Recruiter - May 2018

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

Advertisement

FULFIL YOUR POTENTIAL IN 2018 JOIN AN INNOVATIVE AGENCY THAT IS INVESTING IN ITS EMPLOYEES, CANDIDATES AND CLIENTS.

AROUND THE CORNER

Your regular issue of Recruiter continues inside

OPPORTUNITY IS Recruiter False Cover FRONT MAY.indd 1

10/04/2018 14:44

MORE THAN JUST RECRUITMENT Pertemps is a business with people at its heart.

Our award-winning share incentive scheme, open to all employees, has just paid out over £3m to our workforce.

No wonder we have been named by the Sunday Times as one of the Best Companies to Work For – 12 years running! No other recruitment company finished higher than us in the list.

100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

The same award body also presented us with the ‘Discovering Potential Special Award’ in recognition of our pioneering campaign to find work for military service leavers and their families. We had previously received a Gold Award from

the MOD for this campaign; presented

by Duke of Cambridge, Prince William.

Since 1961, we have always put people first: be it our own employees with the gifting of shares, a flexible company car policy, uncapped bonus schemes, ten and 25-year-anniversary gold watches and great competitions with fantastic prizes to the likes of Monaco and Mauritius.

Or be it the communities we represent; removing barriers and providing support, donating hundreds of thousands to local charities and supporting national awareness campaigns.

Opportunity is around wherever you look.

the

corner;

2018

0800 072 3191

02_REC.05.18.FALSE IFC.indd 2

IS AROUND THE CORNER

OPPORTUNITY

WWW.PERTEMPS.CO.UK

11/04/2018 09:41

www.recruiter.co.uk

Business intelligence for recruitment and resourcing professionals

01_recruiter_April.indd 1

May 2018

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

CHAIN REACTION Blockchain: recruitment has been quick to respond to this potentially disruptive technology

10/04/2018 14:28

(QFU\SWHG SD\VOLSV RU JHW ÀQHG XS WR … 0"

We provide immediate compliance solutions to enhance your operations and secure your business while your employees enjoy free perks at no cost to you.

www.centralus.co.uk

REC.05.18.002.indd 2

Call us now at 0800 211 8109

to speak to one of our consultants for a 30-day trial

10/04/2018 10:55

38

C R ONT ENT S

18

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

COV ER IMAG E | ISTOCK

A

NEWS

05 Recruiters’ link in the chain

06

07

07

08 10

D

FEATURES

18 THE BIG STORY

How blockchain can enhance the role of the recruiter Maximise performance by managing your data Tips from Recruiter’s videoinar on how to improve your business through the intelligent use of data Create talent to tackle diversity Talent management alone is not enough Start-up of the Month: Reecru Rishi Kapadia, founder of Reecru This was the month that was...

Contracts & Deals

New kid on the block Blockchain technology is only in its infancy in recruitment, but its use is starting to drive real change in the industry 28 The immigration game With under a year to go until Brexit, employers who rely on low-skilled EU workers still face many challenges

TRENDS

40 Movers & Shakers 41 Recruiter contacts 42 The Last Word:

E COMMUNITY 33 Social Network 34 The Workplace: Guy Hayward

35 Community Careers: Tara Lescott

36 Business Advice: Alex Arnot 38 My brilliant recruitment career: Robert Binnie

B

12 Insight

15

C 16

17

Talent adviser: a team sport, not an individual competition Tech & Tools Video-led interviewing: the latest megatrend?

15

28

Roy Pemberton

42

INTERACTION Viewpoint Saffa Ayub, Bramwith Consulting Soundbites

I M AG E S | I STO C K / IKO N

p03_recruiter_contents.cc.indd 3

32 WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 3

12/04/2018 08:27

Driving your success

by Microdec

dŚĞ WƌŽĮůĞ ŵŽďŝůĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶŝŽŶ ĂƉƉ ŐŝǀĞƐ LJŽƵ ƚŚĞ ĂďŝůŝƚLJ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ĨƌŽŵ ĂŶLJǁŚĞƌĞ͕ ǁŝƚŚ ĂĐĐĞƐƐ ƚŽ LJŽƵƌ WƌŽĮůĞ ĚĂƚĂďĂƐĞ ƌŝŐŚƚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƉĂůŵ ŽĨ LJŽƵƌ ŚĂŶĚ͘ Stay in touch with your calendar and task lists, plan and keep ƌĞĐŽƌĚƐ ŽĨ LJŽƵƌ ĐĂůůƐ ĂŶĚ ŵĞĞƟŶŐƐ͕ ĂŶĚ ĞǀĞŶ ŐĞƚ ƉƵƐŚ ŶŽƟĮĐĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ŶĞǁ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ǁŚŝůĞ ŽŶͲƚŚĞͲŐŽ͘

RI Supplier Awards 2017

Winner Best Recruitment CRM

WINNER!

RECRUITMENT INTERNATIONAL BEST RECRUITMENT CRM 2017

Đ ŀ ł Ń Ń ƉƊƋƐƐ ƋƋƐƐƐƑ

REC.05.18.004.indd 4

10/04/2018 10:58

N E WS

UPDATE

Recruiters’ chain link WE LCO M E

BY COLIN COTTELL

LEADER

M

ay is here, and alongside the arrival of the calendar month, the date for one of the most important events of the year – the Recruiter Awards!

It’s a favourite time of the year for me: not only is there a spectacular

party, there’s a spectacular line-up of recruitment talent that comes to the fore.

This year, the pre-event buzz is palpable, and the shortlist reflects a variety of exciting businesses, both long established and more recently arrived, as well as stellar individual achievements.

“This year, the preAwards buzz is palpable, and the shortlist reflects a variety of exciting businesses”

Demonstrating her insight of a changing market in this month’s issue is one of our shortlisted candidates for Recruitment Agency Leader of the Year, Saffa Ayub of Bramwith Consulting. Saffa shares her knowledge of developing urban

movement patterns in Viewpoint on p16.

Interesting reading!

Blockchain – the disruptive technology that we’ve all heard about but few understand – gets a thorough going-over from our journalist Colin Cottell in this month’s Big Story. Explore the impact that blockchain is already having on our sector.

In this issue, you’ll also learn what is known so far about the impact of Brexit upon UK immigration law and the state of play within hiring organisations involving the role of ‘talent adviser’.

See you at the Recruiter Awards on 3 May! Book your last-minute tickets now!

DeeDee Doke, Editor

HAILED BY ITS PROPONENTS as the next great disruptor to business, blockchain does not threaten the existence of recruitment agencies, but can enhance their role, according to those behind the introduction into the recruitment sector of this burgeoning technology.

Gary McKay is managing director of AAPII, a blockchain-based platform launched in 2017 that verifies candidates’ qualifications and other assertions on their CVs. He told Recruiter that while a big advantage of blockchain is that it allows buyers and sellers to transact directly, thereby diminishing the role of brokers, to say blockchain was a threat to recruitment agencies was “probably too strong”.

“I don’t see blockchain as a threat to someone who wishes to facilitate the engagement of someone who is looking for a job and someone who is looking for talent,” he said.

Those most likely to lose out were those organisations and individuals whose jobs involved verifying the same individual’s details multiple times, McKay said. He explained that once the qualifications of a candidate on AAPII’s platform have been verified, they never have to be verified again.

Gaurang Torvekat, co-founder of Indorse, a blockchain-based tool that uses candidates to validate other candidates’ skills, told Recruiter that far from recruitment firms disappearing as a result of blockchain, he saw them becoming users. “Recruitment companies can save on the time they spend screening and verifying CVs, and they can use candidates’ validations of skills as an indication that they match their needs, and use that to connect the better matched candidates to their clients.”

Keith Rosser, director of screening & compliance services at Reed, said blockchain opened up the real prospect “of candidates marketing themselves, their credentials and their profile direct to hirers in a way that is also externally validated, ie. other employers. What will be important is how recruiters respond and adapt to that”.

Tim Campbell MBE, head of client services – emerging talents at Alexander Mann Solutions, told Recruiter that the potential losers “are those who do not understand how they can incorporate blockchain into their business. It doesn’t matter about the size of the business … It is going to be about who is open to the change and who is going to resist.”

Luke Shipley, co-founder of skills verification platform R_Block, added: “Recruiters do a skilled job and they’re quick to pick up new tools. We see them as adding value, although their role will be somewhat diminished.”

• For more on blockchain and its implications for the sector, see The Big Story, p18.

IM AGE | ISTOCK

p05_06_recruiter_news .indd 5

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 5

12/04/2018 08:28



NE WS

UPDATE

37,062 FOLLOWERS AS OF 11 APRIL 2018

Maximise performance by managing your data

BY GRAHAM SIMONS

USING DATA TO FOCUS on improving performance over managing performance can be the difference between a recruitment consultant working every hour of the day for limited results and taking their career and their agency to new heights.

Managing company data well can also mean the difference between maximising the potential of candidate pools.

These were among the conclusions reached in a lively panel debate on ‘Digging Into Data’ held by Recruiter and job search engine Indeed on 27 March. Moderated by Recruiter editor DeeDee Doke, the panel discussion on Recruiter’s first video webinar featured Toby Babb, CEO of technology and sales recruiter Harrington Starr; Katie Mellor, director of hospitality recruiter CJUK; and Indeed’s Dan Fellows, evangelist, employer insights.

Babb advised it was important to speak to consultants about performance improvement rather than performance management.

“Performance improvement is about coaches working with people to take them from one area, and it might be you’re the best in the company, it might be the fact you’ve got some amazing things to say just ‘leave off me, I’m doing fine, I don’t need anyone to look at what I’m doing’ [with data],” Babb said.

“But instead of that, you’re saying how can we get you from here and take that another 20%-30% further forward?”

Look at the story behind the data and the various issues consultants are experiencing, Babb urged. He added that looking at the data over an extended period will reveal problems the business is encountering, enabling the business to act on them. Consultants can also be advised on what they need to be doing more of, such as making more calls, spending more time on the phone or sending out more CVs, he added.

This analysis also has the added bonus of consultants looking at the data themselves to improve their own performance, Babb said.

“They can start to self educate and see problems before they’re problems,” he said. “So visualisation, culture, bringing everything into play and making it very much part of your DNA is critical. That became something that’s helped us grow from a company of four people seven years ago to 50+ now.”

For Babb’s fellow panellist Katie Mellor, director at

6 RECRUITER

p05_06_recruiter_news .indd 6

MAY 2018

Digging into data

hospitality recruiter CJUK, her company’s focus in recent years has been reversing their split between active and passive candidates after their data told them 30% of their candidates were passive while 70% were active.

“By increasing the number of candidates we got from the passive sources, we really achieved our business goals.

That comes back to properly analysing the data. We wouldn’t be in the position we’re in now if we hadn’t have done that exercise three years ago,” she said.

According to Mellor, CJUK succeeded by focusing on increasing the number of referrals the agency received, keeping their candidate relationship management (CRM) system properly organised and reaching out to candidates effectively using social media.

Referrals were picked up by consultants actively asking for them. This effort was supported by the agency improving its customer experience from candidates, which resulted in CJUK’s win of a Recruiter 2017 Investing In Talent Award for candidate care.

Meanwhile, Fellows stressed the importance of using automated source tracking to track the source of job applications. Also key is to have at least one person in the business who really loves data and can immerse themselves in it.

According to Fellows, it’s equally important for the person charged with interrogating the data to be able to interpret it for board members and directors, so that data is actionable and measurable.

• See the entire videoinar on demand at this link: https://bit.ly/2IKt35A

IMAG E | ISTO C K

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news 12/04/2018 08:28

N E WS

THOUGHTS FROM…

UPDATE

K AT E H AY WO O D FO RM E R TEAM GB OLYMPIC SWIMMER , SPEAKIN G AT A N EV EN T CO-HOSTED BY EP INSIGHTS

“The funny thing is, failure is actually a good thing in sport as that is where one learns; that is when one goes back and watches the videos and looks for ways to improve. It’s said that many in work have a fear of failure, but failure is an important part of learning.”

BERNARD HOPKINS FO RMER U NDISPU TED MIDDLEWEIGHT WORL D BOX I N G CHAMPION

“We all have talent in us. We just have to find it.”

HEA DS HOTS | G E TTY

ALEXANDER BETTS PRO FESSOR OF FORCED MIGR ATION AND INT ERN AT I ON A L A FFA IRS AT U NIVERSITY OF OXFORD, SPEAKIN G AT UN L EA S H

“It is very difficult to retain millennials.

By the time you have learnt their name they have left the organisation.”

Create talent to tackle diversity

BY COLIN COTTELL

THE RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR for UK & Ireland at consultancy and professional services firm Accenture has suggested that talent management alone may Adrian Love speaking at not be enough to improve Resourcing workforce diversity.

Leaders 100 Speaking to heads of resourcing and talent leaders at a Resourcing Leaders 100 event in London, Adrian Love posed the question: “Do we need to move the conversation on so it is not just about attracting more talent but do we need to create more talent?” Despite many initiatives, Love said, including going into schools and working with Teacher First, as well as mentoring and training programmes, Accenture had not managed to recruit as many women as it wanted.

Although he said Accenture had gone “well beyond” the 17% figure for women employed in the technology sector, it had come up against a major stumbling block – the lack of women in the market with skills such as AI. “It is harder to get diverse candidates because they are just not there in the market,” said Love.

So while initiatives to boost representation of women “were good and positive”, they were “relatively small” and wouldn’t result in “the step change” that is needed.

He suggested that solutions could include companies going into schools earlier, and more emphasis on re-skilling people, as well as partnerships between companies in the sector. “Rather than just relying on recruitment to try to find a way out of it,” he said, hiring managers must take their share of responsibility too.

Action is needed, he urged, because “the reality is that is going to get harder and not easier”.

STA RT-UP OF THE MONTH REECRU Launched last month by founder Rishi Kapadia, Reecru is an online recruitment agency providing traditional recruitment agency services, through the use of specialist freelance recruiters.

Kapadia explained the way the platform works is it enables the hiring employer to post their requirements on the platform, which is then picked up by a freelance recruiter of their choice.

That recruiter then screens all the applicants and shortlists the top candidates for the employer.

The recruiter then uses the platform to manage the scheduling of phone calls or face-to-face interviews, as well as providing feedback to candidates.

According to Kapadia, cost is a big unique selling proposition for the business. “We bring down the commission costs. It works on a fixed fee per job, so we charge £999 for each job on a salary of up to £50k. That’s considerably less that your traditional recruitment model.”

Kapadia added the Leicesterbased firm has an eye on

platform developing the platf orm further to work with larger organisations beyond its current client base of small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs). “We’re looking to work with bigger organisations, which

have more complex hiring requirements, and hopefully create a system that helps them streamline their recruitment processes,” he said.

