15th January 2018

Cleaning up the image of recruitment: Back office efficiency and repairing the damage done by rogue operators

Recruitment

Recruitment sector soaring but stream of negative news

The recruitment industry seems to be soaring; a flexible workforce embracing new technology and the gig economy; record numbers of people in work; and 1.1 million advertised vacancies at the end of November.
Although it’s overwhelmingly positive, there are blips which tarnish the reputation of the recruitment industry.
Along with estate agents and legal practitioners operating in the ‘ambulance chasing’ and divorce segments of the legal market, recruitment agencies tend not to win popularity contests.
So, the last thing the recruitment industry needs is a steady flow of news stories that demonstrate poor standards and practice.
However, that’s just what we get.
Here are just some of the stories that have appeared on recruitmentgrapevine.com recently which may make you raise an eyebrow.

Headlines from recruitmentgrapevine.com

Date Headline Precis
20 December 2017 Unscrupulous recruiters cost taxpayers millions each year Universities urged to stop hosting recruitment agencies at annual job fairs, after being accused of costing taxpayers millions each year.
15 December 2017 Recruitment agency slammed for ‘misleading’ job adverts Agency accused of posting adverts for jobs intended to get applicants onto training courses.
08 December 2017 Rec agency tops minimum wage ‘name & shame’ list Recruitment and employment agency tops government list of employers failing to pay workers minimum wage.
05 December 2017 Ryanair rec firm at centre of ongoing ‘targets’ scandal Agency contract staff under pressure to flog goods to passengers, against denial that targets are set.
04 December 2017 ‘Rec staff are evil’: Amazon worker slams agency Staff mistreatment feared after a teenage Amazon customer found a note in her purchase.
27 November 2017 GUILTY: ‘Vile’ rec boss convicted of sexual assault Recruitment boss found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenager after a ‘booze-fuelled’ night out in Cambridge.

 

Agency contract and temp worker perceptions

Recent survey results from the ETZ Contract and Temporary Worker Survey produced some interesting findings about the perceptions of the recruitment industry by agency supplied workers:

Coupled to the flow of negative stories, such perceptions do little to enhance the reputation of the recruitment sector and do little to impress clients.

Overcome negative perceptions with efficiency and ETZ

Even Rupert Murdoch cannot control the news! So basically, it is futile to hope that the negative stories will stop. The simple truth is that controversial headlines generate clicks for media companies. And although it is impossible to eliminate the actions of rogue individuals and agencies, each agency can do more to take responsibility for its own reputation.
Overcoming the negative image created by rogue operators with efficient technology that supports ethical practice, such as paying candidates on time, is a good start. While each agency sets its own policies, it’s essential that systems can be audited to demonstrate ethical practice.
ETZ recruitment back office integration and solutions reduce the costs of timesheet processing by up to 85%. The efficiency improvements that stem from a digital workflow for back office processing help to minimise administrative delays.
This helps to positively shape which may shape the perceptions of agencies and attitudes to work. To find out more about how we can help you achieve a digital workflow that integrates your existing software and processes, simply get in touch.
Download ‘How ready for GDPR are the UK’s recruitment firms?’, our survey report on information security in the recruitment sector.
For more from Recruitment Grapevine (both good and bad!), click here.



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