THE VIEW AND THE INTELLIGENC E
Championing the value of agencies P2 BIG TALKING PO INT
Changing attitudes to flexible working P4 LEGAL UPDATE
RECRUITMENT Issue 79 MATTERS November 2019
The latest on the Good Work Plan P6 AWAR DS
IRP Awards 2019 shortlist P8
I R P AWAR D S
“In uncertain times, brilliant recruiters set themselves apart.”
Celebrating a ‘national success story’ N
early 100 recruiters and businesses have been shortlisted for the 11th annual Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) Awards, the REC has announced.
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The awards have been hosted by the REC each year since 2008 to recognise significant achievements in the recruitment industry. This year will see recruitment professionals awarded across 15 individual and
organisation categories including newcomer of the year, best company to work for, and CSR practitioner of the year. In its 11 years, 190 recruiters and businesses have received an award for their work, while more than 1,000 others have been shortlisted. As the REC’s chief executive Neil Carberry explains, celebrating the sector’s achievements sends an important message: “In uncertain times, brilliant recruiters set themselves apart. The Institute awards recognise this. Being shortlisted for the IRP Awards is a huge achievement in itself and a cause for celebration. Recruitment is a massive national success story. In the last year, many politicians have told me that they understand how important recruiters are to the prosperity of the whole UK.” The awards are also seen as important for company brand and staff retention. Eighty per cent of recruiters think winning an industry award helps with career development, according to an REC survey. “For us as a business we really put a lot of value on these awards. There are a lot of recruitment companies that say they are the best at what they do and this [award] really validates that we are,” says a spokesperson from Amoria Bond, winner of the Best Company to Work For (over 150 employees) award 2018. Find the full shortlist on p8 – and join your peers as the winners are revealed on 27 November at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. www.irpawards.com
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L E A D I N G T H E I N D U S T RY
the view... In the future our human skills will drive growth, says NEIL CARBERRY, REC chief executive
Y
ou know that feeling when you show up at the bus stop just as the bus pulls in? That’s how I felt back home in Glasgow recently, spending time with REC members. I’m not talking about my travel arrangements (which featured an hour stuck in the underground on the way to Heathrow), but that feeling of being in exactly the right place, at the right time, just as the thing you need comes along. In September we invited Greg and Chris Savage over from Australia to give members the latest insight on cutting edge sales and negotiating tactics. The ‘Savage Sell’ masterclasses in Glasgow, Manchester and London were all about recruiters having the tools and knowledge needed to be the best. They sold out. That isn’t a surprise given the Savage star power. Their events are part training and part Vegas! And they were a timely reminder that in the future our human skills will drive growth, as technology improves our processes. In these tricky times this will set the best recruiters apart. Persuasion, empathy, explanation. We have influence in our ability to take actions that shape better outcomes for our businesses. The power of exclusivity with clients and candidates is at the heart of the Savage message. That means not accepting the push to ever-smaller margined, multi-briefed, contingent work. Instead, we should look to arrangements that demonstrate the professional services skills we bring. Let’s not shy away from saying we want to do things differently – when we succeed the benefits are shared by recruiters, employers and candidates. This prompted me to reflect on the REC’s role in creating the learning opportunities that make our members fit and ready to win big. In the future you can be guaranteed more great training events to help you perform, more intel and research to give you the edge, and more expert advice you can rely on. Now is the time to make a strong case for the value our industry will create by working with clients and candidates in the right way. Through our Good Recruitment Campaign, we are talking directly to almost 500 businesses about effective hiring. That message echoes the Savages’: if it’s people that make the biggest difference to clients, why bring them in the way you buy paper clips? Everything we know about productivity and success tells us how firms recruit and on-board can transform their business. Exclusivity works for everyone. It’s a case the REC will keep making. Miss out on the masterclasses? There’ll be an encore in the spring…. If you want to keep up to speed with all things recruitment, then follow me on Twitter @RECNeil
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The recruitment sector is part of the solution to challenging times, says TOM HADLEY, REC director of policy and campaigns HADLEY ’ S C O MMENT