“Companies that are lot bigger tend to have complex requirements, culture issues or very technical roles that they’re looking for. Capturing those requirements is a bit difficult on the platform at the minute, so right now we’re focusing on the SMEs but going forward we want to adapt the platform and improve our candidate search methods.”

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 7

p7_recruiter_news.indd 7

12/04/2018 10:06

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 April issue of Recruiter was published M A R C H •‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒→

TUE, 20 MARCH 2018

RECRUITER AWARDS 2018 SHORTLIST IS REVEALED The shortlist for the 2018 Recruiter Awards in association with flexr can now be revealed ahead of 3 May’s gala awards evening at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Go to the link below to see the full list. With 30 categories to enter, the winners will be announced at the Recruiter Awards on 3 May – good luck to all the shortlisted entrants. Book your table now to avoid disappointment later.

More: https://bit.ly/2GISFDo

TUE, 27 MARCH 2018

CONTRACTOR WINS IR35 APPEAL CASE AGAINST HMRC

SPURS RECRUITS EX-MILITARY TO WORK IN ITS STADIUM Tottenham Hotspur is recruiting exmilitary personnel to work at its new stadium.

The Evening Standard reports the Premier League outfit’s charitable foundation has partnered with military charity Sporting Force for an initiative that will see 50 ex-servicemen and women offered training and hired as stewards, security staff and hosts.

The new stadium is set to open next summer during the 2018/19 Premier League season.

services as Daniels could not provide a substitute to STL (even if Solutions’ contract said he could) • that Daniels was paid £310 a day and had to pay his own travel, hotel and other expenses • that Daniels took no other financial risks • that there was no requirement on either party to give notice to terminate or entitlement to severance pay or pay in lieu • that STL provided safety equipment to Daniels • that Daniels was not integrated into the STL business.

Taking all these issues into account, the tribunal ruled Daniels should not have been treated as an employee and allowed the appeal.

More: https://bit.ly/2qj6IV1

I M AG E | S H U TTE R STO C K / ISTO C K

TUE, 13 MARCH 2018

A construction contractor has successfully won an IR35 appeal case against HM Revenue & Customs.

Court documents reveal HMRC had determined in 2016 that a contract between Mark Daniels’ personal services company (PSC) – MDMC Ltd – to provide construction services to construction company Structure Tone Ltd (STL) through recruitment group Solutions Recruitment Ltd, during the tax years 2012/13 and 2013/14, should have been caught by IR35.

But Daniels appealed this with the First-Tier Tribunal sitting in Birmingham in November 2017, which was charged with determining the terms of the hypothetical contract between Daniels and STL. The tribunal summarised Daniels’ hypothetical contract as follows: • that Daniels was not controlled any more than any other contractor and could refuse to work on another site • that there was a contract for personal

More: https://bit.ly/2EtJ0dP

8 RECRUITER

p8_9_the month that was.indd 8

MAY 2018

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news 12/04/2018 08:30

TUE, 10 APRIL 2018

QUILVEST PE ACQUIRES PHAIDON INTERNATIONAL Micro-specialist recruiter Phaidon International has been acquired by e Quilvest Private Equity, the private equity arm of the Quilvest Group. Executive chairman Adam Buck (right), who founded Phaidon in 2004, will be stepping back from the group following Quilvest’s acquisition.

Quilvest said its investment would enable Phaidon to use its global network to expand abroad, while Phaidon will remain focused on expanding its five brands into existing office locations following the deal.

More: https://bit.ly/2EAd7QK

30

DAYS

←‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒• A P R I L

W E D, 4 A P R I L 2 0 1 8

INDUSTRY OUTRAGED OVER HMRC’S CEST SHORTCOMINGS Concerns have been raised over the accuracy of HM Revenue & Customs’ Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool.

According to a statement from independent portal for the UK contractor community ContractorCalculator, who made a series of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests as part of a five-month investigation, more than 100,000 people could be facing incorrect tax bills. This is because ContractorCalculator claims HMRC has admitted no detailed proof to demonstrate that its CEST tool is accurate.

ContractorCalculator claims it was told

by HMRC: “The CEST tool testing was done by a workshop… The only documented output of the workshops is the set of rules used by the tool.

“Our records show that HMRC has used the CEST tool to test all the cases cited in your request, but we do not have a record of how each question was answered as part of the testing, only the end determination.”

ContractorCalculator founder and CEO Dave Chaplin, who says he is poised to call for an immediate inquiry by the Public Accounts Committee into HMRC’s conduct following this discovery, said he was “incredulous that a fundamental piece of the CEST jigsaw is missing”.

“For a tool of such importance, the lack of rigour involved in its testing methodology is astonishing. You have to wonder if HMRC has shredded any evidence to cover up CEST’s shortcomings?”

T H U, 5 A P R I L 2 0 1 8

TUE, 10 APRIL 2018

RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS GENDER PAY DISCREPANCIES

RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR PLEADS GUILTY FOR FRAUD AND FACES JAIL

Some of the UK’s largest recruitment companies have much work to do if they are to eliminate the gap between what they pay their men and women.

Companies who employ more than 250 staff were required to publish data on their gender pay gap by 4 April or face possible court action. Analysis by Recruiter of the information provided by some of the UK’s largest staffing companies to the gov.uk website and other information provided by the companies themselves, reveals the extent of the problem.

Hays and PageGroup have gender pay gaps more than twice the average of 8.7% for the administrative and support services sector, in which recruitment companies fall. When bonuses are taken into account, the extent of the gender pay gap in the sector becomes even starker, with the gender bonus pay gap at Hays, PageGroup and Staffline in excess of 40%.

For other recruiters, such as Pertemps, the gender pay gap seems minimal. Yet the picture is complicated because it, like some other companies, has included the pay of its temp workers in its calculations, while others have gone further than legally required and provided figures for their own permanent employees.

One company that stands out is professional services recruiter FDM Group, which reported a gender pay gap of 6% based on average hourly pay, and a 0% gender pay gap based on the median hourly rate (calculated by ranking all employees from the lowest paid to the highest paid and taking the pay of the middle ranking employee).

A recruitment agency director, fired for allegedly fraudulently claiming more than £370k from his employer, is facing up to four years in jail.

Previously, Recruiter reported David Moss appeared before Southern Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court charged with allegedly dishonestly abusing his position as financial director at Recruit to Suit Midlands to make £372,548.73 for himself on 15 May 2016.

He was also charged with making a false Santander bank statement knowing it was connected with fraud.

The Derby Telegraph reports Moss pleaded guilty to both counts when he appeared at Derby Crown Court. John Dunne, prosecuting, said of defendant Moss, who had no previous convictions: “Between the dates stated that he has pleaded guilty to, £87k was siphoned off from the company accounts. It is right to say that £21k of that was paid to the HMRC, so the actual loss is a sum of £65,942 and a few pence. The starting point for a crime and category such as this is three years (imprisonment) with a range of 18 months to four years.”

Moss’ defence Justin Ablott said his client has “never been before a court before” and has a wife who suffers an illness. Judge Jonathan Bennett adjourned the case until 30 April, when Moss will be sentenced.

More: https://bit.ly/2GQh0qY

 More: https://bit.ly/2qitFsq

 More: https://bit.ly/2v0O3mm

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 9

p8_9_the month that was.indd 9

12/04/2018 10:07

NE WS

CONTRACTS

CONTRACTS & DEALS Brightwork Glasgow and Edinburgh-based recruiter Brightwork has formed a partnership with charity Migrant Help, guaranteeing jobs for victims of human trafficking. Migrant Help provides support to victims of human trafficking after rescue, helping them to access counselling services, guiding them through normalising their immigration status, accessing healthcare and providing asylum services.

Havas People Energy giant BP has selected talent advertising and communications network Havas People to support its global recruitment marketing. The partnership involves developing the firm’s employer brand and advising on emerging trends and sourcing strategies.

Strategic projects are already underway, including global employer brand development and activation; graduate campaigns for the US, UK and Singapore; global social strategy; and implementing global analytics.

Marlin Hawk Global executive search firm Marlin Hawk has acquired Winter Circle, an invitation-only digital network for senior executives. The deal will lead to the creation of the Marlin Hawk Group, which will provide services ranging from executive search and organisational analysis to direct solutions and access to an exclusive digital network of senior leaders.

Northants GP NHS healthcare provider Northants GP has signed up to the Best of Both Worlds recruitment campaign. The campaign, launched last year, unites the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Northampton General Hospital, Kettering General Hospital (KGH) and St Andrew’s Healthcare in a joint bid to attract more doctors and nurses to live and work in Northamptonshire.

The campaign showcases the benefits of relocating to Northamptonshire, including the varied career opportunities and better quality of life. This next phase of the campaign seeks to recruit 30 GPs to work for practices across the county.

Parity Professionals Fashion retailer Primark Stores has awarded a recruitment managed service contract to talent management business Parity, which sees Parity Professionals providing all Primark’s contract and interim IT staff. Parity also announced three contract extensions for Parity Consultancy Services – with the MoD in relation to Military Capability Output Costing System (MCOCS), British American Tobacco (BAT), and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Sheffield Haworth Global executive search, consulting solutions and talent advisory firm Sheffield Haworth has acquired digital and tech search firm Gillamor Stephens. As part of the acquisition, Gillamor Stephens will become Sheffield Haworth’s newly created global digital & technology practice and will continue to trade under the Gillamor Stephens brand.

Walker Smith Global Manchester-headquartered contractor payroll and accountancy specialist Walker Smith Global has acquired London-based accountancy services firm Income Made Smart (IMS) for an undisclosed sum.

IMS, which will continue as a stand-alone brand, takes the group’s contractor numbers to more than 5,000. Walker Smith adds that the acquisition will signal the start of a larger strategic overhaul, which will see the group reposition its brand’s products.

DEAL OF THE MONTH

SkyBlue PwC, the official receivers of failed construction giant Carillion, has sold the construction giant’s recruitment business SkyBlue.

Back in January, Recruiter revealed the receivers were

10 RECRUITER

p10 contract deals.indd 10

MAY 2018

seeking potential buyers for SkyBlue. This followed Carillion’s announcement that it was entering liquidation after talks with stakeholders including the government to cut group

debt and strengthen its balance sheet had failed.

While the Insolvency Service was unable to provide further details on the name of the new owners of SkyBlue or how much they

had paid, a spokesperson was able to confirm to Recruiter that Postworth and Everprime – the two companies that traded as SkyBlue – were sold on 19 February.

More contract news at recruiter.co.uk/news 12/04/2018 08:30

Advertorial A DV ERTORI A L P E R T E M P S

Opportunity is around the corner with Pertemps

Tim Watts, Chairman, Pertemps

I make no apologies to readers of Recruiter who are once again seeing the name of Pertemps leap off the page at them everywhere they look!

We have been going about our business – very successfully I must add – for 57 years now, growing from a one-off company in Birmingham to a truly national player. Yet something is happening at Pertemps that I feel we simply have to share with as many of you as possible.

Anyone who has ever met me will know that I am passionate about people and have always been proud to be at the helm of Pertemps. But in recent months I have never been prouder: whether a client, candidate or employee; everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction to make our name the most recognisable in the industry.

It all began last summer when our annual Go Karting Championships was awarded Best Team Motivation Event at the Recruiter Investing in Talent Awards. That seemed to cause a ripple and it has been full steam ahead ever since. Our turnover has been increasing at a substantial rate for many years, so much so, that we have smashed the £800m barrier and are now well on course to reach our £1bn target. But, turnover can be seen as pure vanity; what matters most is our own people, the candidates we represent and the businesses that we partner. And wherever I look, none of them have ever seemed happier!

So, these are exciting times for Pertemps. As Chairman, I thought I had seen it all, but it feels as though we are only just starting. Up and down the country, our people are dedicated to the cause and reaping the personal rewards. Our clients are receiving the exceptional service they have come to expect whilst knowing we are investing in them to make sure the talent they require is available.

Opportunities for our candidates continue to expand and they can rest assured knowing that we have their best interests at heart.

It has been one hell of a journey, and there is still plenty more to come! ●

↗

Our workforce has again voted us as one of the Best 100 Companies to Work For. One year alone would be something to shout about, but to do this for 12 consecutive years is an astonishing feat. I’m not one to boast, as you all know, but I don’t recall any other recruitment company achieving such a record! If that wasn’t great news on its own, then the Sunday Times made it an even more memorable year by awarding us a prize for the pioneering work we have been doing alongside the Ministry of Defence in finding work for military personnel and their families. It took us all by surprise, not least because we have already won multiple awards for this innovative campaign and didn’t think there were any left to win!

Whilst we were winning awards and accreditations, our back office teams have been working tirelessly on our ‘opportunity is around the corner’ marketing campaign that has been a runaway success. You couldn’t have failed to see the TV advert, which launched over Christmas, and I’m sure the pop band Tears for Fears’ recent resurgence owes a lot to Pertemps! The commercial is being supported by a national radio advertisement and we have made a huge investment online, particularly in social media. Traffic to our website has surged and our social media team has never been busier. The name of Pertemps is now right up there in the brand-stakes and we have no intention of leaving it standing still.

PERTEMPS Meriden Hall, Main Road Meriden, West Midlands, CV7 7PT For further information please visit: www.pertemps.co.uk/about-us/work-for-us/ Telephone: 0800 072 3191 Email: careers@pertemps.co.uk

It was another cause for celebration in the corridors of our head office, Meriden Hall, recently after Business in the Community named us as a Best Employer for Race. Equality and diversity has always been at the forefront of our policy making and it’s marvellous to be recognised nationally for the investments that we have made in this area.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 11

REC.05.18.011.indd 11

12/04/2018 10:49

TRE NDS

INSIGHT

TALENT ADVISER: A TEAM SPORT The best recruiting teams are those that recognise and support talent advisers, those recruiters who can make informed staffing decisions based on their knowledge and expertise

BY THOMAS HANDCOCK

I

n 2009 and 2010, as organisations struggled with the consequences of the financial crisis, heads of recruiting faced a challenging hiring environment. Budgets and resources were squeezed, and less than one-third anticipated any increases.

While hiring began to pick up again after 2010, employed talent had become more passive and less receptive. Heavily driven by high unemployment rates, applications per requisition more than doubled between 2007 and 2010 (and a significant portion of those applicants were unqualified).

Talent advisory specialist CEB, now Gartner, has identified what differentiates the best recruiting teams. These factors fell into three categories: recruiter profiles, management and support, and infrastructure.

The highest-performing recruiters are separated by their ability to influence. These ‘talent advisers’ are decision influencers, who earn the right to influence by informing staffing decisions with their knowledge of the organisation and expertise of external markets.

