 25) MOST EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN 26) BEST JOB BOARD - CAREERS BOARD

VISIT RECRUITERAWARDS.CO.UK RDS.CO.UK K +44 (0) 20 7324 2771

In association with:

Sponsored by:

Judging day sponsor:

Supported by:

rhianna.fitzgerald@redactive.co.uk

@RecruiterAwards

REC.12.15.046-047.indd 47

11/11/2015 16:51

INCLUSIV E NE SS

LOOKING THROUGH THE

Software provider SAP has taken on the challenge of having 1% of its workforce made up of people on the autistic spectrum, through its Autism at Work programme GRAHAM SIMONS

n 2013, Stefanie Nennstiel of enterprise application software provider SAP took on a new diversity & inclusiveness recruitment challenge that would see the HR software provider hire from a global workforce with particular specialist requirements — people on the autistic spectrum.

“I am known for taking over very challenging projects within our company and so they asked me if I was interested to take over or act as a global leader for this Autism at Work initiative,” Nennstiel says, explaining her reasoning for taking on the project.

She adds she was the sort of person who was always interested

I

40 RECRUITER

p48_49_sap_feature.indd 48

in learning more, thus placing SAP as a thought leader in this field.

Nennstiel, a senior programme manager for HR at SAP, based in Walldorf, Germany, will discuss the initiative and the company’s experience in developing and implementing it at The Recruiter Show in London on 19 November.

A former programmer, Nennstiel has been at HR software provider SAP since 1992. In 2011, she was given a remit of improving workforce diversity at the group.

DECEMBER 2015

12/11/2015 11:41

upskill and inform employees about what it means to be autistic.

The group’s hiring process starts with collaborating with a country’s local networks for autistic people, as people on the spectrum are not likely to visit company career pages. Candidates are then emailed a questionnaire to ascertain their skill sets. Working with specialist recruiter Specialisterne, SAP then invites candidates to take part in a ‘Lego hangout’ where they build Lego constructions. Candidates who demonstrate the appropriate innovation and creativity are offered a job and invited back to be onboarded over a four-week period.

The programme was subsequently rolled out in Germany. Nennstiel says only small adjustments had to be made to the programme when being introduced to international locations to account for different cultures across the globe.

But Nennstiel is keen to point out the project has nothing to do with corporate social responsibility (CSR) and there is a business case for the programme. “We are convinced that those people with a specific skill set bring value to our company — that’s the business case.

“Because they have a different view of our programmes, they have a different view of how to do things. With this mindset and this skill set we ensure that we are still innovative and creative in future, and so we can run our business successfully in upcoming years.”

The group’s target of having 1% of its workforce who are on the autistic

spectrum reflects the fact people with autism make up 1% of the world’s population.

For now, the return on the group’s investment [ROI] of the programme is being measured by success stories across SAP’s business. There’s no effective way currently to adequately measure ROI in hiring autistic workers but Nennstiel is committed to finding one.

“When you are talking about KPIs [key performance indicators], you can’t measure it right now. We hired someone in the US in one of our locations there and this person created a completely new, easy to use app. So this is value-add enough.”

Stories such as these are spread across the group’s staff communication platforms but Nennstiel is working on collating more meaningful data. “I am also collaborating with the universities like Cambridge University and Stamford [University] and discussing with professors how can we measure the success of employing people who are autistic.”

And her magic formula for finding autistic workers? “Openness and trust.

Just to be open to new ideas and be ready to trust the new employees that they are working at their best.” ⦁

↗

Initially, Nennstiel took on the challenge to increase the number of women in leadership roles among SAP’s global workforce. The numbers speak for themselves: back in 2011, just 17% of the group’s leaders were women, while today that figure stands at more than 23%. The group has a target of 25% by 2017.

But it was in 2013 that Nennstiel took on the Autism at Work initiative. This recruitment drive followed the successful initial roll-out of a programme to hire people on the autistic spectrum in SAP’s Indian operation in Bangalore, the country’s equivalent of the US’s Silicon Valley, in 2011.

The Autistic Society of India contacted SAP to enquire whether they would like to donate laptops for a programme to help autistic people communicate better, as people on the autistic spectrum tend to have issues with communicating and social skills in general.

SAP’s managing director in India then hit upon the idea of recruiting people with an autistic diagnosis within its software testing centres.

After an initial successful Indian pilot, the company turned to Nennstiel to roll out the programme globally. “It really was a challenge for me because we had to develop everything from scratch,” she recalls. “There was no-one that helped us.”

The programme was launched in May 2013 at the firm’s Sapphire customer event in Orlando. The group set up staff awareness events alongside in its global locations. The events were designed to

STEFANIE NENNSTIEL is a senior programme manager for HR at SAP and global lead for the Austim at Work programme

SPECTRUM WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 41

p48_49_sap_feature.indd 49

12/11/2015 11:41

YOU OUGHTA KNOW

Foreign employees in The Netherlands can benefit from special tax arrangements that can substantially increase their net wages. Depending on the circumstances, this could increase by up to 20%, or in some cases by as much as 30%; as you can see, there is a lot to be gained.

Most certainly for your clients as well!

Visit www.dutch-umbrella-company.com/youknow and we will bring you up to speed The Dutch Umbrella Company is built on trust and has all the knowledge, experience and the right network to help out with relevant legal advice, tax and payment services. We are part of WePayPeople, one of the fastest-growing financial HR companies in The Netherlands.

T: +31 (0)20 820 15 60 E: duc@wepaypeople.com W: www.dutch-umbrella-company.com

REC.12.15.050-051.indd 50

11/11/2015 15:50

Q&A SPO NSO RE D Q&A J U L I U S K O U S B R O A K , W E P A Y P E O P L E

Payroll goes Dutch Founded in 2008, WePayPeople [The Dutch Umbrella Company] is based in Amsterdam and operates across the Dutch market, serving international clients with three main disciplines: national payrolling (flex and regular), back office services for recruiters and temporary workers, and umbrella services for expatriates and hiring companies. In 2014, WePayPeople’s sales volume was E48m.

