The ethics of recruitment

Bodies such as the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) have tried their best to regulate the industry but, as Samantha Hurley, Operations Director at APSCo, says to Recruitment Grapevine, “you can’t stop determined unethical recruiters; only legal sanctions will do that.”

However, the government has made it clear that it won’t be returning to the sector anytime soon.

Recruitment industry needs to respond to concerns

John Randall, Engagement Director at Standards in Recruitment (SiR), explained to Recruitment Grapevine what this means: “It’s up to the recruitment industry itself to respond to the concerns of organisations and pressured sectors, and protect and enhance its reputation.

“There are some 19,000 recruitment businesses in the UK and it’s a sector enjoying phenomenal growth. Compliance and quality are now the mantra, and it’s a given that the practice of recruitment introduction and supply needs good self-governance.”

The problem with this is that signing up to these regulatory bodies is not compulsory. It’s up to the consultancies themselves to recognise the benefits of this. One obvious benefit is the differentiation that accreditation and quality of service provides, especially in an increasingly crowded industry.

Andrew Dallas, Argyll Scott’s Managing Director – Commercial, Financial & Professional Services, adds to Recruitment Grapevine: “I think there’s a lot of bad press which is exacerbated by the ease of sharing content on social networks. There are a number of stories circulating in ever decreasing circles about the same people.”

Despite this he says that, as a recruiter, you reap what you sow: “If you’re building a client relationship, it has to work both ways, you can’t go poaching their staff.”

This article was first published in Recruitment Grapevine on 17th may 2016