Talent advisers master six capabilities:

12 RECRUITER

MAY 2018

p12-13_Recruiter_May18_Insights.indd 12

1. Talent strategy knowledge 2. Business acumen 3. Pipeline management 4. Labour market expertise 5. Process optimisation 6. Data judgement In 2010, only 19% of recruiters qualified as talent advisers, and organisations focused on developing the skills of their recruiters.

However, since the launch of the Talent Adviser model, businesses have become more complex, candidate behaviour has changed and competition for scarce talent has risen. These factors make it harder to be a talent adviser today.

The digitalisation challenge Digitalisation is adding new tensions to the recruiter role, causing an influx of new hiring needs for businesses.

Firms across all industries are using technology to enhance their business models. Today, nearly 77% of executive priorities depend on technology, regardless of industry or function. For recruiters, this means accommodating a growing variety of new roles. In fact, 64% of recruiters find it harder than they did five years ago to source candidates with the exact skill sets hiring managers need.

In 2016, 39% of all jobs posted by S&P [Standard & Poor] 100 organisations were for just 29 roles. These 29 roles were in demand by 90% of these organisations, with other indices, such as the FTSE 100, showing a similar pattern. This convergence has led to fierce competition across industries, adding to the strain on recruiter workloads.

IM AGE | ISTOCK

12/04/2018 08:31

T R E N DS

INSIGHT

“Business have responded by trying to buy or train individuals to become talent adviser ‘star players’ ”

Star players: costly and unsustainable Businesses have responded by trying to buy or train individuals to become talent adviser ‘star players’, who are capable of mastering the overwhelming complexity of the role.

It’s why the number of recruiters with 10 or more years of experience has increased 35% in the past two years.

However, this is a costly and – for many – unrealistic strategy.

This rising bar for excellence, has led to an increase in time-to-fill from 63 to 70 days in the past three years. Slow hiring means the business risks losing top talent and adds immediate costs to the business. These costs can come in the form of lower productivity, higher burnout of employees who depend on the vacant role and increased spend on temporary staffing.

Focusing on a team

Adapting to increasing workload Recruiters are now juggling more activities, more stakeholders and more demands.

Hiring managers look to the talent adviser to help them understand how their team should be structured. Concurrently, talent advisers must be able to

To unlock recruiters’ capacity to be talent advisers, consider the context in which they operate. They have an enormous number of activities to manage, and do not have the capacity to challenge hiring manager assumptions and coach candidates.

To enable them to focus on tasks that add the most value, recruiting leaders should remove unnecessary activities.

1 2

The highest performing recruiters are separated by their ability to influence

3

In 2016, 39% of all jobs posted

by S&P [Standard & Poor] 100 organisations were for just 29 roles, in demand by 90% of these organisations.

The FTSE 100 showed a similar pattern

4

The number of recruiters with 10 or more years of experience has increased 35% in the past two years

64% of recruiters find it harder than they did five years ago to source candidates with the exact skill sets hiring managers need

Following optimisation of the talent adviser role, recruiting functions must focus on ways to drive improved performance by focusing on the six capabilities of the Talent Adviser model (see opposite, p12).

These are all crucial to influencing hiring managers and coaching candidates, but with so many competing forces requiring the recruiter’s attention, having a team of players that will support the recruiter as a talent adviser is now a must.

↗

identify and engage in-demand talent. To succeed on both these fronts, they need to be able to gather and analyse information about labour market dynamics. This could include competitors’ activity, or the motivations and career drivers of top talent. This has to be done alongside managing an increasingly complex process involving endless data, stakeholders and technology.

POWER POINTS

THOMAS HANDCOCK is practice leader, Recruiting Leadership Council at Gartner

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 13

p12-13_Recruiter_May18_Insights.indd 13

12/04/2018 08:31

REC.05.18.014.indd 14

10/04/2018 10:59

T R E N DS

TECH & TOOLS

Video-led interviewing The latest megatrend or still to get going?

SUE WEEKES

Video will make up more than four-fifths (82%) of consumer traffic on the internet by 2021, according to tech company Cisco. With LinkedIn introducing its video facility last year and Facebook continuing to invest in it (founder Mark Zuckerberg describes it as a “megatrend”), the signs are more of us will be using it as a method of sharing information. Video-interviewing has had a stuttering start but is gaining momentum, and recruiters themselves are among those behind fast-growing platforms such as Hinterview and MyTempo. Video is the medium of choice for the Millennial and Centennial generations. “Leaving just a voicemail is weird for a Millennial,” says Richard McLaren, a former agency recruiter who co-founded Hinterview. So how should recruiters prepare for the video-led future?

CONSIDER HOW IT FITS IN Video-interviewing has often been shoe-horned into existing workflows.

McLaren says from a consultancy’s point of view, the traditional approach to videointerviewing didn’t make sense, with some agencies getting 70% refusal rates from candidates. “When you put a middleman between the candidate and agency and agency and end client, it didn’t work,” he says, explaining that Hinterview is a “videoenabled” recruitment platform, rather than a standalone interviewing module.

Meanwhile, Ben Chatfield, co-founder and CEO of MyTempo, observed that the shift towards a portal-based application process incorporating videointerviewing often fell short of expectations by seemingly keeping the candidate “at arm’s length” from the employer.

ONE-WAY OR TWOWAY? Most videointerviewing platforms are one-way, with recruiters able to ask the candidate a set of questions and the individual recording answers. Candidates often find the process impersonal. McLaren

firmly believes video-interviewing needs to be two-way.

“Then a recruiter can spend 20 minutes making a candidate comfortable and what follows is more of a conversation,” he says.

Chatfield explains that MyTempo will develop a two-way system in time and is building technology underneath the platform to analyse what people are saying and how they say it.

ISSUES AROUND BIAS Fears around video introducing bias because a recruiter can see a person’s face or hear how they speak haven’t completely

WHAT TO AS K? Agency and direct employers should quiz providers on metrics such as candidate adoption and rejection rates. They should also ask the provider how the service or platform can be optimised in terms of workflow and how it can be integrated with CRM systems. In future, we are likely to see more video-enabled recruitment platforms that offer a seamless experience. For the moment though, carefully consider how video can be best incorporated into an agency or resourcing department’s daily work to extract maximum value.

I M AG E | I STO C K

p15_Recruiter_May18_TechTools.indd 15

disappeared but the onus is on the recruiter to have robust diversity and inclusion policies in place. McLaren hopes the tool can also banish some prejudices.

“For instance, it gives an older person the chance to show how dynamic they are far more than words on paper,” he says.

Chatfield reckons that unless a recruitment process is totally anonymised, it is hard to eradicate the scope for bias but MyTempo is looking into providing “headline information” before the request for an interview is made.

GET TEAMS AND CANDIDATES ON BOARD Agencies and direct employers must educate how to use the video platform to candidates and their people. McLaren

recommends putting in place key performance indicators to make sure recruiters understand why they should be using it. From the candidate perspective, Chatfield says recruiters and platform owners must explain its purpose and “pitch” the service in the right way so the candidate doesn’t think the employer is trying to distance themselves.

BEYOND VIDEOINTERVIEWING Video is likely to become so pervasive that it will be used by recruiters for far more than interviewing.

Recruiters are using it in areas such as onboarding and business development, but its future strength could lie in direct engagement with passive and active candidates.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 15

12/04/2018 08:31

C

INTE R AC TIO N

VIEWPOINT

Leaving London Are workers really abandoning the capital?

BY SAFFA AYUB

t’s a no-brainer for many people in their 30s and 40s looking to start or grow a family. Do you stay in London, trying to make ends meet in a cramped two-bed flat on the fringes of the city, with a long journey to work on a sweaty tube? Or do you up sticks and go somewhere you can afford a family house with a garden for the same price?

This is the reality for many candidates, with City Hall statistics showing 93,300 people leaving London for elsewhere in the UK in the year to June 2016 – nearly 20,000 more than the previous year. Research by estate agent Savills shows the highest proportion of these are in their 30s, with 34,540 people aged between 30-39 leaving the capital.

Birmingham was the most popular destination for Londoners, with 6,529 people landing in the year to 2016.

Bristol and Brighton are close behind – all great cities with good train links to London. This mirrors an expanding employment market, with a recent Centre for Cities report highlighting jobs growth in Birmingham rising by 30% from 1998-2015, and Bristol at 41%.

The cost of housing was a big factor, with mid-2016 average London house prices at £484,716 – more than double those in the rest of the UK at £232,885. The more relaxed lifestyles and culture of smaller cities are also a draw.

I

“We’re not finding it harder to fill London-based roles”

been reluctant to work – we’d be delighted to see more procurement talent in places like Bristol.

Moving away doesn’t have to mean giving up work in the capital, however. To tempt candidates back into the city, a small number of our clients have started to offer a flexible home-based contract or contracts from regional hubs, meaning employees can work remotely and expense travel if they go into London, or commute two or three days a week.

New technology such as video conferencing, plus better broadband in rural areas, has made it easier than ever for employees to connect remotely.

We’re not finding it harder to fill London-based roles – there will always be a strong market in the So what does this mean for recruiters? capital. What is clear is while commute times As people move away from London it opens up a talent pool increase (3.7m UK workers faced a two-hour plus of candidates in areas where people may previously have daily commute in 2015 compared to 2.8m in 2010), the effect on job satisfaction is severe. A 2017 University of the West of England report found a 20-minute increase in commute time is as bad as a 19% pay cut for job satisfaction.

In order to adapt and help employers with staff retention, I think recruiters need to sell the benefits of genuinely flexible or remote working to clients and candidates – a 2017 survey by Timewise showed that 87% of full-time workers either work flexibly or would like to. So we might suggest that a client tempt the ideal candidate from outside London by offering a season ticket loan for a two-day commute coupled with home working.

In many ways it’s positive if the jobs market becomes less London-centric, with + an influx of candidates helping cities beyond the capital flourish. I’m settled in SAFFA AYUB is managing London but I see the appeal of weekends on Bristol Harbourside with a couple of director of Bramwith days commuting to the capital. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it?

Consulting

16 RECRUITER

p16 Viewpoint.indd 16

MAY 2018

IMAG E | ISTOCK

12/04/2018 08:31

I N T E R AC T I O N

SOUNDBITES

L ET T ER S / W EB CHAT

T-LEVELS WILL TAKE TIME FOR TECHNICAL TALENT In response to your story ‘Recruiters welcome Chancellor’s Spring Budget Statement’ (13 March, recruiter.co.uk), the introduction of T-levels may go some way in bridging the skills gap through quality technical education, but it will take time for 16-yearolds to gain real world experience and filter into the workplace.

It will not guarantee businesses a surplus of technical talent. I believe businesses will need to change their attitude to recruitment, accepting the freelance culture and offering more flexible working.

Businesses should be hiring on the basis of skills, not commuting distance, even if this does mean allowing their IT staff to work remotely.

GRAHAM SMITH, HEAD OF MARKETING, CURO TALENT

INTERESTING TIMES AHEAD FOR IR35 In reply to your article ‘Contractor wins IR35 appeal case against HMRC’ (27 March, recruiter.co.uk), care needs to be taken not to read too much into this case.

It’s only first tier so carries no legal precedent and we don’t know yet whether HMRC will appeal the decision. Having read the case, I can see some huge gaps in the tribunal’s logic. Having said that, expect many more such cases if the IR35 changes are rolled out to the private sector.

Interesting times!!

JOHN CHAPLIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, EY PEOPLE ADVISORY SERVICES

HAVE DOG, WILL TRAVEL We read your story ‘Dog-friendly travel company seeks pawsome canine critic candidate’ (29 March, recruiter.co.uk). What a great job – one of our office pooches has just entered his application!

MANDY BROOK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, RSE GROUP AGENCY

Following Cambridge Analytica’s alleged use of users’ data in the 2016 US elections, does Facebook still have a role to play in recruitment?

ALEX HEMSLEY CO-FOUN D ER A N D D IREC TOR , G LOBA L { M}

“Yes. Facebook still has a big role to play within the talent acquisition industry. That said, I do think there will be some fallout from the data breach, and rightly so. Users’ personal data has been compromised in ways they would never have agreed to had they known what that data was being used for. This is nothing short of scandalous and Facebook has little defence… Where Facebook will always struggle to compete is in the highly skilled and senior level markets where current technology limitations prevent Facebook’s algorithms from having the depth of market knowledge compared to more traditional staffing agencies.”

GR AHAM WALKER COUN T RY D IREC TOR , SY D N EY, S A LT

“Absolutely yes! Facebook has around 2bn users and gives those of us in the staffing industry a huge platform to get our message out. Most Facebook usage is done out of office hours so it’s a great way to tap into passive candidates or those who are not trawling the traditional jobseeker platforms. The importance of data protection is high on everyone’s agenda and this is certainly bad press, but as an extra tool in your box it remains a highly effective way to get your message out.”

TOM WHITE MA N AG I N G D I REC TOR , PA R AT US P EOP L E

“Facebook is groundbreaking in its ability to help bring candidate and client together. However, the questionable use of the data has cast a shadow on its service and given rise to campaigns to leave Facebook – and certainly raised the issue of online privacy once more. I’d like to think with GDPR and a wider sense of control of data we could collectively still harness Facebook’s data for good and that these recent events can merely be a blip on the social media recruitment journey that is well underway.”

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 17

p17_recruiter_MAY18 soundbites.indd 17

12/04/2018 08:32

B LO CKCHA IN TE CHNOLOGY

N EW KID ON THE B LOCK The application p pp of blockchain ockchain technology nology gy in recruitment uitment is only in itss infancy, y but many y believe it is only a matter of time before it drives real change g in the industry. stry. y Colin Cottell ell explains

18 RECRUITER R

MAY 2018

p18-25_big story Blockchain.indd 18

ILLUST RAT ION | ISTOCK

12/04/2018 08:32

BLOCKC H A I N T E C H N O LO GY

Blockchain is held up by many as the next great disruptor for business.

First coming to public consciousness for its application in the exponential growth of digital currency bitcoin, a paper by global investment bank Goldman Sachs doesn’t hold back in its bold claims for this emerging technology, describing it as “redefining the way we transact”.

“If that sounds incredibly far reaching, that is because it is,” Goldman Sachs continues. “It combines the openness of the internet with the security of cryptography to give everyone a faster, safer way to verify key information and establish trust.”

Goldman Sachs is not the only one to see blockchain’s potential. Marcus Sawyerr, president Adecco Group X (AGX), who leads on the digital agenda and disruptive business models for the global staffing giant, says he is “very excited” about blockchain. Assuming certain prerequisites are met, “if you look at the technology of blockchain it could represent the technology of the internet if we get it right. It could be the new way to provide trust across the internet – that’s what I am super excited about”.