Q: Tell us about the range of payroll matters in which your company has specific expertise.

JK:

We specialise in payroll solutions for small companies, temporary employment agencies and companies working with international staff under Dutch legislation. This can lead to company-wide solutions, branded portal solutions with a complete digital workflow, as well as individual solutions for foreign employees working in the Netherlands. We are a member of the Dutch Expat Center and a recognised sponsor of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service. The latter means that, within weeks, we can arrange all the required official documentation, such as a working permit, to enable staff to get started quickly.

Q: Give us an example of a tough payroll problem your company resolved recently.

WePayPeople’s managing director and founding father, Julius Kousbroek, talks about his company’s unique place in the market.

JK: Not long ago a UK-based company wanted to payroll a non-uk national employee.

This was all arranged in the Netherlands but the employee was not satisfied with his net pay. Our Expat Calculator – with which one can quickly get an idea of what his or her net pay would be if working through us -- showed a much better result. We were able to re-arrange things within two weeks and also apply for the 30% ruling, the tax deduction for those workers coming from outside the Netherlands with certain requirements and skills -- all without extra cost.

Q: Tell us about your team’s credentials and expertise.

JK: The Dutch Umbrella Company has 15 specialists ready for action, led by International Payroll manager Gabrielle Roodhart, who

previously worked in international payrolling and expat payrolling at PwC. Together with our expat payroll advisor Pim Bouwmeester (previously of Mazars and PWC) he will be your business contact.

Q: How is your company different from other payroll companies?

JK: The Dutch Umbrella Company (WePayPeople) has been a specialist in all varieties of payroll since the beginning. We are in no way involved in candidate recruitment, and we do not act as a temporary worker recruitment agency company. We wanted to be a specialist in order to concentrate on the best possible solution for companies and expatriates. We invested heavily in talent and automation. This has paid off, reflecting in our growth figures and the many prizes we have won over the last five years. This year we have won the FD Gazelle Award again. We have won this award, Issued by the Dutch equivalent of the Financial Times for five years in a row. We have also earned five top rankings in Deloitte´s Technology Fast 50.

Q: What is your personal business philosophy about working in the payroll industry?

JK: The actual economic developments in markets throughout the world, and in the Netherlands in particular, demand a different approach when hiring personnel. The key to success for companies, as well as employers, is flexibility. This means for employers to be able to upscale and downscale quickly and for employees to find and start working (again) as quickly as possible after being released from service.

↗

WANT TO APPEAR IN RECRUITER’S SPONSORED Q&A SLOT ?

Contact Tom Culley at tom.culley@recruiter.co.uk

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 43

Recruiter advertorial Q&A.indd 57

12/11/2015 15:41

REC.12.15.052.indd 52

11/11/2015 11:06

CO M M U N I T Y

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

E

From jumping out of planes to running around, here’s what you’ve been getting up to outside recruitment RUNNING PRETTY IN PURPLE TUTUS… VIA For the staff of IT and technology y recruiter Understanding Recruitment, team building is tough — running 10km dressed in dazzling purple t-shirts and tutus..

Although a few tutus have been ars lost in action, for the past five years the gallant — and quite frankly barmy — employees have yomped round the Herts 10K course in training for their next targets of a Tough Mudder and a trek up Mount Kilimanjaro for charity next year.

Watch out for those tutus up the mountain, though — you don’t want them catching on anything…

Left to right: Stewart London (managing director), Holly Hereford (marketing executive), Tina London (director) and of course Frankie the Lion from Saint Francis Hospice

ROARRRING SUCCESS FOR ATHONA VIA

Brentwood-based healthcare recruiter Athona Recruitment has raised over £11k for three charities in the past year, including £995.16 for Hopefield Animal Sanctuary and £6,858.61 for Guide Dogs. One of the charities, Saint Francis Hospice, sent in their mascot Frankie the lion to receive their cheque for £3,205.53.

MARATHON EFFORT BY MARTIN VIA Director of recruitment firm Cherry Professional Martin Burnett raised an impressive £1k for a cancer charity by running the Robin Hood Half Marathon — and chalking up a ‘personal best’ time for good measure, too. The boss of the specialist finance, HR and accountancy recruitment firm was running for the Ethan Maull ‘Up Yours to Cancer’ Foundation, in memory of a young fundraiser who was himself diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the age of eight and tragically died this year aged just 10.

TW I TT E R In response to Martin Burnett’s halfmarathon fundraising effort…

Cherry Professional @cherryprof Nov 4 @RecruiterMag @EbobsFight he’s still a little achy! It’s such a great cause! #charity

SOARING HIGH IN THE SKY VIA Recruitment South East’s chief executive Rob Purdie and operations & resourcing manager Leanne Atkins, aka Lil, took to the skies and completed a huge challenge by skydiving from 12,000ft over Headcorn in Kent.

This was a big achievement for them both, more so for Lil, who conquered a massive fear of heights. In doing so they raised over £2k for a small charity based in Eastbourne, East Sussex — the Happy Paws Puppy Rescue.

In fact, the Happy Paws charity was so impressed with Rob and Lil that they named two of the rescued dogs after them!

In response to Understanding Recruitment’s team-building 10km run in purple tutus…

CEO Rob Purdie (on the bottom with the blue and black helmet) smiles bravely for the camera

Ben Smith @dotnetbensmith Nov 4 Ben Smith Retweeted Recruiter Magazine A lot of compliments on the Tutu!