The multiplier effect In the face of an intensely volatile political scene and an evolving regulatory landscape, businesses across all sectors are looking for support. ‘Help’ is the cry. Forward-thinking recruiters are using this time of chronic uncertainty to nurture links with clients and candidates. From an REC perspective, we are also using this to make sure policy makers from all parties recognise the recruitment sector’s role within a dynamic jobs market and the ‘multiplier effect’ of harnessing this contribution. Since the start of the year we have engaged directly on Brexit-related issues with more than 1,000 REC members through webinars, regional workshops and sector groups. It’s been emotional. The feedback is that clients are increasingly looking to their recruitment partners for help in addressing immediate staffing needs as well as longer term workforce challenges. This ties in with ‘JobsOutlook’ data, which shows 90% of employers citing ‘access to expertise’ as the determining factor when choosing a recruitment partner. With Brexit all-encompassing, a further core role for recruiters is to ensure that clients do not lose sight of other developments and priorities. These include regulatory developments such as IR35 and the new ‘Key Facts Document’, driving positive change on inclusion and finding new ways of attracting candidates and workers in high-demand sectors. Ensuring the regulatory environment is workable and helps compliant recruiters to thrive is the main non-Brexit related ask we took to the Party Conferences and continue to make with government departments. At the front line Recruitment businesses are at the front line of the UK jobs market – equipping them to deal with Brexit-related transitions, as well as regulatory changes, will ensure that individual jobseekers and employers they work with are also as prepared as possible. This ‘multiplier effect’ is increasingly recognised by policy makers and is – for example – at the heart of our formal partnership agreement with the Department for Work and Pensions. Looking ahead, our parallel priorities are to provide practical business support to recruiters – for example, through our series of Greg Savage masterclasses – while continuing to amplify our industry’s external voice on key issues of the day. As ever, the insight and drive of REC members is at the heart of our campaigning formula; harnessing this engagement is another example of a multiplier effect. You can follow Tom on Twitter @hadleyscomment
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33%
the intelligence... The value of agencies for temporary workers BY JOSH PRENTICE, RESEARCH OFFICER AT THE REC
A
lthough the world of work has evolved a great deal over the past decade, temporary work has remained a significant feature of the labour market. On any given day in the UK more than 1 million people are working in temporary or contract assignments. People on flexible contracts choose to work in this way for a wide variety of reasons, from finding work and earning money more quickly, to working flexible hours and using the experience to progress into a permanent job. And many of them choose to work through an agency as the primary method of finding temporary work. Temporary workers value agencies for their expertise, advice and support, as well as their employment services. The REC surveyed more than 4,000 workers for our upcoming report into temporary work and found that of those people who had previously secured temporary work through an agency, almost half (45%) most valued them for access to work opportunities and a third (36%) for access to flexible work. One in three (33%) also found the information provided to them before their assignment was the most valuable service provided by their agency. Older workers especially said they found this valuable. Employment agencies and businesses are of course required by the conduct regulations to provide certain information – however, it is encouraging to know that this is valued by work-seekers, and is not just a box-ticking exercise for agencies. But it’s not the only support that people working through agencies find helpful. One in six (16%) most value
NEW CLIENT OPPORTUNITIES SLOWING 7.0% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% -1.0% -2.0% -3.0%
6.2% -1.7% Apr-Jun 18
Apr-Jun 19
Percentage change in the number of clients billed versus last year (%): Q2 2018-19
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the information on employment rights and payment terms that agencies provide, rising to one in four workers under the age of 25. These younger workers also valued access to flexible work and advice on training and development significantly more than any other age group. These important services contribute to the high levels of satisfaction that people who use employment agencies express with them. Three in five (62%) of those
73% According to our ‘JobsOutlook’ report, in June-August 2019, three in four (73%) employers said they were satisfied with the overall service provided by their recruitment partners.
The average recruiter in the RIB Index billed 1.7% fewer clients in Q2 2019 compared to the previous year. This contrasts with the situation last year when 6.2% more clients were billed in Q2 2018 compared to the year before. The change, in the year to Q2 2019, was driven by a tail-off in recruiters’ success in signing up new
One in three (33%) workers found the information provided to them before their assignment was the most valuable service provided by their agency.
who had secured temporary contracts through an agency said they were satisfied with the overall service they provided. Satisfaction levels rose even higher to two in three (67%) among contractors and freelancers. The majority of businesses are also pleased with their partner recruitment agencies. According to our ‘JobsOutlook’ report, in JuneAugust 2019, three in four (73%) employers said they were satisfied with the overall service provided by their recruitment partners. Meanwhile, despite the tight labour market conditions, two in three (65%) said they were happy with the candidates that were presented to them by recruitment agencies. It is clear that, despite the ongoing uncertainty and demands on both workers and businesses, recruitment agencies still have an important and valued role to play in the jobs market. At the REC, we will continue to support recruiters and help them provide valuable services and advice to their clients and candidates.
clients. In April-June 2019, a quarter (24.9%) of the average recruiter’s clients were new. This compared to 38.1% of customers being new accounts a year earlier. As such, recruiters are having to focus more on servicing existing clients as a means of driving their business, as the opportunity to capitalise on fresh opportunities has dwindled.