With the recruitment industry’s track record of being an early adopter of technology, it is hardly a surprise then that recruiters and those offering services to the sector are starting to get in on the blockchain act.

ON BOARD EARLY An early adopter of blockchain in recruitment is job board Technojobs.

Director Anthony Sherick told Recruiter: “We aim to be the first company to bring a blockchain solution to the market.” In 2017 Technojobs invested in blockchain technology company APPII. APPII’s app, which went live in November last year, allows Technojobs and other candidates’ professional achievements and proof of qualifications to be verified by educational establishments and previous employers, and then permanently recorded on the blockchain.

“An individual has a key to write one of

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 19

p18-25_big story Blockchain.indd 19

12/04/2018 08:33

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2018 SHORTLIST AGENCY RECRUITMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR » » » » » »

Saffa Ayub: MD, Bramwith Consulting Toby Babb: CEO, Harrington Starr Paula Rogers: CEO/Founder, Admiral Recruitment Suki Sandhu: CEO/Founder, Audeliss Andy Shatwell: MD, Charlton Morris Raj Tulsiani: CEO/Co-Founder, Green Park

IN-HOUSE RECRUITMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR » Katrina Hutchinson-O’Neill: Director of Resourcing, Nationwide Building Society » Craig Morgans: Head of Talent Acquisition and Learning and Development, The AA RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR » Nicholas Barton: CEO/Founder, The Barton Partnership » Steve Beckitt: CEO/Founder, SourceBreaker » Richard Cooke: Owner/Director, Seven Resourcing » Charlie Ryan: MD/Founder, CMR Recruitment UK/ The Recruitment Queen » Suki Sandhu: CEO/Founder, Audeliss » Ed Vokes: Company Director, Evolve Hospitality BEST CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE » Clarriots Care » Go North East Bus Driver Routeway: Go North East in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and Gateshead College » Out of This World Candidate Experience: Mars in partnership with Amberjack » The Candidate Experience: TMP Worldwide UK » General Manager recruitment: Virgin Active BEST GRADUATE RECRUITMENT STRATEGY » Global Graduate Leadership Programme (GGLP): Aviva in partnership with Capp & Co » What Makes You: Babcock in partnership with Blackbridge Communications » Transforming Morgan Stanley’s worldwide approach to graduate hiring: Morgan Stanley in partnership with WCN » Turning the Dial on Diversity: Network Rail in partnership with Amberjack » Beat the Game Changers: Vodafone in partnership with Pink Squid

In association with:

REC.05.18.020-021.indd 20

Supported by:

BEST APPRENTICE/SCHOOL LEAVER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY » Adecco Group UK&I - Shared Service Centre » Aldi apprenticeships campaign - Aldi in partnership with Penna » Morrisons Makes It: Degree Apprenticeships Morrisons in partnership with Amberjack IN-HOUSE INNOVATION IN RECRUITMENT » ChatBot on www.theaacareers.co.uk: The AA in partnership with TMP Worldwide » BT Apprentice Recruitment Campaign 2017: BT in partnership with Sonru » Go North East Bus Driver Routeway: Go North East in partnership with Jobcentre Plus and Gateshead College » Jumpstart Online Recruitment Process: TELUS International Central America Recruitment MOST EFFECTIVE EMPLOYER BRAND DEVELOPMENT » The Right Stuff: Five Guys in partnership with Chatter Communications » Clearly Hastings Direct: Hastings Direct in partnership with That Little Agency » The Feel Good Company: TELUS International Central America » Join the Great Venture: HS2 in partnership with TMP Worldwide UK » Investigo Life: Investigo » The Home of Proper Jobs: Charles Tyrwhitt » The White Company – PRIDE: The White Company in partnership with Pink Squid » Brand launch and All Walks of Life campaign: Whitehall Resources BEST IN-HOUSE RECRUITMENT TEAM » » » » » » » »

Openreach Cisco Müller UK & Ireland Nationwide Building Society Oliver James Associates The AA Vestel Group of Companies Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police

BEST RECRUITMENT AGENCY MARKETING TEAM » » » » » »

Acorn Recruitment Darwin Recruitment Fircroft Optimus Search Robert Walters Rullion

BEST CANDIDATE CARE » » » » » » » » » »

Audeliss Brightpool C&M Travel Recruitment Cavendish Professionals ISE Partners La Fosse Associates Noa Recruitment Recruiter Republic SpenglerFox TFS Healthcare

BEST CLIENT SERVICE » » » » » » » »

Amberjack Bramwith Consulting Kite Consulting Group La Salle Network Oliver James Associates Optimus Search Strictly Recruitment The Barton Partnership

BEST BANKING/FINANCIAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » » »

Eames Consulting Group Gravitas Recruitment Group Harrington Starr Investigo Kite Consulting Group LMA Recruitment Oliver James Associates

BEST ENGINEERING RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » »

Core Talent Fircroft NRL RGB Recruitment Rullion

Sponsored by:

12/04/2018 12:43

BEST INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » » » »

BEST IT/TECHNOLOGY RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » » » »

» » » » » » » »

Broadgate Search Broster Buchanan Oakwell Hampton Peel Solutions Source Technology TRIA Recruitment

» » » » » » » »

Baltimore Consulting Charles Hunter Associates Commercial Services Gravitas Recruitment Group Pertemps TFS Healthcare The Finegreen Group TPP Recruitment

Amoria Bond Class People Evolve Hospitality Gravitas Recruitment Group LaSalle Network PMP Recruitment Taskmaster Resources

Amoria Bond Annapurna Recruitment Goodman Masson Green Park Harnham Investigo La Fosse Associates Opus Talent Solutions

RECRUITMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR – LARGE (250+ EMPLOYEES)

BEST TEMPORARY RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » » »

Bramwith Consulting DMJ Recruitment Girling Jones Harrington Starr Kite Consultant Group LMA Recruitment 3URĆOHV &UHDWLYH Trust in Soda

» Fircroft » Robert Walters » Search Consultancy

MOST EFFECTIVE COMPLIANCE OPERATION » » » » »

Carmichael UK Charles Hunter Associates Gap Personnel NES Global Talent Rullion

OUTSTANDING OUTSOURCED RECRUITMENT ORGANISATION » » » »

Amberjack Cielo Team24 TMP Worldwide

RECRUITMENT TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

RECRUITMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM (50-249 EMPLOYEES)

Balance Recruitment DMJ Recruitment LMA Recruitment Procurement Heads RedLaw Strictly Recruitment

BEST PUBLIC/THIRD SECTOR RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » » » »

CMR Recruitment Dove & Hawk Flair 4 Recruitment Infosec Octopus Personnel SpaYse International Venari Partners

RECRUITMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR – SMALL (11-49 EMPLOYEES)

BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICES RECRUITMENT AGENCY » » » » » »

Cathcart Associates Cavendish Professionals Class People Eames Consulting Group ECS Resource Group Gravitas Recruitment Group Your World Recruitment Group

RECRUITMENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR – MICRO (UP TO 10 EMPLOYEES) » » » » » » »

Baltic Training Darwin Recruitment Eurostaff Gravitas Recruitment Group La Fosse Associates Robert Walters RP International Rullion

BEST NEW AGENCY » » » » » »

MOST EFFECTIVE BACK OFFICE OPERATION » » » » » » »

Fircroft Global {M} NES Global Talent NonStop Recruitment Oliver James Associates Opus Talent Solutions Robert Walters VHR (Virtual Human Resources)

» » » » »

GatedTalent Hinterview Imperial Brands in partnership with Amberjack JOB TODAY Lloyds Banking Group in partnership with Capp & Co » SourceBreaker » Syft » WCN RECRUITMENT INDUSTRY SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR » » » » » » » »

4MAT Amberjack Candidate Source CareersinAudit.com CV-Library )LUHĆVK 6RIWZDUH Saville Assessment TribePad

MOST EFFECTIVE RECRUITMENT MARKETING CAMPAIGN » Talent Spotters: Assurant in partnership with Creed Communications » 7KH $SSUHQWĆVK )LUHĆVK 6RIWZDUH » All we need is you!: Guidant Group in partnership with Shop Direct » Aldi in partnership with Penna » Ready to make your mark: Boots in partnership with Pink Squid » Christmas Starts With You: The White Company in partnership with Pink Squid » Target. Attract. Recruit - Apprentice campaigns that exceed expectations: Vodafone in partnership with QA Apprenticeship » “We’re growing our Team” - OVO Energy in partnership with ThirtyThree

YOOOOUUUU YOUR ENTRY’S ON FIRE LAST CHANCE. BOOK NOW, WINNERS ANNOUNCED 3 May 2018 | Grosvenor House, London @RecruiterAwards #recruiterawards recruiterawards.co.uk T: 020 7880 6226 | E: enquiries@recruiterawards.co.uk

REC.05.18.020-021.indd 21

12/04/2018 12:43

B LO CKCHA IN TE CHNOLOGY

the blocks and a verifying organisation has a key to write on one the blocks, and when a candidate asserts, for example, they have a PhD from Cambridge, the university is prompted to verify that this assertion is accurate,” explains Gary McKay, APPII’s co-founder and managing director. Combined with the use of facial recognition technology to verify the identity of candidates, this results in a verified candidate profile that recruiters can access.

McKay says the platform is already gaining traction, with more than 60 educational establishments, such as the Open University, and employers such as financial trading company IG Group and accountants Kingston Smith able to verify claims made by jobseekers.

“We can pre-verify candidates before they apply for an open role and this can reduce the time for organisations to find, interview and onboard the candidate,” explains McKay. He says the essence of this application of blockchain is that it addresses the issue of trust in hiring. It also reduces the need for intermediaries to verify details on a candidate’s CV. And because the verified data is immediately available

22 RECRUITER

“It could be the new way to provide trust across the internet”

to all employers on the blockchain, a candidate’s data only has to be verified once, eliminating duplication of effort and making recruitment more efficient.

Jobseekers can update their profile by adding details of continuing professional development and course attendance, using QR codes.

ADDING VALUE Technojobs and APPII are not the only companies in the recruitment/HR space to apply blockchain technology.

Launched officially in March 2017, R_ Block has developed a blockchain-based referencing tool platform that, according to founder Luke Shipley, is already receiving rave reviews from companies testing it, such as Booking.com. Shipley says R_Block focuses on features of the blockchain that add most value in the market. Because data is distributed across the blockchain and cannot be controlled by any single entity, Shipley says one of the most valuable features

MAY 2018

p18-25_big story Blockchain.indd 22

12/04/2018 08:33

DATA S O U RC I N G

is “the ability to solve some of the data abuse problems and the data monopolies linked to centralised platforms”.

Keith Rosser, director of screening and compliance services at Reed, acknowledges the value that blockchain can add to verification of candidate learning, skills and experience.

“Blockchain has the potential for candidates to market themselves, their credentials and their profile direct to hirers in a way that is externally validated, by referees and other employers, who can vouch for them in an a way that is open and not editable.”

Rosser suggests the next developments to come to market in terms of verification could be the use of plug-ins from wider external sources, such as police records, references and right to work (RTW) information. He describes this as “like a verified LinkedIn profile, where third parties add to the profile”.

“Could this eventually revolutionise RTW checking, where the Home Office adds a RTW block to a candidate’s profile meaning an end-employer could rely on that as proof?” he asks.

Going beyond this, Rosser argues that blockchain “has the potential to make the industry far more candidate-led”.

Isaac Marks, who is working on a blockchain application for the pharma industry in New York, agrees. “Blockchain has a wonderful mechanism, where you don’t have to reveal the whole of your profile, and

if someone wants to see more of your blockchain it allows you to release that information, say to a potential employer.”

CANDIDATE REWARDS However, he goes further, arguing: “Blockchain will allow candidates and not others, such as job boards and recruitment agencies, to monetise their own CV data.”

Gaurang Torvekar, a co-founder of candidate profile platform Indorse, explains that “unlike traditional social networks, where users give up their valuable personal data for free”, with platforms selling the data to advertisers and “users getting nothing in return”, rewarding jobseekers for sharing their data is a feature of Indorse’s business model.

In line with a number of other similar platforms, he explains that Indorse incentivises its mainly blockchain professional users to add their skills and accomplishments to the site by rewarding them in INDs, the company’s own cryptographic token.

“This can then be exchanged for other cryptocurrencies,” says Torvekar. Indorse also rewards members in INDs when they endorse claims made by other users on the platform. Torvekar says already 5,000 users have signed up to the platform.

McKay says while APPII does not yet issue tokens, the vision is that organisations who verify individuals will receive them as a reward, while employers who ask for a verified candidate will be asked to pay in APPII tokens, some of which will then be given to the jobseeker. The plan is that these tokens will then be able to be used to pay for a training course, for example.

“We believe that APPII is merely a custodian of data that belongs to an individual and the individual should receive a reward for it regardless of whether they are employed or not,” says McKay. Bill Boorman, adviser to talent technology companies, agrees the big change associated with blockchain will be around ownership of data. However,

What is blockchain?

Invented by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 for use in the cryptocurrency bitcoin, blockchain is a relatively new technology.

Imagine a spreadsheet that is duplicated hundreds, perhaps thousands of times across a network of computers.

Blockchain is the technology behind this network that allows this spreadsheet to be updated and to be shared as a continually reconciled database.

The blockchain database isn’t stored in a single place, meaning the records on it are available to everyone on the blockchain, and therefore easily verifiable.

The blockchain is made up of blocks of records built on top of one another.

Once recorded, the data in any given block cannot be altered without the alteration of all subsequent blocks, which requires agreement across the blockchain network.

Because data is distributed across the blockchain and not centralised, it is difficult if not impossible for a hacker to corrupt it, not least because of the massive amount of computational power that would be needed. Blockchain also provides a clear audit trail of all transactions.

Blockchain removes the need for a trusted authority or broker-type intermediary between a buyer and a seller, allowing them to transact directly with each other.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 23

p18-25_big story Blockchain.indd 23

12/04/2018 08:33

B LO CKCHA IN TE CHNOLOGY

How blockchain could revolutionise agency and contractor payroll Speedy and secure payment to contractors and temps is another area where firms see blockchain’s potential to disrupt the recruitment market. Euros Evans, founder of blockchain-based payroll platform Etch, says: “Traditionally temporary and contract workers are last in the queue to be paid. Smart contracts on the blockchain will give them extra

protection and reduce the payment cycle to near zero. This is what Etch is building.

“A blockchain is simply a database distributed along a network – there is nothing new here – but with one huge difference: immutability. It is this immutability that gives us the ‘source of truth’.

he doubts blockchain will lead to candidates monetising their personal data, arguing that the issue is one of trust and not reward. “They will let an employer have their data, but only if they trust them to use it in a way that is relevant, useful and not painful to them,” he says.

to gain traction “maybe in a year”, with recruitment marketplaces “the first place where it will make a difference”.