Recruiter Magazine @RecruiterMag Team building in purple tutus? Such fun! @UnderstandingR #recruitment @AndrewBloch http://bit.ly/20raVSr @RecruiterMag instagram.com/recruitermagazine/ recruitermagazine.tumblr.com/

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 45

p53_recruiter_social.indd 53

12/11/2015 09:48

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

Give new staff the best possible start RECRUITMENT You’ll get a successful hire with a motivated JOB ACTIVITY employee — and make your own life easier ANALYSIS of data compiled

BY TARA LESCOTT

↗ TARA LESCOTT is managing director of rec-to-rec agency Recruiter Republic

➊ HAVE THEIR DESK READY There is simply nothing worse for a new employee than to arrive on day one to find their desk is not set up. Create a simple tick sheet for the new starter set-up, and allocate this to someone in your support team or an upand-coming senior who wants to take taking on extra responsibility. Make sure the desk is clean and emptied, equipment is functioning, log-ins for all software are requested in advance, the telephone is set up and business cards are ordered. ➋ FIRST DAY START TIME Monday mornings are usually hectic and, with the best plans in the world, there will be matters that have to be dealt with. Make sure you give yourself some

WE ALL KNOW how hard it is to secure great talent in recruitment. With the sheer scale of competing opportunities and the lack of suitable candidates, it can feel like a real struggle.

So it’s no great surprise that onboarding sometimes suffers. Many employers think the real work is done once an offer is accepted — but that’s a short-sighted view and a mistake that recruitment firms simply cannot afford to make. It leads to failed hires, low expectations or demotivation — all issues that make the work of the management team so much harder in the long term and create a poor starter experience.

A little more effort at the start of the process leads to a much more positive experience for everyone.

Anyone who has managed new staff knows that the first few days involve a huge drain on time and it is this issue that usually leads to a poor induction process.

Here are my top tips for a successful induction that should minimise the impact on the manager while enhancing the experience for the incoming team member:

breathing room and schedule a 10am start time on the first day. ➌ CREATE A WARM WELCOME Make sure all key team members are in on day one and have a team breakfast or a team lunch. New recruits will settle in sooner if they get to know everyone – plus it’s a nice touch that makes them feel special. ➍ LEADERSHIP INDUCTION Don’t forget to delegate up. Book a time in advance for your new recruit to spend 20 minutes with a member of the leadership team – this meeting should cover a brief rundown on company history, the vision for the company’s future, how your new recruit will be a part of the journey and expectations in the medium to

long term covering behaviour and performance.

your new hire knows the schedule and can plan.

➎ ALLOCATE A BUDDY Introduce your recruit to a peer who is not in their direct line management, or team if you can.

Everyone needs someone to refer to and get advice from without feeling judged.

➑ WARM-UP TASKS Whatever the seniority of your hire, there should be a phase-in period.

It’s important they have work they can do under their own steam early on, so prepare this in advance. It might be updating candidates to find availability, updating old vacancies, contacting lapsed clients, refreshing job adverts, industry research or candidate mapping.

➏ POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Handle this one yourself. Set out team/company procedures and expectations, and agree dates, for matters such as career reviews, month plans and events, early on. ➐ TRAINING If immediate training is needed, book this in advance and have any manuals or notes available from day one. Also, confirm future training dates so

through Recruiter Jobs, Recruiter magazine’s job board, reveals an overall slowdown in both advertising and applications over the last month, although one area — generalist — is bucking the trend.

G E NE R A L IST R E C R U IT E R S

Demand for and from generalist recruiters rose, with a 23% increase in jobs advertised, a 12% increase in active users and a 27% increase in applications.

Most of these jobs (30.3%) were located in South-East England, followed by both Greater London and Yorkshire & Humber (both 15.15%), which follows general trends for this sector.

But applicants are beginning to favour jobs in international locations, specifically Asia and Australasia, the

58% CONSULTANT LEVEL

➒ BOOK A FIRST WEEK REVIEW It is vital your new hire is given the opportunity to formally give their feedback and impressions of their first week. Book this meeting on their first day, ideally for Friday morning.

So, if you don’t feel you have a strong enough induction process, fix it today — I promise it will be worth it. ● 46 RECRUITER

DECEMBER 2015

p54_55_recruiter_careersNEW.indd 54

12/11/2015 09:49

CO M M U N I T Y

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

E

You need faith in what you sell Why workplace reality must match candidate experience

BY ANDREW MOUNTNEY

↗ ANDREW MOUNTNEY is founding partner at in-house recruitment specialist Aspen In-House

13% 19.5%

figures reveal. Applications for jobs in these areas accounted for 31.2% of the total number of applications, followed

by Greater London (19.5%), typically the most in demand location, and Yorkshire & Humber (13%).

YORKSHIRE & HUMBER

GREATER LONDON

Of the generalist recruiter roles advertised, most (38.75%) were for consultants, followed by senior consultants (31.25%) and area, branch or sector manager (13.75%).

Most applications were at the consultant level (58%), followed by in-house recruiters (21%) and area, branch or sector manager (9.68%).

31.2% AUSTRALIA AND ASIA

“I’M FED UP with the cold-calling. I don’t want to sell anymore.”

So begins almost every conversation we have with an agency recruiter looking to move in-house.

You do not stop selling when you move in-house.

The topic of selling — or not — has been widely debated. I’ve always believed it is intrinsic to a great in-house recruiter; that’s evident right now and not for the reasons you might suspect.

One of the most consistent reasons we see for in-house recruiters wanting a new role is they no longer have faith in what they are selling.

In agency, you can go and find new clients when you fall out with existing ones. That’s not possible in-house. When the only thing you are selling is no longer something that you believe in, you have a problem — and it’s increasingly common.

Why so?

Most of the problems appear to be rooted in something we’ve all been championing — the ‘candidate experience’. By no means is candidate experience now a smooth, consistent and outstanding event across the recruiting world, but it is getting better.

For many in-house recruiters, this has been supported by investment in branding, selection tools and candidate swag, all of which help the sell. At its heart should be a theme of ‘what it is like to work here’ — but this is often missing.

This is where things start to become challenging. When the work experience does not match the candidate experience, the role

of the in-house recruiter is horrible.

There’s no hiding place from a colleague who feels they have been miss-sold a role or a hiring manager who feels a new team member ‘does not get the culture’.

As a recruiter, there are not many places to go either; you cannot change the work experience, you might be part of a longer-term cultural shift on work life in the talent team, but you cannot do it alone.

Now is probably not the time for the recruiter to dial back the candidate experience. It may well be the recruiter’s personal investment — it will certainly be something the business has spent time and money on.