BELINDA JOHNSON runs employment research consultancy, Worklab, and is Associate Knowledge & Insight Director of Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIB). The RIB Index provides bespoke confidential reports on industry benchmarks and trends. See www.ribindex.com; info@ribindex.com: 020 8544 9807. The RIB is a strategic partner of the REC.
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FLEXIBLE WORKING
big talking point
Working 9 to 5 isn’t the only way to make a living Despite the benefits of flexible working, roles advertised as such are still limited. Here’s how recruiters can influence change ust over 15% of jobs are advertised as being flexible, according to Timewise’s latest Flexible Jobs Index. That’s up from 9.5% in 2015, but progress is slow when the demand for working something other than the standard 9-5 is higher than ever. The same research has indicated that as many as 87% of UK employees want to work in this way. Why does this matter? At a time of widespread skills shortages, looking at what attracts people to a role – or to stay in it – is vital. Flexible working is one of those factors, as people hunt for that elusive work-life balance and try to juggle other commitments (such as caring or education) with the work they do. In a nutshell, flexible working can support talent attraction and retention, improve productivity, and health and wellbeing – and it’s an important tool for driving greater diversity and inclusivity too.
some jobs that are suitable for flexible working and others that are not. Then there’s the possible effect on teamwork, face-to-face interaction, management and the ability to learn from one another – and many employers are unsure of how to adapt to minimise these issues. On the flip side, the ability to work from anywhere – and the availability of technology to facilitate that – means that there’s a risk that the boundaries between work and home life erode even further. So although flexible working is often used to address employee wellbeing, employers can harbour concerns about the potential negative impact it can have on both employees and on company culture, which again takes time and effort to manage. Making matters harder, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to flexible working. Tailoring the right approach takes knowledge of the cultural biases and operational constraints of a specific sector or type of business. And many employers need help to understand what can work well – and why the effort will be worth it.
This is where recruiters can help So what’s holding employers back? Some jobs and sectors are better suited to working flexibly than others. Even within one organisation there may be
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Each recruitment business works with dozens – sometimes hundreds – of employers, many of them SMEs. By ensuring the benefits of flexible working form a central part of all
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FLEXIBLE WORKING
briefing discussions with hiring organisations, they can challenge the status quo and accelerate change. And here are just some of the arguments they can use: • Diversity and inclusion The business case for diversity and inclusion has been made successfully, but firms are still grappling with turning the theory into practice. Offering flexibility from the outset – or at least being clear it will be discussed during the recruitment process – can help in reaching out to, and ensuring applications are received from, more diverse backgrounds. The link between flexible working and returning mothers is well established. The same attitudes are gradually broadening out to include carers and those with disabilities unable to work full-time. But a lack of flexibility was identified by Lord Davies’ review on women on boards as a key barrier to improving diversity at senior levels, and more recently by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee as a cause of the gender pay gap. Both of these issues are increasingly visible to, and important considerations for, jobseekers, so businesses wanting to be employers of choice are looking to act. Recruiters are well
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15% of jobs are advertised as being flexible, but 87% of UK employees want to work in this way placed to offer advice around how flexible hiring can make a difference. • Employee needs and expectations are evolving Even if jobseekers don’t ask about headline boardroom diversity and gender pay gap figures, employers will have noticed a marked increase in the number of individuals asking about working patterns and organisational culture. REC members certainly have – suggesting that although pay and progression opportunities remain priorities for candidates, they’re using the tight labour market in their favour and placing greater emphasis on work-life balance and workplace environment. • Retaining the best talent for business success And it’s not just about jobseekers either. The REC’s ‘Report on Jobs’ data shows that demand for staff is increasing month on month while candidate availability is decreasing. This has made better employee retention a major priority for most employers. Ensuring jobs work around people’s lives can help build trust, respect and help to retain staff. • Now is the time for employers to think differently. The tight labour market has added urgency to the need for employers to respond to the current focus on D&I, the evolution of employee expectations and the importance of retention. And it’s possible the government will do more to force employers’ hands. The government’s Good Work Plan includes progression as one of its key pillars – and the latest Timewise research highlights the lack of flexible working as a barrier for workers trying to move up from very low paid jobs. Flexible working is offered in 23% of job ads where the salary is less than £20,000 (FTE); but at the next salary band (£20-34,000 FTE), the availability of flexible jobs drops to only 14%. So it should come as no surprise that one strand of the government’s consultation on this policy – which closed in October – has been looking at whether employers should have a duty to consider if a job can be done flexibly and make that clear when advertising a role. And with the increasing scrutiny on modern workplace practices and how they are regulated, recruiters have the opportunity to be at the heart of establishing best practice across the economy. The REC’s Good Recruitment Campaign was designed with this in mind – and considering flexible working options is a strong part of the pledge, that so far, nearly 500 employers have taken. Watch out for the latest research on flexible working in the UK, including why people choose to be agency workers and contractors, in the next issue of RM.