AGX’s Sawyerr says he recognises the potential blockchain has “to completely transform the recruitment industry.

However, there are some prerequisites that are necessary to happen first”, he argues.

Sawyerr says the first prerequisite is scalability. “Where blockchain becomes powerful is where you have a certain amount of data in one place or platform,” he says. However, he continues: “If you see lots of these platforms popping up and you have got lots of these fragmented markets, it takes away the value of being able to leverage one place.”

UNCERTAIN POTENTIAL While blockchain is undoubtedly beginning to send out ripples into the world of recruitment, there are question marks about whether it will really be ‘the next great disruptor’ in the market that its proponents predict. Similarly, there is uncertainty about the timing of any impact.

Jonathan Kestenbaum, MD of Talent Tech Labs, an investor who says he “is making bets on blockchain”, says blockchain technology is not yet ready.

“Buyers are not able to use it yet,” he says. However, he expects it will begin

24 RECRUITER

THE GDPR EFFECT A second prerequisite is resolving issues around data privacy, particularly in the light of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation that comes into effect on 25 May. Sawyerr poses the question: “If you have data that is immutable, and someone wants to delete their personal information, how do you get around that?” In addition, for blockchain to provide trust in the market, Sawyerr says there has to be “trust offline”.

Tim Campbell MBE, head of client services – emerging talent/head of global citizenship at Alexander Mann Solutions, says that while AMS is not currently using blockchain technology with any of its worldwide clients it is having conversations with many

“We can use this ‘source of truth’ to automate payments, where traditionally humans were required to verify details, such as how many hours worked, allowing payment to the temporary worker or contractor to be released.”

Evans says Etch’s platform will soon begin a pilot for a firm in London with 3,000 staff.

of them about it. “It is important for us as the expert partner to lots of organisations to be able to say how, when and how they might want to make use of it.”

Campbell predicts that the application of blockchain in recruitment will come in stages based on difficulty of implementation. While verification of data around individuals, including their identity, “is the easy stuff to implement”, at the other end of the spectrum are cross-border payments to contractors, say in China, says Campbell.

And despite his excitement about blockchain, Sawyerr introduces a note of caution about when the technology is likely to gain traction. “It could be sooner, but I would predict five years once we have got rid of the hype cycle.

Again it depends on whether there is one dominant player, who can bring it to the forefront quicker, but as an industry to leverage it I don’t see that happening for the next five years.”

“Where blockchain becomes powerful is where you have a certain amount of data in one place or platform”

JUNE2018 MAY 2016

p18-25_big story Blockchain.indd 24

12/04/2018 08:34

Advertorial A DV ERTO R I A L T r u s t I D

Right to Work checks in recruitment: 5 ways technology can help According to Home Office guidance, if you’re placing temporary staff and remain their employer throughout the contract, you have a legal responsibility to check their Right to Work in the UK. So that means carrying out satisfactory pre-employment screening and confirming that workers are legally entitled to work in the UK. But if you’re seeing candidate ID documents from all over the world, manually confirming their status can be unreliable and time-consuming. Here’s how simple ID checking technology can help:

1

Save time A good identity verification system will process an identity check within seconds and removes the need to manually check, photocopy and file the document for future audits. A user of TrustID document checking technology estimated that they save 3 minutes per identity document check so with 150 candidates a month, you’d save a day’s admin monthly.

4

Stand out in a competitive world Advertising your use of technology in the Right to Work process gives clients confidence and peace of mind that your candidates have been verified in a consistent way. Anderselite advertise enhanced ID checks on their website which not only differentiates their services but also acts as a deterrent to workers who might apply for roles using fraudulent documentation.

5

Be confident in the face of audit An electronic verification system that stores copies of your Right to Work checks, date and time stamped with a record of who made the check helps you to always be prepared for an audit – be that from an external company, a client or even immigration enforcement.

Introducing technology may seem daunting but today’s systems are affordable, quick to implement, easy to use and a valuable asset in ensuring your compliance. ●

2

Anderselite have a watertight process thanks to an ID checking system, as Emma Rapson, Business Excellence Manager explains “As a business, we needed to make sure we were consistent, no matter which consultant was making the ID check. And that no-one got through the net because we hadn’t seen the right document, missed something suspicious or because the pressure was on to place a candidate at short-notice.”

↗

Introduce consistency An ID checking system consistently checks ID document security features and offers an analysis of whether it’s genuine which is far superior to a visual check. It means you don’t need to train staff to be document and Right to Work experts and you avoid inconsistent decision-making or unconscious bias towards certain candidates.

TrustID 9 Greyfriars Road Reading RG1 1NU For further information please visit: www.trustid.co.uk Telephone: 0118 990 1118 Email: info@trustid.co.uk

3

Protect your business Let’s be honest, most candidates will show you genuine ID documents that give them the Right to Work in the UK but wouldn’t it be nice to have peace of mind?

Placing a candidate who is using illegal documents and has no right to work in the UK could seriously damage your brand and reputation as well as risk fines of up to £20,000 per candidate.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 25

REC.05.18.025.indd 25

12/04/2018 10:50

REC.05.18.026.indd 26

10/04/2018 11:03

Issue 61 May 2018

RECRUITMENT MATTERS The View and The Intelligence A year to Brexit

p2-3

GDPR What recruiters need to know p4

Legal Update More GDPR news

Events and training p6

INDUSTRY WELCOMES MAC IMMIGRATION REPORT The REC says recruiters will continue to play a crucial part in helping UK businesses find appropriate staff, considering March’s Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report.

The MAC’s ‘EEA workers in the UK labour market: interim update’ report is part of a review assessing the impact of Brexit on the UK labour market.

It says businesses are concerned about their ability to recruit workers

@RECPress RM_May_18.indd 1

from the European Union after Britain leaves the EU. UK employers also see EU workers as “more reliable” and eager than their British counterparts, the report said.

The REC’s director of policy Tom Hadley says he is pleased the report contains a strong employer voice.

“It’s important that the debate isn’t just about engineers and doctors, but acknowledges that we need people to pick our fruit

and veg, cook and serve in our hotels, and look after people in our care homes,” he says.

“Our own data, for example, has shown staffing challenges are accelerating across a range of sectors from IT and financial services, through to hospitality, construction and logistics. Employers are already finding it hard to secure the workers they need and we haven’t left the EU yet.”

Meet the star of The Recruiter Game

p8

The report has also been welcomed by others in the labour market. CIPD senior market analyst Gerwyn Davies congratulated the MAC for a “rational, evidence-based” report.

“Looking ahead, we hope that the MAC and the Government see the merit in a labour shortage occupation list. Under this arrangement, employers would have to show that they are making efforts to improve the supply of UK workers while demonstrating that the occupation has a genuine labour or skill shortage.

“This more selective approach to controlling unskilled or low-skilled migration from the EU could potentially act as a catalyst for improving employer practice and enable most organisations to meet their labour and skills needs,” he says.

You can read more about how the REC is supporting members during Brexit negotiations at www.rec.uk.com/brexit

www.rec.uk.com 10/04/2018 10:38

Leading the Industry

THE VIEW

With the one-year countdown to Brexit underway, Tom Hadley, REC director of policy and professional services, highlights the key areas for recruiters to watch out for

or Lots coming up for ys REC members, says David Vallance, REC tive acting chief executive

As I step into the role of acting CEO at the REC, it’s a busy time for us. There is plenty for members to get involved in and to look forward to. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming up:

THE BREXIT COUNTDOWN… We will continue to support our members as GDPR is implemented and anticipate it will be a busy time for our legal helpline.

Jobs transform lives campaign We’ve been running this campaign to shout about the great work recruiters do and improve the reputation of our industry for three years now.

Most recently, we released The Recruitment Game, an interactive video experience.

We hope it instils a sense of pride in what you do – while making you laugh. Find it at rec.uk.com/jobstransform and share using #jobstransform.

Collectively, we need to talk about the difference recruiters make. It will benefit your business and the whole industry.

Immigration research We have produced three immigration reports to date, which have helped us get a foot in the door at No.10 and set up meetings with key MPs and stakeholders involved in the debate. We’re continuing the series and are now looking into how an immigration system could work for employers who rely on temporary agency and seasonal workers from the EU. This important research will help us to represent your views to government and help to ensure the future immigration system works for business. Keep an eye on the next Recruitment Matters for more information.

GDPR Coming into effect on 25 May 2018, GDPR will introduce a number of new data protection obligations for organisations and new rights for individuals. We know it’s an important issue for our members. So far we’ve run GDPR workshops and we’ve produced a blog series to help recruiters prepare their businesses and staff.

TREC 2018 Now in its fifth year, our annual Talent, Recruitment and Employment Conference will be about the future of resourcing, talent acquisition and retention strategies. You can expect a packed agenda of practitioner-led roundtables, case studies and panel discussions. The event is on 4 June and tickets are going fast, so book now.

2 RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018

RM_May_18.indd 2

Ever since the referendum, REC members have consistently flagged access to staff and skills as the number one concern. Our ‘Report on Jobs’ data continues to show decreases in candidate availability for both temporary and permanent roles; as the clock ticks towards the March 2019 deadline, can we expect the staffing squeeze to intensify?

Ongoing uncertainty continues to impact on the EU workers arriving or deciding to remain in the UK. The feedback from recruiters is that this is a major factor in a range of key sectors. Our core message to government is that they need to build on the assurances put forward last December, and to ensure that a post-EU immigration strategy reflects the needs of UK businesses.

The outlook for future trade deals have been a major focus of our recent discussions with the CBI and sectoral organisations. Whilst this might not be front of mind for most UK recruiters, there are real implications for a number of key sectors which could have an impact on future competitiveness and hiring decisions. Any impact on the ability to sell services and products across the EU will have implications for a range of sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals, manufacturing or financial services. We will continue to work closely with representative bodies from these and other sectors and relay the latest intel back to REC members.

A further priority over the next 12 months will be to explore new opportunities for recruiters linked to the government’s industrial strategy. This is seen as the bedrock for a post-EU economy and is based on driving growth across specific sectors and regions. Our recent discussions with the incoming Business Minister confirmed that people and skills are recognised as core elements within the strategy which in turn underlines the key role that specialist recruiters can play.

The practical insight from REC members will be key to delivering on this vision and to ensuring that our industry continues to thrive in the post-Brexit world.

You can follow Tom on Twitter nt @hadleyscomment

www.rec.uk.com

10/04/2018 10:39

1970s

THE INTELLIGENCE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: CANDIDATE AND SKILLS SHORTAGES

Thalia Ioannidou, REC senior researcher Brexit negotiations began on 19 June 2017, yet confusion around the country’s future relationship and labour arrangements with the European Union (EU) shows no sign of abating.

As demand for skills and people is mounting, migration statistics published by the ONS in February 2018 are particularly worrisome for businesses across the country.

The figures show a fall in net EU migration, which is driven by a fall in EU citizens coming to the UK for work. At the same time, the number of EU citizens leaving the country has risen.

Candidate availability has been a pressing challenge for UK businesses, as

HEADCOUNT GROWTH IMPROVES ACROSS 2017 The latest data from Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIBIndex), measuring participating companies’ performance, shows that – following a dip into negative territory at the end of 2016 – the median RIB recruiter maintained headcount growth right across 2017.

Whilst headcount requirements surged within the upper quartile of RIB

www.rec.uk.com

RM_May_18.indd 3

manifested in our ‘Report on Jobs’ monthly survey of 400 recruiters. Recruitment consultants have been reporting continued difficulties regarding the availability of suitable staff for both permanent and temporary roles. In particular, as highlighted in the March issue, the rate of deterioration in the availability of permanent staff remained sharp in February, despite easing to the weakest for 11 months. Similarly, lower temporary and contract staff availability was recorded in each of the five monitored UK regions, with the fastest reduction signalled in the Midlands.

Persistent skills shortages have also been highlighted in our JobsOutlook monthly survey of employers, especially in sectors such as engineering, health and social care, education and hospitality. Amid ongoing uncertainty around labour provisions once the UK officially leaves the EU on

AS THE NUMBER OF EU CITIZENS COMING TO THE UK FOR WORK FALLS STEADILY WHILE THE UK’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS ONE OF THE LOWEST SINCE THE 1970S,

19 March 2019, more UK employers continue to feel that economic conditions in the country are deteriorating rather than improving.

Even though political debate has primarily focused on the availability of permanent staff in post-Brexit Britain, there is increasing concern amongst UK employers and recruiters on the impact of Brexit on the supply of temporary staff.

Currently, temporary workers from the EU are contributing to the UK economy in key sectors such as hospitality, retail, health and social care, and the food and drinks industry. Businesses in these industries rely heavily on EU nationals to meet their labour needs.

As the number of EU citizens coming to the UK

Employee numbers versus last year, for the Median, Lower Quartile & Upper Quartile RIB Recruiter: Q1 2016-Q4 2017 30% 25%

25% 20% 15% 10%

7%

5% 0%

0%

-5% -10%

■ Upper quartile ■ Median ■ Lower quartile -15% Q1 2016

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1 2017

Q2

Q3

Q4

RECRUITMENT CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN REPORTING CONTINUED DIFFICULTIES REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE STAFF FOR BOTH PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY ROLES.

for work falls steadily while the UK’s unemployment rate remains one of the lowest since the 1970s, candidate shortages intensify. The REC recognises the need for, and strongly supports the implementation of, a practical and responsive immigration system, which will replace current labour provisions once exit talks are completed.

The post-Brexit immigration system will only be effective if it allows businesses and industries to meet their labour needs through the sufficient supply of EU workers for both permanent and temporary roles.

To read more about the latest recruitment and employment trends, subscribe to receive ‘Report on Jobs’ and JobsOutlook, the REC’s most up-to-date sources of monthly UK labour market data and analysis. members across 2017, it was also encouraging to see that even those within the lower quartile had reached a point of not requiring any headcount trimming by the year-end.

Belinda Johnson runs employment research consultancy Worklab, and is associate knowledge & insight director of Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIB) – part of the Bluestones Group. The RIB Index provides bespoke confidential reports on industry benchmarks and trends.

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

RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018 3

10/04/2018 10:39

The Big Talking Point

GDPR

GDPREADY?

The General Data Protection Regulation – better known as the GDPR – comes into effect on 25 May. The REC’s GDPR workshops have sold out across the country, plus a new range of GDPR-compliant documents and policies are available for members on the REC website. Recruitment Matters explores what steps the REC is taking to ensure all members are GDPR-fit.

In May, new data protection rules will impose greater obligations on organisations, while giving more rights to individuals about how their personal data is processed.

Recruitment businesses handle significant amounts of personal data daily and should be ready for the coming changes.

