Mark Roberts looks at how the recession has created a new wave of ethical recruitment and explains how it works in practice.

As we emerge from recession, the recruitment industry is a very different beast to the one that enjoyed the boom times of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In those hectic, sales-focused, days some agencies flourished by providing at best bums on seats and at worst unsuitable personnel not qualified for the roles they were pushed into. It was a mad and unsustainable time and I for one am glad it came to an end.

In the last 18 months or so many agencies have gone. It is hardly surprising, recruitment is a barometer of the economy as a whole and as such it took some severe knocks. But the industry that is emerging on the other side of the recession is stronger, more resilient and above all based on ethical practices.

It would be naive to suggest that there are no spurious agencies out there, but the changes in the industry have been profound. While many agencies have disappeared in the bad times, the ones that survive often have very strong ethical practices.

Ethical recruitment is more than just a buzz term, it helps recruiters become more of what we should be – trusted partners of business. After all, recruitment is a costly business; it’s important to retain staff in order to realise their value.

The first stage of an ethical plan is to be sure that recruitment is made on the basis of merit, not recommendation and not pure personality. It is too easy to overlook the shortcomings of a candidate who comes across well at interview. Ethical recruiters build a profile for each post to make sure that interviews are based on a scoring system and not just based on personality.

As a recruiter it is also important to manage information both ways – client and recruit. The aim is to match organisation and the individual. It is important to give the client a fair and honest view of the candidate, and vice versa. What may seem to be a small matter for a recruiter with a target to reach can be a big issue for an individual or a client. For instance, placing a candidate in the financial sector without doing a CRB or credit check. It may seem obvious, but it’s the kind of thing that can happen when a recruiter is focusing more on simply filling a role than getting the best person.

For an ethical recruiter, the small touches are important. We always check whether a potential recruit has applied for a job at the client’s company or knows anyone there. The aim is to make sure that the individual doesn’t have any personal problems with anyone already working at the company that could flare up.

As recruiters, our reputation relies as much on the staff we provide to businesses as our relationship with the client. To get the right candidate, it is crucial to make sure that job adverts are truthful and honest. There’s no point promoting ‘flexible shift-working’ if what you really mean is regular nights. Selling a role at the expense of the truth serves nobody well.

Similarly it’s hugely important to let candidates know when they are no longer in the process. I think all recruiters like to make the call to say ‘you’ve got it’, but not the ‘I’m sorry’ call. It’s unfair to avoid that responsibility, which is part and parcel of the industry we are in. Equally, it’s important when recruiting a candidate to ask when the best time to speak to them is etc. to avoid bombarding their mobile with calls while they are at work.

Once a candidate is placed, an ethical recruiter should also carry out regular appraisals with their contract staff. To get the maximum benefit for all, these appraisals must be a two-way process and not just be top-down feedback. It may mean extra training or other development is needed. An ethical recruiter would aim to provide that.

To make sure that they are getting the best service, HR managers should ask an agency for regular reviews, and recruitment processes should be transparent. I believe it is better to tell a client we are 80% there, and let them decide whether they want to extend the deadline or go to another agency, than tell a half-truth. We have clients who audit our ethical recruitment procedures and we welcome that, as should any recruiter worth their fee.

Ethical recruitment is more than a buzz term and more than the latest fad. It is crucial to the future of our industry and the success of the businesses we serve. Recruitment has come of age, it is no longer a case of ‘bums on seats’ it’s about careful, considered selection and placement. Ethical recruitment doesn’t come cheap, but as a long-term investment, as staff must be, it reaps huge dividends for recruiter, candidate and client.
 

Mark Roberts is operations director for gap personnel. For more information go to www.gap-personnel.com