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L AT E S T C O N S U LTAT I O N S
legal update Good Work Plan: change on the horizon
is to bring forward legislation that introduces a right for all workers to potentially move towards a more predictable and stable contract. Such a right would be enforceable via Employment Tribunals. While certain aspects of the recommendations are to be welcomed, the REC is cautious about others and will highlight this and the impact that the proposed changes could have on employment businesses.
By JANE O’SHEA, Solicitor at REC
2. Establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights
F
The government consulted on establishing a single enforcement body to ensure the effective enforcement of employment rights and to create a level playing field for those organisations that are complying with the law. The new proposed body would deal with the work currently being done by bodies such as the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate (EASI).
ollowing the publication of the Good Work Plan (GWP), the government has set out an ambitious programme of reform to ensure the labour market works for everyone. In October it sought responses to a number of consultations. Here’s a run-down of the main things to expect:
1. Addressing one-sided flexibility Flexible working that only benefits the employer is widely recognised as a problem and this has been acknowledged by the government.
It asked the Low Pay Commission (LPC) to report on this and they made the following recommendations: • A right to reasonable notice of work schedules; • Compensation for shift cancellation or curtailment without reasonable notice; and • The use of improved guidance or codes of practice to assist employers in dealing with one-sided flexibility. The LPC proposed a “right to switch to a contract which reflects the normal hours worked”, requiring an employer to justify any refusal according to conditions clearly defined in legislation. The government’s intention
3. Flexible working and proposals to support families The government is considering the introduction of a new statutory requirement whereby employers would have to publish information in relation to their family-related leave, pay and flexi working policies. The consultation sought views in relation to how such a requirement could be beneficial in terms of increasing transparency and how the new proposed system could be enforced. The government sought views on the overall approach to parental leave and pay. It looked at how the government should prioritise and balance the different levels of support, and how it can ensure that parental leave and pay arrangements meet the needs of parents and employers. In October, the REC responded to these consultations having gathered insight from our members. These responses are available to view from both the REC and gov.uk websites.
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I N S P I R AT I O N To keep up to date with everything the Institute of Recruitment Professionals is doing, please visit www.rec-irp.uk.com
NICK MOCK, managing director at
at Driver Hire, on finding success as a franchise
Recruiters can make a difference.
Driver Hire Nationwide was named the UK’s top franchise at the British Franchise Association HSBC ‘Franchisor of the Year’ 2019 awards. What does that mean to you?
Nurturing the next generation – especially at a time of talent shortages – builds strong relationships. We’re driven by wanting to give something back
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JEREMY NEALE, managing director
One Step Recruitment, on nurturing the next generation
We’re based in Somerset, which is made up of a lot of small, farming-based communities. We know the local market inside out, but young people in particular don’t know their options when it comes to employment. They lack confidence and ideas. They don’t know what to put on their CVs or where to look for jobs. It’s why we have made a commitment to working in schools and with school leavers – first setting up a local recruitment fair, and now running group seminars, individual mentoring, work experience days and talks about how to get ready for the world of work.
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Q&A
What I know
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS
to our local community. Clients appreciate what we’re doing and want to play their part in creating local success stories. And giving young people a break creates trust – they appreciate the opportunity they’ve been given, so they’re often more reliable, more loyal and happy to learn. We’ve been doing this for seven years, and now people we have helped place are starting to come to us for their recruitment needs too.
Staff training comes in many different forms. We train our consultants through the REC and other organisations, but working as we do with young people helps them grow. They learn to treat people better, not to judge by appearance. They’re enthused by individual achievements and understand recruitment that bit better as a result.
It’s obviously a good story for Driver Hire, but it’s also a good story for recruitment. Franchising is big, worth £17bn to the UK economy, but very few recruiters follow this model – and many aren’t even aware that’s it’s an option. We’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and this award shows what can be achieved. Franchising provides a safer opportunity for ambitious people, willing to work hard, to set up and run a profitable recruitment business – with the support to help them run business the right way.
And what is the right way? It’s nothing people don’t already know. Training matters. And one thing customers dislike about our industry is when candidates are just fired at them, with little more than a superficial skills match. We spend 90 minutes with every candidate, and we’ve got a 150-point checklist at the start of the process. It might not follow the trend for reducing face-time, but our surveys show that 96% of our customers rate our service as good or excellent, while 94% of candidates are proud to work for us. We’ve also invested £3m in technology over the past three years to increase transparency with clients around driver checks and skills assessments, for example. Our systems help our franchisees with compliance. But ultimately technology for us is about making our processes slicker without losing that allimportant human interaction.