There is a lot of concern about the changes, but to quote the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), this is an ‘evolution not a revolution’. Data protection legislation has been a facet of UK legislation for 20 years.

The REC has been proactive in preparing members for the GDPR’s arrival. It has produced factsheets, guides, plus model documents and policies that you can use to ensure you’re compliant come 25 May.

WHO DOES THE GDPR APPLY TO? The ICO has outlined these key definitions: • The GDPR applies to ‘controllers’ and ‘processors’.

• A controller determines the purposes and means of

4 RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018

RM_May_18.indd 4

processing personal data.

• A processor is responsible for processing personal data on behalf of a controller.

• If you are a processor or controller, the GDPR places specific legal obligations on you. You are required to maintain records of personal data and processing activities (in certain circumstances). You will have legal liability if you are responsible for a breach.

• If you are a controller, you are not relieved of your obligations where a processor is involved.

The GDPR places further obligations on you to ensure your contracts with processors comply with the GDPR. • The GDPR applies to processing carried out by organisations operating within the EU. It also applies to organisations outside the EU that offer goods or services to individuals in the EU. • The GDPR does not apply to certain activities including processing covered by the Law Enforcement Directive, processing for

national security purposes and processing carried out by individuals purely for personal/household activities.

WHAT INFORMATION DOES THE GDPR APPLY TO? According to the ICO, the GDPR applies to ‘personal data’, meaning any information relating to an “identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier”.

“This definition provides for a wide range of personal identifiers to constitute personal data, including name, identification number, location data or online identifier, reflecting changes in technology and the way organisations collect information about people,” it says.

The GDPR applies to both automated personal data and to any filing systems where personal data are accessible according to specific criteria. This could include chronologically ordered sets of manual records containing personal data. Personal data that has been pseudonymised

– eg. key-coded – can fall within the scope of the GDPR depending on how difficult it is to attribute the pseudonym to an individual.

WHAT LAWFUL REASONS ARE THERE FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL INFORMATION? Under the GDPR, there are six lawful bases to process an individual’s personal data and 10 lawful bases to process sensitive personal data.

Although recruiters are most familiar with the legal basis of consent, it should be noted there are times where it may not be appropriate to only rely on consent. There are other lawful reasons that you can rely on to process personal data.

The six lawful reasons to process personal data under the GDPR (and currently under the Data Protection Act – DPA) are explored in the REC’s GDPR guide. These three are the most relevant for recruiters.

1) ENTERING INTO/THE PERFORMANCE OF A CONTRACT www.rec.uk.com

10/04/2018 10:39

Recruiters will be able to process personal data if processing is necessary for the performance of a contract or is necessary for the data subject to enter into a contract. In practice, this could be when a recruitment business processes personal data to provide their services to a candidate and enter into a contract with them.

2) NECESSARY FOR THE COMPLIANCE OF A LEGAL OBLIGATION The GDPR will allow

www.rec.uk.com

RM_May_18.indd 5

recruiters to process personal data when processing is necessary for them to comply with a legal obligation.

For example, recruiters have a legal obligation to comply with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 to retain records for at least a year after their creation and at a least one year after the date on which they last provided work-finding services. Other records also have to be kept for different periods of time

because of legal obligations, eg. payroll records. You can find more information in the REC’s record keeping table available on the REC website.

3) NECESSARY FOR THE PURPOSES OF A LEGITIMATE INTEREST Currently, the DPA recognises that an organisation may process data for its own legitimate interest or for the legitimate interest of a third party to whom it may disclose the personal data to. A legitimate interest essentially

means a legitimate reason to process data. The GDPR highlights that consideration must be given as to whether someone can reasonably expect their personal data to be processed for a purpose.

Recruiters will have to determine whether they have a legitimate interest to process a candidate’s personal data.

Find out more about how the GDPR will affect you at www.rec.uk.com/gdpr RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018 5

10/04/2018 10:39

Legal update

GDPR UPDATE

By Lewina Farrell, solicitor and head of professional services In this article we consider whether recruiters can rely on consent and whether they can still use jobs boards and LinkedIn. Do recruiters need consent to process personal data?

Consent is one of six legal bases for processing personal data. Whilst it is the legal basis we are all most familiar with, and probably the easiest to demonstrate, it will not always be the most appropriate legal basis to rely on. Other legal bases which recruiters may wish to rely on include ‘necessary for the performance of a contract’, ‘legitimate interests’ or ‘legal obligation’.

However, not all of these can be used to process sensitive personal data (now called ‘special categories of data’) and so it is essential to know what type of data is being collected and therefore what

legal basis can be relied upon.

To be valid, consent must be freely given, specific, informed, in plain language and demonstrated by affirmative action (and not inferred by silence or pre-ticked boxes).

Of course individuals will have the right to withdraw their consent, following which the recruiter would no longer be able to process the personal data which the individual gave them (it won’t affect any processing done prior to the withdrawal of consent or personal data processed through another legal basis).

Jobs boards and LinkedIn In short yes, but with care. By uploading their CV to a jobs board, an individual indicates their consent to the jobs board processing their data.

However, the jobs board must ensure the individual knows who can access their personal data and on what basis.

Recruiters should be selective about who they contact and why – if you only contact an individual found on a jobs board when you have a relevant vacancy that person might be suitable for, you can demonstrate that you have a legitimate interest in contacting them – you provide work-finding services and they have indicated that are open to opportunities by posting their CV. Their response to you will indicate whether they are happy for you to continue to process their data or not. If not, delete them from your records.

LinkedIn recently introduced ‘career interests’, which allows individuals to select whether they would like to notify recruiters that they are openly looking for job opportunities.

Users can also select what job titles they are looking for and the type of job and

industry they would like to work in.

If an individual switches on their ‘career interests’ a recruiter should be able to rely on a legitimate interest to make initial contact with that person. However, the recruiter will have to pay particular attention to the criteria selected by the individual eg. if an individual only selects IT roles then a recruiter who does not offer work-finding services in that particular sector won’t be able to rely on a legitimate interest to make that contact.

In contrast, if a recruiter provides roles that match an individual’s job selection criteria then they will be able to rely on a legitimate interest to make initial contact. Once contact is made, they may continue to rely on legitimate interests or consent (subject to the comments made earlier) to continue to process their data.

TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT – review systems, win trust and showcase excellence Recruitment is the ultimate people business, with success built on a reputation for great service and fantastic results.

Of course, in such a competitive field, you have to use every tool available to attract top quality candidates and clients, which is why word-of-mouth is still important.

Yet online, where there is so much choice, more effective mechanisms are required. It is why verified reviews from genuine customers are the most powerful and objective way of showing that a business has deserved its reputation for excellence.

Feefo is a global reviews company exclusively endorsed by

6 RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018

RM_May_18.indd 6

the Recruitment & Employment Confederation to help improve candidate and client experiences through increased trust, transparency and credibility. Founded in 2010, Feefo works with more than 4,000 companies across multiple sectors, including brands such as Next, Expedia, AXA, The White Company, ARM and Michael Page.

By collecting feedback only from proven customers, Feefo delivers analytical insights so that businesses and their prospective customers can make more informed decisions.

Advanced software collects reviews at different points in the recruitment process, while machine learning

analyses content to deliver faster, more relevant insights.

By integrating globally-recognised Net Promoter Score benchmarks, Feefo also helps drive new business, increasing the quantity and the quality of referrals. And through its partnership with Google, Feefo improves search rankings while deploying ratings within social media to establish a business’s reputation when candidates start searching for an agency.

When the best candidates can pick and choose, verified reviews are the most powerful reasons for them to choose you.

By Matt West, CMO at Feefo

www.rec.uk.com

10/04/2018 10:39

Inspiration

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS

The View

Chris Peace is the managing e director of Peace oup Recruitment Group

WHAT I KNOW What does Peace Recruitment do?

We’re specialists in all things construction and engineering.

We’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary in January 2019.

Opening a recruitment business during the recession must have been hard...

I really enjoyed it. Even though the market was on its knees, I still manged to make ends meet and register jobs, and speak to clients and candidates. I think it gave me an opportunity to build some critical mass on our CRM and I’m proud to say that we’ve managed to keep that data clean over the past decade.

What’s the goal of your business?

My object is simple – I want Peace Recruitment to the agency of choice for our sector in Scotland.

You brought something new to the table with your ‘Rate My Recruiter’ app. How did that come about?

Our ethos has always been service over sales. The game plan was if we got that part right, we would make money and that worked well. Behind the scenes, transparency and honesty have been our values. As the business grew, we joined the Institute of Customer Service and to cement that approach, I invented the Rate My Recruiter app. Every single candidate and client we meet gets plugged into it and they get the option of reviewing our consultants out of 10 at pivotal points in the process. We’re not cherrypicking – whenever that email or text message rating us comes through, within 10 seconds it’s on our website.

How has that been received internally?

Internally, the guys are really picky about giving a good level of service. One poor score could drop them from 8.9 to an 8.2.

It’s creating an intrinsic link for the consultants to care about what they do with people. What’s more, we’re tying the scores to bonuses this year, too.

Dale Barnett ultant is a senior consultant up at Redline Group

CANDIDATE SUCCESS STORY What was the situation?

My client had recently changed their recruitment model, which meant no manager contact was permitted. This made understanding the role and requirements very difficult.

What happened next?

The success started as soon as talent acquisition agreed to let me talk to the hiring manager, which gave me a chance to really understand their requirements. After a discussion with the hiring manager, I knew exactly where to start my searches, what skills were going to be required, and I could accurately provide data to candidates to makes sure it was they job they wanted.

What did you do?

At the time, a direct competitor was going through redundancies. I identified a legacy copy of the candidate’s CV on our database. After having a long conversation with the candidate he agreed to look at the information for the position. To make sure I could continue to present the company, I organised a late evening call with my candidate to go through all the information he required. After two stages of the interview, the position was offered to the candidate.

How did things finish up?

Unfortunately the offered salary came in lower than the candidate’s ideal requirement, which meant selling the positives of joining the business again. After two days of discussions with his partner and supporting my candidate through a counter offer, he accepted the role and started four weeks later. I managed to fill a position that the internal recruitment team were struggling with for over two months in just three weeks.

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_May_18.indd 7

RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018 7

10/04/2018 10:39

What’s coming up?

MEET THE STAR OF THE RECRUITMENT GAME

Do you have what it takes to master the world of recruitment?

The REC’s interactive Recruitment Game pits our champion Sophie through a series of scenarios designed to test her skill and cunning.

Recruitment Matters sat down with Sophie to find out what makes her tick.

WHAT IS THE RECRUITMENT GAME? The Recruitment Game is a new interactive film the REC has launched which celebrates the great work recruiters do every day. You can play to help me face four recruitment challenges – each more devilish than the last. If you make the wrong choices you’ll see me face the consequences, but if you choose the right path we’ll be crowned champion of The Recruitment Game.

of people to start at short notice; a situation where your guy doesn’t turn up for work; or trying to get yourself up to the top of the league table as one of the high performers in your company. Plus there are a few interesting characters and hairdos thrown into the mix.

WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES DO YOU FACE?

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO SOMEONE PLAYING THE GAME?

It’s the sort of thing recruiters face all the time – a demanding client who wants you to send him ‘the one’ or a whole team

Trust your instincts. Be wise. And remember that your choices count every single day because what you do matters.

HOW DID IT FEEL TO BECOME CHAMPION OF THE RECRUITMENT GAME? “Sophie! Sophie! Sophie!” everyone chanted as I jumped up and down with elation, showered in confetti and the cheers of all my colleagues… But really it’s just satisfying knowing I’ve done a great job for my clients and am keeping my candidates happy.

Jobs really do transform lives. And the little trophy makes a nice pen holder.

Will you face the challenge? Play The Recruitment Game at rec.uk.com/jobstransform.

RECRUITMENT MATTERS The official magazine of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation Dorset House, 1st Floor, 27-45 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NT

Membership Department: Membership: 020 7009 2100, Customer Services: 020 7009 2100 Publishers: Redactive Publishing Ltd, 78 Chamber Street E1 8BL. Tel: 020 7880 6200. www.redactive.co.uk Editorial: Editor Michael Oliver michael.oliver@redactive.co.uk. Production Editor: Vanessa Townsend Production: Production Executive: Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6209 Printing: Printed by Precision Colour Printing © 2018 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.

Tel: 020 7009 2100 www.rec.uk.com 8 RECRUITMENT MATTERS MAY 2018

RM_May_18.indd 8

www.rec.uk.com

10/04/2018 10:39

REC.05.18.035.indd 35

10/04/2018 11:04

IM M IG R ATIO N

It’s just under a year to go until the UK leaves the EU. With the final outcome of the negotiations as uncertain as ever, immigration lawyers are warning that employers who rely on workers from the EU to fill lower skilled jobs face a set of particular challenges.

Colin Cottell reports

THE IMMIGRATION GAME FEARS ARE GROWING that under almost every possible Brexit scenario, from the softest of Brexits to a hard Brexit and even a ‘no deal’ Brexit, a currently advantageous state of affairs for employers is likely to end.

Lawyers working in the area of immigration say that the big question is not so much the immediate future, but what happens after the transitional period ends at the end of 2020. It may appear some time off, but according to Rose Carey, partner and head of immigration at law firm Charles Russell Speechlys, the government’s inability

28 RECRUITER

MAY 2018

p36_39_FEATURE 2-NEW.indd 36

ILLUST RAT ION | IKON

12/04/2018 10:27

I M M I G R AT I O N

to provide any answers on what the UK immigration system will look like after this date is already affecting employers as they look to set out their future hiring strategies. “Employers have to plan ahead several years for 2020, 2021 or even 2022, but without this information it is very difficult,” Carey says.

statistics, net migration from the EU was only 9,000 between April and June 2017. To add to employers’ fears that this supply of ready-made labour is drying up, Carey says some clients are already seeing their EU staff leave the UK because of Brexit. It’s a combination of factors, she explains: “They don’t feel welcome, they feel insecure, and in addition, their home economies are doing better.”

That said, a study by the GMB union

in July 2017 found that despite Brexit, UK employers’ reliance on low-skilled workers in certain industries remained high, with EU workers making up more than 20% of the workforce in 18 specialist industries, including food and vegetable processing, and hotels. Sectors such as construction, manufacturing, restaurants, and health and social care also rely heavily on EU migrant workers.

Combine dependence on these workers with unemployment in the UK at 4.3%, and UK nationals unable or perhaps unwilling to do these jobs, and according to Annabel Mace, partner and head of UK business immigration at law firm Squire Patton Boggs, for all businesses, but especially those who are dependent on lower-skilled workers from the EU, the shape of UK’s future immigration regime “is a material concern”.