Catch-22. With that, you have a group of trapped in-house recruiters, working in a role they want to deliver, but delivering something to candidates they are uncomfortable selling for a business they no longer have faith in. For this group, there often really is only one option, which is finding a new home. That is fraught with risk.

What if the candidate experience is great but is papering over the cracks of a creaking workplace?

A good candidate experience is important but it should not supersede an honest assessment of the working environment.

We’re moving into the next age where the day-to-day work experience will be increasingly important when people are deciding where to work, facilitated by the likes of jobs and recruiting marketplace Glassdoor. We need to embrace this as an attraction and assessment tool, not fear it, because for recruiters it’s going to shape our own experience. ● WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 47

p54_55_recruiter_careersNEW.indd 55

12/11/2015 09:49

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO OWN A SELECT APPOINTMENTS RECRUITMENT AGENCY FRANCHISE AFTER YOUR FIRST YEAR?

jobs for people people for jobs

A DV E RTO R I A L S E L E C T A P P OI N T M E N T S

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been running my own business for exactly one year -- now is the perfect time to hit the â&#x20AC;&#x153;pauseâ&#x20AC;? button and: â&#x20AC;˘ indulge in well-earned, self-congratulatory celebrations, and â&#x20AC;˘ reflect on what I have learned Three key areas remain CORE to what I do:

CAROLINE DEUTSCH, Franchise Owner, St Albans

NUMBER 1: (and no surprises here) LOTS of HARD WORK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long hours, multi- tasking, implementing, managing, strategising and planning, list making -- and then thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the day job! Having heaps of energy and a positive outlook goes far.

NUMBER 2: Get OUT AND ABOUT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I visit local businesses to introduce myself and our services. Making face-to-face contact makes a real difference. I have built up a wide circle of partners to do business with.

NUMBER 3: Being a calculated risk taker, becoming a FRANCHISE PARTNER within the Select network was a wise move. I own and run my business but also have a huge brand name and national company-sized support network covering IT, HR, legal, compliance and marketing. And I work with some of the best business minds in recruitment.

I focus on building client and candidate relationships with my team without getting swamped by the everyday back office distractions my competitors struggle with.

So, yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard work, and I hope to get some of my weekend back at some point -- but who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be their own boss and do something rewarding, empowering, flexible and fun. â&#x2014;?

â&#x2020;&#x2014;

For more information on a Select Appointments franchise email: franchiseteam@select.co.uk, or visit www.selectfranchising.co.uk or call Suzie McCafferty on 07793 054 233

The Personal Approach to Franchising & Recruitment

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about our fantastic Recruitment Agency Franchise Opportunity If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve long held aspirations of running your very own recruitment agency, then perhaps now is the time to make it a reality with all the advantages of 5 e ½¿

F 1 1 ĂŻ 2

ĂŻ

ĂŻ L packages an independent recruitment agency can only dream of. Starting with just two consultants, you can expand at your own pace with absolutely no limits.

2 5 ! / %

0115 828 1263 or email franchiseteam@select.co.uk

REC.12.15.056.indd 56

selectfranchising.co.uk

11/11/2015 11:08

CO M M U N I T Y

CAREERS

E

“I started in August 2014, have been promoted twice and now have my own team” MY BRILLIANT RECRUITMENT CAREER What was your earliest dream job? I wanted to be an astronaut! From age 5-11, that was a dream and then when I became a teenager, I wanted to be an actress, singer, back-up dancer or anything in the entertainment ment industry. I quickly realised thatt wasn’t going to make me money so I did a law degree, but fell into recruitment, as you do!

1 5-1 e e ag to b t! d u m Fro ante rona t w I as an

↗ CEM BALLIKAYA is team leader BA/ PMO, Nicoll Curtin

What was your first job in recruitment and how did you come into it? I did nine days’ work experience at search h firm McCabe & Barton, just doing ing contract invoices for someone who was on leave. The client was a tier one investment bank and I saw w the salaries these guys were taking g home, and thought maybe I could do some recruitment, too — and here I am am…

What do you love most about your current role? That I work at an outstanding company. We share the same values, mission and vision.

I started in August 2014, have been promoted twice and have my own team.

What would you consider to be the most brilliant moment of your career? Joining Nicoll Curtin — it was Q4 when everything was on a freeze but I came in and did nine deals in my first three months, qualified for the high fliers trip and was promoted by January.

What is your ‘can’t do without’ office tool besides your phone?

LinkedIn Recruiter — I wouldn’t know what to do without it.

Do you prefer a staycation or holiday abroad? Holiday abroad, every single time. Every time I would just go to Seoul in South Korea if I could.

I just love it.

I M AG E S | A K I N FA LO P E / ISTO C K

p57_recruiter_brillcareer.indd 57

My ‘go

ace! to’ pl

Cem Ballikaya

Outside the o office, where would you like to interview a candidate or be interviewed? My ‘go to’ place is

1 Canada Square Bar and Restaurant.

It’s predominantly where my main client is based.

What’s your top job to fill at the moment? £450/day PMO [project management office] analysts are my Achilles heel. It’s the busiest banding in that specialism. I’ve got portfolio managers who are on £950 a day and I found them easily — £450 a day though, no. For the life of me, can’t find them.

Laugh or cry, what did your most memorable candidate make you want to do and why?

months ago and she was just aweinspiring — the way she spoke about what she did and her vision. I remember sending out an email to the chap who introduced me and said ‘when I grow up, I want to be this person’.

What’s the best or worst interview question you’ve ever heard? I had a business analyst go for a client onboarding role and they used a metaphorical question — conjuring up a picture of a village with a certain population and x-number of hairdressers and the need for x-number of haircuts — to test the analyst’s skills. He began his answer with ‘well it doesn’t apply to me because I’m bald’.

The hiring manager was so impressed — what a great question and a great comeback.