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AWA R D S
THE IRP AWARDS 2019 SHORTLISTS
HEADLINE SPONSOR
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS SHORTLIST NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR • Krishan Adams, Carrington West • Ayo Adesina, Extrastaff • Keegan Cooper, Evolve Hospitality • Bethan Dixon, New Directions Education • Rhys Evans, Hyper Recruitment Solutions • Amanda Lees, Search Consultancy • Ben Marsh, Human One • Haseena Mooncey, Hyper Recruitment Solutions • Ben Neale, Medlocums • Marianne Wills, Pro-Recruitment
TEMPORARY CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR • Ilya Donets, Carrington West • Heather Eaves, Term Time Teachers • Chris Hornbuckle, C&D Group • Josh Howell, Evolve Hospitality • Isabel Muller, Search Consultancy • Bernard Murphy, Jane Lewis Healthcare • Laura Preston, Redline Group • Andreea Roman, Human One • Tim Stevenson, Gattaca
PERMANENT CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR • Graham Brown, ARV Solutions • Amy Court, Taylor Herrick Recruitment • Nathan Darnell, Oakwell Hampton • Matt Davidson, Pro-Recruitment • Kate Green, Pro-Recruitment • Jamie King, Redline Group • Georgia Walden, Hyper Recruitment Solutions
IN-HOUSE RECRUITER OF THE YEAR • Samantha Green, Encore Personnel Services • Charlotte Hawkins, Virgin Media • Vanessa van de Venter, Siemens Plc
CORPORATE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY PRACTITIONERS OF THE YEAR • Girling Jones • Human One • Search Consultancy • Taylor Herrick Recruitment • VGC Group
• Oaklands Global • People First • Robertson Recruitment • SSA Recruitment
BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR • Saffa Ayub, Bramwith Consulting • Danny Brooks, VHR • Jessica Marchant, Sidekicks • Ed Vokes, Evolve Hospitality
BUSINESS MANAGER OF THE YEAR • Fiona Blackwell, Girling Jones • Madona Dartsimelia, Term Time Teachers • Nadia Gilmartin, Jane Lewis Healthcare • Samantha McCune, Evolve Hospitality • Lindsey Thompson, Search Consultancy
COMPANY AWARDS SHORTLIST BACK-OFFICE TEAM OF THE YEAR • Carrington West • Impellam Group • InterQuestGroup • New Directions Holdings (HR Team) • PMP Recruitment • VHR • WorkwithYork & WorkwithSchools
RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR • Guidant Global • Meridian Business Support • VHR PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR • Admiral Recruitment • Amoria Bond • Bespoke Careers • VHR
RECRUITMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR • Medlocums Recruitment • New Directions Pharmacy • Oracle Contractors • Randstad • Term Time Teachers • VHR
RECRUITMENT MATTERS
The official magazine of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation Dorset House, 1st Floor, 27-45 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NT Tel: 020 7009 2100 www.rec.uk.com
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BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR (UP TO 20 EMPLOYEES) • Brandon James • Cityscape Recruitment • Girling Jones • Human One • Inspired Search & Selection • Medlocums Recruitment
BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR (UP TO 50 EMPLOYEES) • Blayze Group • Bramwith Consulting • C&D Group • Evolve Hospitality • Give A Grad A Go • Hyper Recruitment Solutions • Nurseline Healthcare • Oakwell Hampton • Oxford HR • White Recruitment
BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR (UP TO 150 EMPLOYEES) • Bespoke Careers • Carrington West • Extrastaff • Jane Lewis Healthcare • McGinley Group BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR (OVER 150 EMPLOYEES) • Amoria Bond • Encore Personnel Services • Pertemps Network Group • PMP Recruitment • Search Consultancy
Membership Department: Membership: 020 7009 2100, Customer Services: 020 7009 2100 Publishers: Redactive Publishing Ltd, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL Tel: 020 7880 6200. www.redactive.co.uk Editorial: Editor Pip Brooking Pip.Brooking@rec.uk.com. Production Editor: Vanessa Townsend Production: Production Executive: Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6209 Printing: Printed by Precision Colour Printing © 2019 Recruitment Matters. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither REC, Redactive Publishing Ltd nor the authors can accept liability for errors or omissions. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the REC or Redactive Publishing Ltd. No responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts or transparencies. No reproduction in whole or part without written permission.
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