Mace says the problem for employers is not so much what happens between now and during the transitional period up to the end of 2020, when she says all the signs are free movement is likely to continue. The question hovers over what happens after that point.

Sybille Steiner, partner at law firm Irwin Mitchell, agrees, explaining that the government has provided “a clear idea” of how it proposes to treat EU citizens already working or living in the UK: “It intends to introduce a new concept of ‘settled status’, which once granted will enable EU citizens and their families to lawfully live and work in the UK post-Brexit.” She adds: “It will be mandatory for these EU citizens to hold settled status or a temporary residence permit.

IMMIGRATION TRENDS The trend for employers to hire migrants from EU countries for lower skilled jobs began with the 2004 accession of 10 new EU member states: the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. In 2007 net immigration into the UK from these states alone rose to 87,000.

However, following the UK’s decision in June 2016 to leave the EU, net immigration from the EU has slowed sharply. According to government

Migration Advisory Committee report Employers’ fears over their ability to continue to recruit low-skilled migrant workers from the EU after Brexit were not assuaged by a recent report by the Migration Advisory Committee, suggesting that even the softest possible Brexit may not be a panacea.

While noting that many employers currently rely on EU workers to fill lowerskilled jobs, it hinted that although the current easy access to this group was advantageous for individual employers, “it was not necessarily best for the welfare of the resident population, which is which is the criterion the MAC uses when evaluating migration policy”. Further, it warned: “Migrants have a choice and it cannot be taken for granted that they will choose to come to the UK.” WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 29

p36_39_FEATURE 2-NEW.indd 37

12/04/2018 10:00

REC.05.18.038.indd 38

10/04/2018 11:05

I M M I G R AT I O N

“EU citizens and their families that arrive during the transitional period, from 30 March 2019 to 31 December 2020, will also be able to stay in the UK on the same terms, although they will need to register with the Home Office if they choose to stay for longer than three months,” she continues.

NO CLEAR ANSWERS But as to what is likely to happen after the transition period ends, “there is no answer to that”, says Carey. And it is this she says that is causing employers most concern. That said, they should at least get some comfort from Steiner’s assurance that “it has not been suggested that even in a ‘cliff edge’ Brexit the government would withdraw the right to live and work in the UK of EU staff who have been living in the UK prior to Brexit”.

The shape of the UK’s immigration system after the transitional period ends will largely be a matter of balancing the desire of business for continued easy access to migrant labour from the EU, with the politics of “British workers for British jobs”, Carey predicts. The worst possible scenario for employers who currently rely on lowerskilled EU migrant workers would be a hard-style Brexit, out of the customs union and the single market, she says.

Such an outcome would inevitably lead to immigration controls and visas, Carey explains.

For large employers especially, this would not pose too much of a problem.

Organisations such as financial services companies used to bringing in skilled Non-EEA workers under the current Tier-2 system, where employers sponsor individuals, would already be accustomed to navigating this bureaucracy. “If EU nationals have to get a visa, there is the extra expense and it’s a hassle, but it’s not insurmountable,” Carey says. But small businesses that have no experience of using the UK visa system “will struggle, and particularly the cost will be hard to bear”, she points out.

Steiner says that applying the rules to lower-skilled workers that currently apply to non-EEA nationals simply wouldn’t be viable. With a skills charge

[that employers have to pay when applying for a visa] of £1k per employee per year, she says, “it would be very difficult under the non-EEA system to obtain a visa for low-skilled workers”.

WORKING IN PRACTICE Mace goes even further, suggesting that the cost of sponsorship, visa fees, and the immigration and skills charges might force some businesses to leave roles unfilled.

That said, she continues, “if it’s just a question of applying salary thresholds and/or requiring an EU worker to have a job offer, the question is then how this system will work in practice”.

One option, Mace suggests, could be a modified and simplified system, where individual EU workers are able to make their own applications with minimal involvement from employers.

Whatever the final outcome, she says it is the sectors that depend heavily on EU migrant workers and smaller business who “will undoubtedly be most at risk if an overly restrictive system is imposed”.

Something will have to give, suggests Mace. “To ensure the low-skilled labour market does not collapse after Brexit, the government will have to remove their red line in relation to immigration and/or will have to introduce new immigration rules that will make it much easier for low skilled workers to come to work in the UK.” As far as employers of lower-skilled EU workers are concerned, the best case scenario would be a softer Brexit – “similar to Switzerland”, which is

“not in the EU or the EEA, but has access to the single market (though not for services), and free movement so no immigration control”. While that might be many employers’ preferred option, the final outcome is anyone’s guess. In the meantime those employers who rely on this pool of talent will just have to plan as best they can, while accepting the current uncertainty is set to continue for a good while yet.

Future proofing against Brexit • Accept that future EU migration is likely to be restricted in some way and assess the scale, skill and salary level of your current workforce in the UK. Not because they will be required to leave but because you will better understand the impact of more restrictive rules from 2021.

• Encourage your existing EU staff that have worked here for at least five years to apply for ‘permanent residency’. To qualify a person must have been living in the UK to work or study, or have been economically active.

• Adapt your working practices and recruitment strategies to tap into alternative untapped talent pools, such as the long-term unemployed and exoffenders.

• Grow your own talent by investing in apprenticeships and training.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 31

p36_39_FEATURE 2-NEW.indd 39

12/04/2018 10:04

up n sig o to em e sit ct d b u werod r ou p sit for a i V

Stay ahead of the competition by placing people faster!

Automatically move candidate data in seconds, from all monitored sources of incoming CVs to your existing database, with DaXtra Capture

Effortlessly cross-reference and link candidate, client and contact data from online and offline profiles (Outlook, Word, PDF & Chrome Browser) with DaXtra Magnet

Retrieve the most relevant candidates from your database and across multiple internet sources with our precision semantic DaXtra Search & matching technology

Accurately convert raw CV and jobs data in multiple languages into structured XML format with our high accuracy DaXtra Parser

www.daxtra.com Find the best

REC.05.18.040.indd 40

Find them fast

Find them first

10/04/2018 11:11

CO M M U N I T Y

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

E

Some of you have being having a great time going around and around, bouncing up and down and singing about your success…

FINALISTS MAKE A SONG AND DANCE OF THEIR SUCCESS VIA RECRUITER AWARDS As the run-up to the Recruiter Awards 2018 gets ever closer, companies and individuals were invited along to sponsor NatWest’s Bishopsgate offices in London for an evening to celebrate the achievement of making it on to the shortlist in the categories. The shortlisters came from around the UK and seemed to enjoy making a song and dance about their success! The Awards presentation takes place on 3 May at the Grosvenor House Hotel – so g get in q quick for a last-minute ticket.

RUTHERFORD BRIANT TEAM GETS SPORTY FOR SPORT RELIEF VIA The team at Rutherford Briant Recruitment went head-to-head with each other to raise money for Sport Relief 2018. Among the challenges were a space hopper race, welly wanging and a three-legged race, with the team raising £70 on the day.

Many congratulations to all those who took part!

BERRIES BOUNCE TO THEIR £500 SPORT RELIEF TARGET VIA Peter Benefer in training for his 3-times Yorkshire Three Peak Challenge

BENEFER AIMS TO GO 3 TIMES ROUND THE YORKSHIRE THREE PEAKS FOR HERBY VIA Having completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge twice – as in going round again after you’ve finished – Eden Brown Built Environment recruiter Peter ‘And I’ve also won Come Dine With Me’ Benefer is determined to make us lesser mortals feel bad by doing it once more. Only this time he’s going round three times consecutively.

HERBY (Hedgehog Emergency Rescue Bingley Yorkshire) is the reason for his mad actions, so if you are in awe of this brave but ever-so-slightly bonkers recruiter, you know what to do!

TW I TT E R

Red Berry Recruitment MD Helen Lacey and her team of Berries bounced around Bridgwater, South-West England, on space hoppers collecting donations for Sport Relief. They were thrilled to be joined by Tom Banton and Fin Trenouth of Somerset County Cricket Club, who came to lend their support and take on the Berries in a series of races. An impressive £565 was raised on the day, so many congratulations to the Bouncing Berries!

Brightwater Recruit @brightwater98 April 5 Replying to @RecruiterMag @RecruitersDay @RECPress Thanks @RecruiterMag – we’ll have our feedback to you shortly on your April issue @RecruiterMag instagram.com/recruitermagazine/ recruitermagazine.tumblr.com/

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 33

p41_Recruiter_May18_Social.indd 41

12/04/2018 08:37

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

The Workplace

BY GUY HAYWARD

34 RECRUITER

at Google so that employees can take a 15-minute nap.

Sleep supports fitness and performance perfectly.

I recently took a group of colleagues to stair climb at Broadgate Tower, organised

by Total Motion. It was amazing fun.

So if it should be part of your working day, we should write regular exercise into our job descriptions.

At Goodman Masson we do, and it creates a wonderful point of differential when hiring. Why do I say this?

Because the single biggest obstacle to fitness at work is we feel we don’t have the time.

We have “too much to do”.

What this really means is that we consider fitness less of a priority. But we could find time even for moderate exercise if we really wanted to. Exercise should be work’s best friend.

And this is why physical activity should become part of work itself. If the traditional view of fitness is that it is a personal indulgence so that we feel better about ourselves, less stressed and more creative then surely that extends to work too. After all, we spend 90,000 hours of our lives at work. Fitness can be a significant influence on our performance, success and progress.

Our Run Club takes a dozen or so people on a 5k run every Wednesday lunchtime: you

“So if regular exercise should be part of your working day, we should write it into our job descriptions”

could join us or do something similar. You only have to hear the enthusiasm when they’re back in the office to know the impact it will have on their afternoon.

There are hundreds – actually thousands – of scientific research papers celebrating the impact of wellness programmes on workplace performance.

As an industry we should embrace the concept and encourage staff to exercise before, during and after work.

The workplace of today expects that fitness is part of our lives at work. ●

↗

I REMEMBER THE DAYS when I thought that going to the gym at lunchtime was wrong; it was for those who weren’t serious about their job or their career. It was a long time ago now that I held those views (and I don’t like to think it was me), but I was brought up in a world of work where presenteeism in the office was considered the major factor influencing your progress.

Where do I sit now? With an unwavering belief that exercise should become part of the working day. It touches everything: performance, health, productivity, togetherness, camaraderie – the list goes on.

Fitness at work isn’t a new idea. I see wonderful examples of businesses embracing this simple philosophy, yet also many stuck where I was 15 years ago. Today’s workplace has changed and so has the need for everyone to follow.

I’ve seen some fun twists to encouraging fitness. Jagex Games offers its people free bicycle repairs at the office, meaning there’s one less excuse not to cycle to work, and communication technology company Bandwidth has introduced a 90-minute fitness lunch so that staff can relax in the knowledge that they have time for the gym and lunch.

And I love the sleep pods

GUY HAYWARD – redefining the modern workplace CEO, Goodman Masson

MAY 2018

p42 Recruiter_APRIL18_Workplace.indd 42

12/04/2018 08:38

CO M M U N I T Y

CAREERS

E

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

Why it’s time for a rethink

BY TARA LESCOTT

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

MOST RECRUITMENT BUSINESS LEADERS are taught early in their careers to stay fixed on goals but remain flexible with methods. If our first, second or third attempts fail, we readjust and try again. But the goal? That doesn’t change.

That inner resolve is what has enabled many of us to become the leaders we are today, but somewhere along the way this has changed in one or two core areas of our businesses.

When it comes to attracting our experienced recruiters we’ve become flexible on the

“It’s no wonder it’s not working if you’re still doing the same things you did 10 years ago” goal but rigid in our methods – and it’s hurting us. We’ve become less and less sure of our ability to attract highcalibre recruiters and so we no longer expect the result we actually need for our businesses to thrive.

Having an impact The impact is far-reaching.

Our expansion plans are restricted, we accept substandard hires that create further churn, or worse, in a bid to take some form of control, we invest in a trainee hiring policy – but we all know that this is an incredible slow burn strategy with high turnover that does a lot of damage to our business.

But the answers are staring us in the face. Consider how our industry has changed over the last 10 years, and how the world has changed in the same period. Look at the way consumer behaviour has altered. How do you buy goods today? How do you carry

I M AG E | I STO C K

p43_Recruiter_May18_ComCareers.indd 43

out research? How do you find answers to questions?

Everything has changed. But have our sourcing strategies?

If you’re still putting vanilla adverts on job boards and wondering why you can’t find good people, then you need to take a big step back.

Stop keep on doing what you're doing It’s no wonder it’s not working if you’re still doing the same things you did 10 years ago. To find the best talent today you need to be where the people you seek spend their time. You need to talk their language, you need to share ideas and knowledge so they can fall in ‘like’ with you, and slowly but surely things will change.

Time for a rethink So I urge you to have a rethink. Try thinking like a frustrated recruiter – how would they find you if they were exploring new options online? What would their first impression of your brand be?

What would they find if they researched your company?

What would their experience be if they did meet you? How does all that make you feel?

I guarantee that some time spent in your ideal hire’s shoes will get you far closer to the result you seek. Go and spend some time window shopping your brand – the results might surprise you.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 35

12/04/2018 08:38

E BUSINESS ADVICE CO M M UNITY

ASK THE EXPERT Q: How can I stop my big billers being poached?

Big billers are in demand, and retaining them is far from easy. Firms that consistently attract and retain top recruiters understand that what works today may not be enough tomorrow. They constantly improve their culture and remuneration packages, and evolve to meet change in employees’ personal circumstances.

Don’t be the last to know about changes in personal circumstances Fostering a culture that encourages recruiters to tell you about significant changes in their lives will often give you the chance to find a mutually beneficial arrangement and reduce the chance that your first indication of a problem is a resignation letter.

Culture – it really matters Company culture is pervasive, a positive or negative energy that surrounds each employee every day, often following them home from work. It is critical to both retention and productivity and requires constant nurturing to avoid high staff turnover.

The most important elements in developing a strong, positive culture are: • Strong vision and clear plan for implementation – this will give staff confidence and a sense of purpose.

• Values – a code of behaviour ensures employees know what is expected of them and how they are treated.

• A true meritocracy – possibly the most important.

Clarity around progression enables your team to selfmanage their careers.

• Flexible career paths – a one-size-fits-all approach does not work in recruitment. For example, some big billers don’t enjoy (and so are bad at) managing teams.

Create alternative career progression opportunities, for example towards a business development senior role.

• Social budget – the company that plays together, stays together. Strong social ties improve retention. Establish a social programme of regular gatherings.

Alex Arnot The SME Coach and marketing support can transform a top biller’s effectiveness. Work with them to remove barriers, free up their time to focus on what they do best and improve their effectiveness.