Inspire, actually. I met her about six

Make us an offer we can’t refuse Nicoll Curtin is on such a growth curve at the moment. You don’t need to bring experience with you, we just believe in the potential people can have with sufficient support. So if you want to escalate your career...? ● WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 49

12/11/2015 11:41

E EMPLOYABILITY CO M M UNITY

RECRUITERS OFFER ‘COMPANIONS’ NEW HOME IN JOB MARKET SARAH MARQUET

W

ith no government funding other than housing benefits, homelessness charity Emmaus Leeds relies on its own furniture recycling enterprise, as well as community grants, to stay afloat.

All 26 ‘companions’ — formerly homeless people or ex-prisoners who would otherwise be homeless — are required to work 40 hours a week collecting, delivering, upcycling and selling the furniture, but that leaves little time for learning other employability skills.

Like the other 23 Emmaus ‘communities’ in the UK, it relies on

outside partners for other help. “It’s being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people” to make those connections, Emmaus Leeds community leader Katrina Mattock tells Recruiter.

Which is where Leeds-based IT consultancy and recruitment firm Corecom Consulting and the Leeds office of professional recruiter Badenoch & Clark come in. Corecom and Emmaus met at investment bank Goldman Sachs’ recent 10,000 Small Businesses event, which provides business support to small firms and social enterprises, Corecom managing director Jonathan Sanderson explained.

And in early November, the two officially formed a partnership that has already seen the recruiter teaching the companions interviewing, CV writing and IT skills. Some of the companions had never sent an email before, Sanderson said.

Corecom taught them how to use Google docs — free online document creation software — to create CVs. “I thought if they could prepare a CV in the shelter, then they’d always have it,” Sanderson explained. “As long as they can remember their password and

Emmaus Leeds community leader Katrina Mattock (l) and Corecom MD Jonathan Sanderson (r) offer advice to companion Dave Kirk

username, no one would be able to take that away from them.”

And for the companions who already had some IT knowledge, Corecom staff taught advanced skills such as how to create and use spreadsheets, he said.

Mattock said learning new skills also gave the companions a confidence boost, which is another challenge they face when trying to transition into the job market.

Sanderson added education and giving back to the community were core Corecom values and important to him personally. “I once read a book by John Bird [co-founder of magazine The Big Issue, sold by homeless or near-homeless people], who changed my perspective on the homeless situation,” he added.

He said the book made him realise just turning up somewhere at a specific time each day is difficult for someone with no fixed abode, and that is the first challenge rough sleepers face when trying to turn their lives around.

Mattock says these people need both jobs and homes to move on with their lives but it’s a catch-22 — you can’t get one without the other.

Consultants from Badenoch & Clark are also mentoring specific companions at Emmaus Leeds on similar employability skills. Recruitment consultant Lucy Parker told Recruiter that the firm’s engagement with Emmaus was in its “very early days”, but that in just one session with a companion, she had seen one man progress from having no sense of his employment opportunities to setting out to put together a CV. “It was an eye opener,” Parker said of learning about the companions’ lives.

“But it was also quite inspiring.” ●

“I thought if they could prepare a CV in the shelter, then they’d always have it” J O N AT H A N S A N D E R S O N

50 RECRUITER

DECEMBER 2015

p58-59_recruiter_employability.indd 58

12/11/2015 09:50

WORK FOR WORK: YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY IN SOUTH AFRICA SARAH MARQUET

Top: Delegates in the 2015 Gi Group UK SMS Academy

U

K firms and recruiters interested in getting involved with or starting up their own employability programmes could do worse than look at the Harambee model in South Africa.

Harambee is training thousands of young people a year, giving them employability skills and placing them in jobs they would otherwise have been locked out of due to lack of skills or experience. And having grown from a partnership with four companies in 2011 to 200 this year, the enterprise is receiving international attention.

Hollard Insurance was one of the founding members and its head of group corporate affairs Gail Walters tells Recruiter the motivation for Harambee — which means ‘work for work’ in Swahili — was threefold: to improve the employability of young people, increase the labour pool and increase access to work for people both within the Hollard group and further afield.

Harambee provides a 90-day bridging programme in which the trainees, or ‘harambees’, are taught work-ready expertise such as computer skills, financial literacy, numeracy, what kinds of clothes to wear, what kind of language to use, and so on. It then pairs the young person with one of the 200 partner companies that span 11 sectors including hospitality, retail, manufacturing, mining and financial services. The companies make a commitment to help employ that young person for a minimum of a year, with the potential for it becoming permanent.

“And that’s where you increase the employability of those people going forward, because research has shown if a person can stay in employment in their first job for a year, it increases their chances of remaining in employment throughout their lifetime,” Walters says.

Above and bottom right: Harambees in action Far left: Gail Walters of founding Harambee firm Hollard Insurance

C O M PANY

Harambee, at a glance ▶ Formed in 2011 and initiated by Yellowwoods, the investment company representing Hollard’s main shareholders ▶ 90-day bridging programme in which young people are taught work-ready skills ▶ Trainees receive one-year work placements

She describes Harambee as “a conduit between the market, the labour pool of young, unemployed, disadvantaged work-seekers, and employers that are looking to employ people in entry level jobs”.

Statistics South Africa puts the national unemployment rate at 25% and Walters says it is even higher for 18-24-year-olds, which is why Harambee is targeting that age group. The World Economic Forum estimates one in three young South Africans is unemployed.

The Rockefeller Foundation, which was already working to help provide jobs for young people in Africa via its Digital Jobs Africa initiative, this year announced a series of investments over two years and worth US$3m (£2m) to help Harambee

▶ 200 partner companies spanning 11 sectors ▶ On track to have helped 20,000 people by the end of 2015 ▶ 25% of South Africans are unemployed, rising to 33% for young people

scale up the programme, according to the foundation’s website Walters says the Harambee programme was also recently presented to the Clinton Global Initiative, part of the Clinton Foundation, among other initiatives.

Harambee expects to have placed 20,000 young people into work by the end of this year with an ongoing annual target of 10,000. By 2020, it hopes to have helped 500,000 people.

Walters explains Hollard specifically, though probably other companies too, is continually monitoring the programme to see what is affecting retention of the young people — social integration into the workforce, for example — and what other skills need ‘bridging’. ● WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 51

p58-59_recruiter_employability.indd 59

12/11/2015 09:50

E BUSINESS ADVICE CO M M UNITY

CULTURE, BRAND AND SUSTAINABLE SUCCESS The importance of brand and culture is widely accepted but less well understood and articulated.