• EMI [equated monthly instalment] share options – enabling recruiters to earn shares in the business is an effective way of linking the company’s and the individual’s success. The more shares they earn, the more strongly they are tied to the firm.

• Stagger commission payments – structuring commission payments so that they pay out over a period of months can be an effective way of keeping big billers engaged.

Where to start Achieving star employer status doesn’t happen overnight. Start by: • conducting exit and entrance interviews to a) understand why the individual (leaving or arriving) first sought a new role; and b) benchmark your remuneration package and culture against the market.

• establishing a workplace improvement group to spend one hour a month identifying how to make your company a more attractive employer.

Your team will quickly see the improvements.

Package

36 RECRUITER

↗

Top recruiters are inevitably ambitious. Benchmarking the basic package you offer is a first step to retention, but also help maximise their potential and tie them in.

• Extra support – the right admin, training, research

ALEX ARNOT is founder of MyNonExec and board adviser to more than 30 recruitment companies

MAY 2018

p44 recruiter_careers ASK EXPERT.indd 44

12/04/2018 08:39

REC.05.18.045.indd 45

10/04/2018 11:12

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

‘In my opinion the important thing is getting the respect of colleagues, clients and contractors’

↗

MY BRILLIANT RECRUITMENT CAREER

ROBERT BINNIE, senior recruiter, E1EW

What was your earliest dream job?

Toolmaker and development engineer.

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

Day relief, and then professional technical consultant, at Anderselite.

Who is your role model – in life or in recruitment?

Robert Binnie

The first people who took me on were Pat Luby, the director for Anderselite, and Ian Thomas, the branch manager. They gave me the break in recruitment, and had that ability to motivate people without them realising they were being managed.

What do you love most about your current role?

say ‘my biggest placement was...’, but in my opinion the important thing is getting the respect of colleagues, clients and contractors.

What’s your top job to fill at the moment?

The autonomy – and the fact they let me get on with it in my own way. We’re a small company. We’re all a bit older and wiser. I’m trusted to get on with things rather than be micromanaged.

We do project jobs, so we don’t really have highpowered, £50k placement fee-type jobs.

We’ve got three or four big projects all around the country on the street lighting side, which are due to start in a couple of weeks.

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

What is your signature dish?

I’ve had lots of fun moments in my career, but among the most enjoyable has been mentoring people to achieve their goals. I have brought through a lot of trainees over the 30 years I’ve been doing recruitment. People

38 RECRUITER

MAY 2018

p46_recruiter_careers_mybrillcareer copy.indd 46

Murgh makhani (Indian buttered chicken).

assembler in Bristol. We couldn’t get hold of her, so we sent our consultant – a middle-aged, middle-class, older recruiter – to hand-deliver the details of the assignment. He was met by a naked lady who was heavily tattooed, including a swastika on her left breast.

We had to send the consultant home on his return because he was traumatised. The good news is that she did start with us, did her three months’ probation, went perm and had a successful career.

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

If you’re an animal, what would you be?

What would you regard as your theme tune?

Don’t Give Up – Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel.

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

Around 1992, we had an electronic

IMAG E S | ISTOCK

12/04/2018 08:39

View the latest jobs at jobs.recruiter.co.uk To place your advertisement E: recruiterjobs@redactive.co.uk or T: 020 7880 6215

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

RECRUITMENT

E

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

Contact our sales team recruiterjobs@redactive.co.uk +44 (0)20 7880 6215

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

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 39

Recruiter May18 recr.indd 39

12/04/2018 14:35

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

ACORN: The specialist recruiter has appointed Mohammed Alamgir Ahmed as head of operations.

DUCATUS PARTNERS: The global energy executive search firm has hired Jonathan Verlander as partner and DeLynn Mitchell as principal to bolster its US presence.

EAMES: Banking, insurance and financial services recruiter appoints Alex Ince as director in Hong Kong.

Eden Scott: Peter Dunn, Sarah Gracie, Ewan Anderson, Michael Lynch, Alasdair Murray, Keith Tocher

40 RECRUITER

EDEN SCOTT: The Scotlandheadquartered recruiter has made a number of promotions to associate director. Manufacturing, science and technology sector division manager Keith Tocher; IT divisional manager Peter Dunn; renewable energy divisional manager Michael Lynch; food and drink divisional manager Alasdair Murray; legal, accountancy, finance and HR divisional manager Sarah Gracie; and marketing and comms manager Ewan Anderson.

Jeffrey Eberwein has been appointed global CEO at Hudson as the global talent solutions firm completes the sale of its recruitment and talent management operations in Europe and Asia Pacific.

In a statement, Hudson revealed Eberwein, previously chairman of the company’s board of directors, succeeded Stephen Nolan, who resigned as CEO and Hudson board member. Richard Coleman, chairman of the group’s compensation committee, has taken over as chairman of the board.

THE GANGMASTERS AND LABOUR ABUSE AUTHORITY: The GLAA has appointed Roger Bannister, a former deputy chief constable at Leicestershire Police, as its interim CEO. Bannister takes the reins at the national law enforcement and compliance agency following the death of former CEO Paul Broadbent in December 2017.

MAY 2018

p48-49_Recruiter_May18_MoversShakers_v2-NEW.indd 48

technology staffing business has appointed David Etherington as group chief operating officer.

Donna Chapman. These are Rachel McGowan-Kemp, heading up the supply chain, logistics & procurement practice; Victoria McQueen will lead the energy and infrastructure team; Ben Gilbert will lead the manufacturing practice; and Amy Speake, current managing partner, will be extending her role to support growing each practice both nationally and internationally.

HOLMES NOBLE: The executive search, interim and talent solutions firm has appointed four managing partners to work closely with CEO

MCDONALD’S: Alex Snelling joins the fast food chain as senior director for talent, international lead markets and high growth markets.

HENDERSON SCOTT: The

Email people moves for use online and in print, including a short 12/04/2018 10:02

OPUS TALENT SOLUTIONS: Rob Sheffield has joined the international recruiter as chief operating officer for Asia Pacific.

Redactive Publishing Ltd 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL 020 7880 6200

CONTACTS

TARANTA GROUP: Simone Lockhart joins the recruitment group as director of strategic development.

TALENT PLUS: The US PEDERSEN & PARTNERS: Chelsea Armitage joins the international executive search firm as client partner within its North American team in Toronto, Canada.

REMEDIUM PARTNERS: The permanent medical recruitment specialist welcomes senior business leaders Tony Bourne and Robert Dreyfuss as nonexecutive directors.

RS COMPONENTS: Simon Sharkey joins the engineering firm as vice president, talent acquisition.

SMASHFLY TECHNOLOGIES: The enterprise recruitment marketing technology provider’s chief technical officer (CTO) Thom Kenney has been made CEO. Company founder Michael Hennessy, who has served as SmashFly’s CEO and board director for more than 11 years, moves into a newly created role focused on product innovation and market thought leadership.

management consulting firm has made Shelly Doty chief growth officer in its HQ in Lincoln, Nebraska.

TEXTKERNEL: The Amsterdambased specialist in machine intelligence, matching people and jobs, has strengthened its senior management team with the appointments of Maciej Hoch and Guus Meijer as CTO and COO.

THOMAS INTERNATIONAL: The global provider of people assessment tools has appointed Fergus Brownlee as chairman.

YOU R NE X T M OV E A selection of vacancies from recruiter.co.uk XPAT Trainee recruitment consultant New York, US $48k-$80k per year + comms + bonus + bens Merco Candidate resourcer Healthcare, South-West London to £25k Recruiter Republic Principal consultant Property Central London £38k-£40k + comms + bonus

SRI: The search firm welcomes Mark Moreau as partner, who will lead the continued development of its technology and innovation practice across EMEA.

deedee.doke@recruiter.co.uk

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7324 2756 Recruitment sales manager Dario Cappelli

Reporters Colin Cottell, Graham Simons

dario.cappelli@redactive.co.uk

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

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

Contributing writer Sue Weekes Production editor Vanessa Townsend vanessa.townsend@recruiter.co.uk

Designer Craig Bowyer Picture editor Akin Falope

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 6213 Sales manager Paul Barron paul.barron@redactive.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7880 6245 Sales executive Jonathan Adebayo

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

jonathan.adebayo@redactive.co.uk

CIRCULATION and SUBSCRIPTIONS Recruiter is the leading magazine for recruitment and resourcing professionals. To ensure each issue of Recruiter magazine is delivered to your desk or door, subscribe now at https://subs. recruiter.co.uk/subscribe. Annual subscription rate for 12 issues: £35 UK; £45 Europe and £50 Rest of the world • Recruiter is also available to people who meet our terms of control: http://bit. ly/RecruiterCC • To purchase reprints or multiple copies, or any other enquiries, please contact mysidekick @recruiter.co.uk or +44 (0)20 8950 9117 CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions are invited, but when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Articles should be emailed. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during delivery, transmission or in the editor’s hands. © 2018 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 2016 & 30 June 2017 – 14,995. is also sent to all REC members

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

biography, to recruiter.editorial@redactive.co.uk p48-49_Recruiter_May18_MoversShakers_v2-NEW.indd 49

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

Scan here to get your own copy of

12/04/2018 14:39

E THE LAST WORD CO M M UNITY

Roy Pemberton Square pegs in round IR35 holes

Many contractors have been pressed into IR35 despite believing that we should fit robustly outside.

This suspicion has been confirmed, at least in my case, and probably a large proportion of others, by the ContractorCalculator IR35 test, which has had a thorough testing against case law – unlike HMRC’s CEST [Check Employment Status for Tax] tool, if the response to this FOI [Freedom of Information] submission is anything to go by.

In many cases, if not all (as in mine), this has been done as a blanket assessment, which is illegal.

So we are victims of dual mis-justice without genuine examination on a case-bycase basis, coupled with use of a tool that appears to be fundamentally flawed.

I’m at a crossroads right now. I’m entering a new assignment, which is deemed by my end

client as inside IR35. This is because there are two intermediaries: the first, my agency; the second one injected at the insistence of the client. Now considering the use of public sector money to pay two layers of fee, I feel this is highly questionable. I also believe it’s both bullying pressure and illegal, but I can’t afford to refuse the work. The public sector organisation concerned dominates the market in my sector.

If I try to continue trading via my limited company, which is central to the way I provide services when outside of IR35, it becomes complex as to who is responsible for administering the PAYE and NIC [National Insurance Contributions] caused by the illegal and flawed assessment. It also reduces my net income still further than if I accept being placed on my agency’s PAYE payroll.

Also, if I do continue to

I believe it’s both bullying pressure and illegal, but I can’t afford to refuse 42 RECRUITER

p50_recruiter_lastword.indd 50

trade via my company, I have to accept the reduced income at least until my tax return for this year’s trading goes in and I’m able to mount a challenge. That’s a while after the end of this tax year – summer 2019.

I can’t afford to sustain that loss for that length of time, even if I had certainty that my challenge would be successful. And I don’t believe that certainty exists until we’ve seen a lot more successful challenges of a similar model.

However, if I operate outside of my limited company, it immediately compromises my IR35 status still further.

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: deem someone inside IR35, which forces them to either accept still further income reduction resulting from being deemed inside by continuing to channel their revenue via their limited company, or to move operation outside of their company and by so

Roy Pemberton C.Eng FIET is a Chartered Electrical Engineer

doing immediately create the situation that appears to support the assessment.

Add to that factors such as whether or not you continue to carry public indemnity and public liability insurance, which reduce income still further and, more or less by definition, should not be available to your client if inside IR35, but by ceasing to carry them, reinforces still further the assessment.

I’ll repeat – it’s a selffulfilling prophecy. I’ve put it to my accountant, but frankly, I don’t think they see the answer any more clearly than I do.

Let’s not forget, we’re not huge earners with unlimited resources. Despite what Mr Hammond may believe, we’re small traders, victims of bullying founded on dogma and a flawed process.

MAY 2018

12/04/2018 08:40

WE’VE GOT A LOT TO SHOUT ABOUT...

ED US

USE US ONLY WHEN YOU NE

INDUSTRY CHANGING SOLU

TIONS

NO PERSONAL GUARANTEES REQUIRED

UNDING

RISK FREE F

NO DEBENTURES

ACTS

IN CONTR K C O L O N

NNUAL FEES

OR A NO MONTHLY

NO SET U

P COST

FAST EA

SY SETUP

RISK FREE FUNDING FOR CONTRACTORS & TEMPORARY WORKERS

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE GUIDE NOW! www.boomerangfunding.co.uk/startupguide

To find out how to grow your business with risk free funding, call us now on 01242 279890 CONNECT WITH US BoomerangFundin BoomerangFunding Boomerang Funding

www.boomerangfunding.co.uk

REC.05.18.051.indd 51

10/04/2018 11:13

REC.05.18.052.indd 52

10/04/2018 11:14

TAKING CARE OF THE THREE FACES OF PERTEMPS A record turno turnover turnov of ÂŁ800m could not be achieved without everyone who has made Pertemps the success it is today.

Business in the Community as one of the Best Employers for Race 2017.

A huge thanks to all of our clients new and old: we have made a substantial commitment to you all in 2018 with our ambitious Opportunity is around the corner campaign. Through TV, radio and digital we are ensuring you get the quality and quantity of candidates you require.

The brand of Pertemps has never been stronger and we are planning to continue our marketing assault for many years to come.

Our own employees have never had it so good! New perks, bonuses, holidays and an award-winning share scheme – all come as part of being part of our family business. We continually look for new ways to keep our workforce engaged and motivated; only recently did hundreds of employees compete for the prize of an all-expenses-paid trip of a lifetime at our annual Go Karting Championships (another award-winning event we must add!)

We remove barriers and provide opportunities for candidates in all walks of life and were recently named by

Pertemps is going from strength to strength and we still retain the family values established way back in 1961.

0800 072 3191

03_REC.05.18.FALSE IBC.indd 2

IS AROUND THE CORNER

OPPORTUNITY

WWW.PERTEMPS.CO.UK

11/04/2018 09:41

YOUR NEXT CAREER OPPORTUNITY IN RECRUITMENT IS AROUND THE CORNER WITH PERTEMPS.

At Pertemps we are passionate about people. From organising team motivation events to recognition ceremonies and days out, we’re dedicated to rewarding staff for their hard work.

Top performer day out for our permanent consultants

al

All smiles at the annu Pertemps Awards

'LUHFWRUV .HQW DQG &HOLD FROOHFW ' LQJ RXU %HVW &RPSDQLHV DZDUG

Celebrating Pertemps women on National Women’s Day

Interested in a career in recruitment?

To find out more contact Tracy Evans, Group HR & Quality Director tracy.evans@pertemps.co.uk

WWW.PERTEMPS.CO.UK 04_REC.05.18.FALSE OBC.indd 52

100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

2018

11/04/2018 10:08