Brand is the embodiment of an organisation. The company name, logo, font and colours all become intrinsically associated with our perceptions and expectations of the organisation, its employees, its service and its culture. A coherent brand — a consistent ‘look’ — sets an expectation for everyone involved with the organisation of a consistent service.

This is crucial because, to prosper in the long term in the competitive recruitment market, you need to do something consistently better than your competitors. While company systems, structures and processes are put in place to achieve consistent delivery, they are relatively easy (in principle) to replicate; however, you will struggle to embed them into the organisation if they are not aligned with the company’s culture, as it is culture that ultimately determines behaviour.

In other words, if you don’t have a strong culture, you will struggle to consistently meet expectations and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage.

WHAT IS A BRAND?

While a brand typically manifests itself through a

The SME Coach Culture permeates every organisation – but it is dynamic, intangible, complex and often hard to articulate. As a result, for many leaders of small and medium-sized entities, it is the most challenging part of the business to develop and change.

These five principles (see below) will go some way to putting you on the right track.

that makes it what it is. It enables clients, employees, suppliers and owners to articulate their expectations of the organisation.

Culture is an unwritten contract between employees and the company that sets expectations on both sides.

↗

A brand was originally a mark burned onto livestock to show ownership. Today, brands still help us identify products or services easily.

logo and/or brand name, each brand carries with it a broad range of associations relating to values, quality, service, reliability, organisational culture and more.

Brand is the physical representation of an organisation and everything

Alex Arnot

ALEX ARNOT is a nonexecutive director to 18 fast-growth companies

F IVE T IP S FOR ESTAB LISHING A STR O NG C U LTU R E

1

2

3 4

SET VALUES

DO AS I SAY AND AS I DO

CULTURE IS AN ORGANISM — NURTURE IT, DON’T FIGHT IT

A strong culture comes from employees knowing what is expected of them in terms of values, work ethic and attitude. If the company has a clear set of values, then behaviour will be consistent.

52 RECRUITER

In small and medium-sized enterprises, the culture is imparted by the leadership team. You will only create the culture you desire if you embody it yourself.

While the leadership’s influence becomes diluted as the company grows, it still directly shapes the culture to the degree it chooses — think Steve Jobs or Richard Branson.

Culture is created by the interactions between individuals and the environment in which they exist. If you try to bully it, it will fight back and generally you will lose. Instead, try to shape it. Be transparent and approachable, involve your team and recruit leaders with softer skills who understand that chasing short-term revenue can sometimes have a negative impact on long-term success.

5

REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOUR

INVEST IN EXPERTISE

The more embedded behaviour is, the harder it is to change. Reward good behaviour to reinforce it.

Look to eradicate behaviour that undermines the brand quickly to avoid it taking root.

If you are too close to the business or aren’t naturally strong at people management, bring in external support in the form of a change manager or even a non-executive director. If you don’t have a designer in-house, make sure you find an agency or freelancer who understands your business and your culture and can work with you in the long term.

DECEMBER 2015

p60_recruiter_businessadvice.indd 60

12/11/2015 11:43

Expert opinion SPO NSO RE D COLUMN N U M B E R M I L L

Travel & Subsistence legislation Unintended Consequence & the Campaign for Real Accountants Louise Rayner FCCA, MBA founder of NumberMill Consulting, specialists in umbrella and PSC accountancy services, considers the negative impact of recent legislation and current consultations on the flexible work force, whilst suggesting a simple but practical approach.

A simple approach - Campaign for Real Accountants When you go to a doctor, you expect that person to be professionally qualified. HMRC should require intermediaries to be fully-qualified and practising ACCA or ICAEW accountants who specialise in agency workers and IR35, and adhere to an ethical code of conduct.

Backdrop HMRC seeks to overlay a series of legislative changes so ill thought-out that they could make flexible working unattractive to the entire supply chain.

HMRC believe so strongly that they lose £425m in taxes per year through tax relief claimed by contractors, that they forget just how important flexible workers are to the UK economy. A tax break to allow them to work flexibly and without obligation is fair and sensible.

Hammer to crack a nut HMRC’s attempts to make the legislation so wide as to catch any non-compliance could have the unintended consequence of ruining a fair practice which gives flexible workers a tax break, reflecting their lack of mutuality and the inconvenience of successive work places.

+ Louise Rayner FCCA, MBA CEO, NumberMill

Conclusion Whatever happens, the landscape is likely to become even more complex and difficult to navigate. Agencies, contractors and end hirers will all face increased risks.

Ironically, it will all likely result in less Treasury tax take and an even more unlevel playing field.

It is right to be wary. However, to stay ahead commercially, agencies and end hirers should seek out guidance from advisors with the qualifications and experience to interpret the legislation correctly. Make sure that you take your advice from genuinely qualified practising accountants like NumberMill, who are licensed to sell tax and accounting advice. ●

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CEO Louise Rayner FCCA, MBA, is a Chartered Certified Accountant, and has worked in the recruitment and outsourcing sector for 20 years. Her experience includes having held Board-level positions at Adecco and Randstad. She implemented Adecco’s Travel & Subsistence dispensation for 35,000 contractors.

↗

Relevant legislation 2014: HMRC introduces onshore intermediaries legislation, meaning agency workers cannot be paid gross wages either when there is a right of direction, supervision or control as to the manner in which they undertake their work or when working via an intermediary.

2015: Section 289a of the Finance Act is introduced, focusing on salary sacrifice arrangements and eliminating dispensations that allowed workers to gain tax relief on expenses.

Summer 2015: Government consults on ‘Employment intermediaries and tax relief for travel and subsistence’.

Results due in late November. Likely to be introduced in April 2016. Discusses potential for transfer of liability.

Also underway: IR35 consultation around Personal Services Companies [PSCs]. Outcome likely to take effect from April 2017.

Examples of Unintended Consequence: ● Introduction of ‘weird and wonderful’ tax-evading models ● Reduction in the flexible workforce ● Worsening an already unlevel playing field for agencies ● Fall in contractor income ● Increased cost of employment and negative impact on flexible supply chain ● Reduced HMRC revenue – the opposite of what HMRC aimed to achieve

NUMBERMILL LTD The Mill House, Cardinal Point, Park Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, WD3 1RE. For further information please visit: www.numbermill.co.uk Telephone: 0333 121 2001 Email: queries@numbermill.co.uk

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 53

Expert opinion Louise page TBC.indd 53

12/11/2015 15:20

E RECRUITMENT WWW. RE CRUITE R .CO.UK

View the latest jobs at www.recruiter.co.uk To place your advertisement E: emmanuel.nettey@redactive.co.uk or T: 020 7880 6234

PLAN YOUR NEXT MOVE

on the move

New features available through your smartphone See the latest job listings View all the jobs from the website Search or browse to find the right opportunities Create and update your live email job alerts View jobs directly from your email alerts Save and apply for jobs Save jobs to your profile Email jobs to yourself or friends Apply for the right jobs first using your saved CV Keep track of all your jobseeking activity

Âť Go to www.recruiter.co.uk/jobs 54 RECRUITER

REC Dec15.indd 54

DECEMBER 2015

11/11/2015 11:18

View the latest jobs at www.recruiter.co.uk To place your advertisement E: emmanuel.nettey@redactive.co.uk or T: 020 7880 6234

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

RECRUITMENT

E

Chase R2R Just for Recruiters!

At Chase R2R, we place recruitment staff into roles across sector, throughout the UK. Here are a few snippets: Director, IT Recruitment London, £75k

Manager, Multi Sector Southampton, £35k

Senior Manager, IT Recruitment South East, £50k

Divisional Manager Edinburgh, £45k

Senior Consultant, Commercial Leeds, £40k

Manager, Construction Nottingham, £32k+

Divisional Manager, Education Hull, £35k+

Manager, Engineering Derby, £35k

Fantastic packages available for Consultants Upgrade your life in 2016 – now is the best time for recruiters to demand an excellent package. Invest in yourself today.

Working with Chase will give you access to: Exceptional Packages

Discretion at all times

Management Posts

Roles not seen elsewhere!

www.chase-r2r.com info@chase-r2r.com 0114 223 6000 WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 55

REC Dec15.indd 55

11/11/2015 11:18

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

THE AUTOMOBI L E A S S O C IATIO N : Craig

director of international professional services.

Morgans is the organisation’s new head of talent acquisition, learning and development.

ACENDRE: The cloud-based talent management software provider has appointed Sudeep Dharan as chief technology officer.

CL ASS P E OPL E: Lisa Jones is specialist education recruiter Class People’s head of operations.

Jonas Prising is to succeed Jeffrey Joerres as executive chairman at global recruiter ManpowerGroup on 31 December.

Joerres will be retiring when Prising takes over.

Previously chief executive of the group, Prising takes on the additional post of chairman of the board. He became became ManpowerGroup’s fourth CEO when he took office on 1 May 2014.

Retiring chairman Joerres joined ManpowerGroup in 1993 and has served as chairman of the board since 2001. He was CEO from 1 April 1999 to 1 May 2014.

DAVIDSON: The Australian

ACORN: The multi-sector recruiter and training agency has promoted Sarah Jones to head of marketing.

AGP: The mid-market

recruiter has appointed Ed Oldbury as national practice lead for government.

DE VE RE L L S MIT H: The property staffing specialist has promoted Chris Long to talent development director.

search business hired Paul Strangeway as director to cohead its media and telecoms division; Stephen Baldock as associate director; Minesh Ghelani as director of both the firm’s life sciences and HR practices; Marc Kramers as associate director within AGP’s consumer & retail practice.

E XI MI US E N E R GY: Ben Smith is the energy staffing specialist’s team leader for its new nuclear practice.

B U L L HOR N : Nick Holloway is the cloud-based customer relationship management solutions provider’s new

HAPPY F I N I SH: Ryan Broad

56 RECRUITER

DECEMBER 2015

p64-65_recruiter_peoplemoves.indd 64

F ORWARD ROLE: Ian Lenehan joins the marketing & digital recruiter as leader of its new digital agency division.

has been recruited as chief talent officer at the media production company.

HYDROGEN GROUP: The global recruiter has appointed Lee Chant as chief operating officer for EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa].

IIC PART NERS EXECUT IVE SEARCH WORLDWIDE: The worldwide executive search organisation has appointed Ruth Curran as global chair.

Also appointed directors to the organisation’s board are: Corinne Fernandez Handelsman, partner and manager of the industrial and technology practice of Paris-

based Progress (board director for EMEA); Mike Bacchus, chief executive of Canadabased Conroy Ross Partners, and Sally Stetson, co-founder and principal of Salveson Stetson Group (board directors for the Americas); and Anne Stuckey, director at Sydneybased JAGER Executive Search (board director, Asia Pacific).

INT ERQUEST GR O U P : The IT, analytics and digital staffing specialist’s new chief executive is Chris Eldridge.

KCA DEUTAG: The Aberdeenheadquartered oil company has appointed Pauline Weddell as head of global talent and mobility.

KORN FERRY: The global executive search firm has

Email people moves for use online and in print, including a short 12/11/2015 09:53

hired Nathaniel Hook as senior client partner within its UK consumer practice.

Watson to the newly created role of CFO.

PAGE P E RSONNEL: The specialist recruiter has appointed Sandra Hill to MD of Page Personnel Regions.

PARI TY GROUP : Founders

L IN K ED IN : John Herlihy is the professional network’s new vice president and managing director for EMEA.

L IQ UID P ERSON N E L : The social work staffing specialist has hired Debra Watson as head of healthcare.

MATC HTECH: Patrick Shanley becomes non-exec chairman of the engineering recruiter, while Ric Piper reverts back to senior independent director.

MON STER : The global job board has promoted Mark Stoever from COO to president.

N A K A MA GROUP: The global recruiter has hired Angus

YOUR NEXT MOVE A selection of vacancies from recruiter.co.uk Maple Resourcing Recruitment consultant Rail, transport, logistics £negotiable City of London Sharna Associates Recruitment consultant Construction/built environment £22-£28k + bonus Cardiff, Wales Fresh Partnership Recruitment consultant £22k-£30k basic Maidstone

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

Paul Davies and Philip Swinstead are to step down from the company’s board and leave the business.

P E TROP L AN: The energy and oil & gas recruiter has hired James Monaghan as recruitment manager of its Houston, Texas office.

P RI ME P E OPLE: Donka Zaneva-Todorinski has joined the global recruiter as finance director.

ROC SE ARCH: Jodie Gale joins the IT and engineering recruiter’s board of directors as sales director for regional contracts.

CONTACTS EDITORIAL +44 (0)20 7880 7606 Editor DeeDee Doke

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7880 7556 Giorgio Romano

deedee.doke@recruiter.co.uk

giorgio.romano@redactive.co.uk

Reporters Sarah Marquet, Graham Simons sarah.marquet@recruiter.co.uk graham.simons@recruiter.co.uk

Contributing writers Colin Cottell, Sue Weekes Production editor Vanessa Townsend vanessa.townsend@recruiter.co.uk

Creative director Mark Parry Picture editor Akin Falope

PRODUCTION +44 (0)20 7880 6209 Production executive Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk

PUBLISHING +44 (0)20 7880 8547 Publishing director Aaron Nicholls aaron.nicholls@redactive.co.uk

ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7880 7607 Sales manager Tom Culley Senior sales executive Josh Hannagan

RECRUITER AWARDS/ INVESTING IN TALENT AWARDS +44 (0)20 7880 6236 Events Rebecca West

josh.hannagan@recruiter.co.uk

rebecca.west@redactive.co.uk

tom.culley@recruiter.co.uk

S HE F F I E L D HAWORT H: The international executive search firm has appointed Jennifer Novack MD and head of global real estate practice.

Mark Dixon is MD within the firm’s global technology practice in London.

STAF F ORCE PERSONNEL: Lisa Gainsford is the talent management firm’s new CEO.

STHRE E : Mike Smith has stepped down as managing partner for UK & Ireland at the international recruiter.

TALASCE ND: The international engineering staffing specialist has promoted Andrew Rowlstone to UK operations director.

VOLT I N F ORMAT ION S CI E N CE S: The global

CIRCULATION and SUBSCRIPTIONS To receive a regular copy of Recruiter, the leading magazine for recruitment and resourcing professionals, telephone +44 (0)20 8950 9117 or email redactive@abacusemedia.com • Recruiter is also available to people who do not meet our terms of control: Annual subscription rate for 12 issues: £29.99 UK; £35 Europe and Rest of the World • To purchase reprints or multiple copies of the magazine, contact Abacus e-Media T: +44 (0)20 8950 9117 or email redactive@abacusemedia.com 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. © 2015 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.

Recruiter is also sent to all REC members

staffing and IT services provider has made Michael Dean president and CEO.

biography, to recruiter.editorial@redactive.co.uk p64-65_recruiter_peoplemoves.indd 65

Redactive Publishing Ltd 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP 020 7880 6200

Scan here to get your own copy of

12/11/2015 09:53

E THE LAST WORD CO M M UNITY

Matt Churchward Can’t see the blog for the trees In the digital age, change happens at an alarming pace. Take blogging, for example. I posted my first Not So Secret Recruiter post on 28 August 2013.

At this point, LinkedIn Pulse was not available and a quick share of a link on LinkedIn and Facebook pushed a quite hefty amount of traffic to the blog. Fast forward two years and it is hard to find someone on LinkedIn who doesn’t blog.

Now, I am no hypocrite and I applaud anyone willing to take the time to put their thoughts into the public domain. However, this does lead me to the bigger picture of information overload.

As with Facebook, I find myself using LinkedIn less and less, purely due to my eyes and brain becoming fried by the sheer volume of content displayed through multiple channels. This is not a criticism of those platforms, more a question of: when does information become too much information?

I guess this is subjective and the time users spend on platforms will dictate how the networking sites distribute information. After all, the user knows best.

This leads me, in a rather roundabout way, to my top 10 pet hates on LinkedIn:

58 RECRUITER

inspirational trying to be ➊ Sharing ➎ People quotes. Exhibit A: clever by putting

“Faith is not knowing what the future holds but knowing who holds the future.” Profound.

to guess ➋ Competitions numbers of sweets in

a jar — or any take on this.

➌

Keep Calm and ‘Fill in Anything Related to your Sector Here’ calls to action. view my ➍ ‘Please profile’ — rarely spelt correctly.

other people down — almost never accompanied by a solution.

➏

MEMES. Any memes.

Particularly the fistpumping baby picture.

LinkedIn ➐ Using as a platform for

promoting religious beliefs — I am yet to see a job advert specifying “it is essential applicants love Jesus”*.

for ➑ Begging sponsorship for

something on your bucket list eg. Tough Mudder.

LinkedIn Pulse ➒ Using to post jobs. If you

are going to do this, at least make the job description interesting. profile 10 Ridiculous pictures — cleavage,

pouting, pictures next to cranes.

Some of you may call me miserable but I have neither the attention span nor the will to sift through all the endless spam that now appears on my feed.

When I do spot something of interest, I need to click on it instantly or it will be off my feed and into the ether within seconds.

My grumpiness aside, let me bring us back to the main question. When does information become too much information? Are we in danger as recruiters of entering a digital age of paralysis by analysis?

Too much reading and not enough doing? Or am I just getting old?

Answers on a postcard. I will definitely read that.

*Priesthood excepted.

+ Matt Churchward is director at The Asoria Group

DECEMBER 2015

IMAG E | A K I N FA LO P E

p66_recruiter_lastword.indd 66

12/11/2015 09:53

REC.12.15.067.indd 67

11/11/2015 11:15

REC.12.15.068.indd 68

11/11/2015 11:15