David Smith, Vice Chair of REC Technology met with Kevin Green, CEO of the REC. Here is what Kevin thinks about recruiters doing much more to promote diversity of their workforces:
“One of the things we should be proud of, and the REC represents 4000 recruiters in the UK and represents about 75% of the market place, a £25 Billion industry, is that we employ well over 100,000 people. The good thing is we have a very high percentage of females within the recruitment workforce. We’ve got good representation from ethnic minorities and have a good proportion of people that have some kind of disability. We have a lot to be proud in terms of what we’re already doing to make sure our workforces are diverse. The opportunity for the recruitment industry is to play a more active role in working with their clients to promote to them the opportunity of making sure their workforces represent the communities that they serve. I think there is a lot that recruiters can do to give advice about recruitment processes, looking at different groups of the population which are attracted to different organisations. There is a lot we can do to work with employers to help them make sure that their workforces are as diverse as possible, that they get the benefits and added value of making sure their workforces represent the communities that they work in.
Andrew Tomlinson, REC Technology Policy and PR Advisor visited the offices of REC Technology member Interactive Selection on 18 February 2012 and agreed to be interviewed by the REC Technology Vice Chair, David Smith. Watch this full and revealing interview in the clip that follows:
Let me start by wishing you a belated Happy New Year. As ever, the year ahead presents both challenges and opportunities for our sector. One of our priorities is to ensure that all REC members in the IT and Communications field can get involved and help us to make a difference in 2012.
2011 was an excellent year for REC Technology. We increased our media profile, developed new research, built links with a range of key organisations in our sector such as PCG, E-Skills and Intellect and drove an unprecedented number of high profile campaigns. On the back of this, membership of our Sector Group has now grown to 579 agencies.
As well as building on the progress we have made in all these areas, we will continue to drive a proactive ‘best practice’ agenda on issues such as using social media, tendering and apprenticeships. The ongoing input from Sector Group members will ensure that we continue to take forward our key messages to Government and client organisations and that we continue to influence the agenda on issues such as IR35, skills, immigration, procurement and security vetting for IT contractors.
I would also like our group to have a real impact this year in helping our fellow recruiters, particularly those new to the industry. At our upcoming London meeting on Thursday 22nd March I would like to discuss with you ideas for how we do this. For example, could we agree as a group that every member will give a few hours of their time to give free advice to a new entrant or would be entrant to our recruitment sector? We lament the fact that we cannot get enough people to join the industry – can we help them by providing advice on the benefits and help them prepare for interviews? This would be for first time entrants and would be a very worthwhile commitment, I feel. But, of course, we need your views.
2012 will be a pivotal year for the industry. I look forward to working with you to drive the collective voice of our sector and to exchange views on key market developments and latest innovations.
I have set out below a list of our priorities for 2012. Please do get in touch if you have any input or questions on any of these issues.
Priorities for 2012
Set out below are some of the main areas on which we will focus in 2012.
Links with key stakeholders and client organisations
A big part of our work is engaging with employers and representative bodies to raise awareness amongst client organisations about the benefits of using REC Technology members. Data shows that we are making real progress and we will continue to build on our relationships with organisations such as the BCS, PCG and Intellect.
Events and Networking
There will be a busy calendar of REC Technology events throughout the year. As well as three general meetings, including a repeat of last year’s successful event in Manchester, we will again be having a Summer Dinner and a Christmas Lunch. Further details will be released in due course, but for now please keep these dates in your diary:
• Thursday 22nd March – London General Meeting
• Tuesday 15th May – Manchester General Meeting
• Thursday 19th July – Summer Dinner
• Thursday 4th October (to be finalised) – London General Meeting
• Thursday 6th December (to be finalised) – Christmas Lunch
2012 will also provide us with an opportunity to engage with the global recruitment community at the CIETT World Employment Conference in London on 23rd to 25th May.
Policy Campaigns
REC Technology will continue to drive a range of policy campaigns on a national and European level. Priorities for 2012 include:
• IR35 – Representing the industry on the Government’s official working group, working with organisations such as PCG to achieve an outcome that creates certainty for IT contractors.
• Intra-Company Transfers (ICTs) – Building on our relationships with the Home Office and CBI to continue driving the industry’s line on this sensitive issue.
• Security vetting for IT contractors – Continuing to work with the Cabinet Office and PCG to find solutions to this issue and prevent recruiters being ‘caught in the middle’.
• Pensions reform – Start to prepare for the necessary changes. Strong links have already been built with DWP and the pensions regulator.
• The skills agenda – Ensuring that REC Technology is at the forefront of the UK and EU debate on addressing barriers and building future skills pipeline.
• AWR implementation. – Monitoring the impact of the Agency Worker Regulations on the technology sector, including potential development of new supply models.
• Red tape challenge – Driving for the regulatory and enforcement landscape that works best for the sector through the practical input of members.
Proactive campaigns – Mentoring, Youth Employment Charter and Flexible Work Commission
At the London meeting on Thursday 22nd March I would like to discuss ideas for how we help other recruiters in our sector. For example, could we agree as a group that every member will give a few hours of their time to give free advice to a new entrant or would be entrant to our recruitment sector? We lament the fact that we cannot get enough people to join the industry – can we help them by providing advice on the benefits and help them prepare for interviews? This would be for first time entrants and would be a very worthwhile commitment, I feel.
This year we will also engage further with the REC’s Youth Employment Charter, which now has more than 100 members signed up. The Youth Employment Charter has two key aims: to drive co-operation with schools and young people’s charities; and to showcase the positive role that the industry is already playing. Members can make a difference by providing advice to young people about the jobs market in the technology sector. The initiative is also an opportunity to promote recruitment as a career of choice. Another example of a pro-active initiative that members will be invited to feed into in 2012 is the Flexible Work Commission.
Research and Market Data
We will continue to drive a pro-active research agenda in 2012. As well as building on last year’s extremely well-received report, Skills Shortages in the ICT Workplace, with new research on the technology market, we will be publishing quarterly reports on supply and demand for IT workers, in association with E-Skills.
In addition, the latest developments in the Technology Sector will continue to be picked up in the monthly REC/KPMG Report on Jobs. We will also feed into the general work of the REC’s Industry Research Unit and receive updates on planned reports and industry data.
Social Media
Social media is the latest change to manage and has already resulted in specialised recruiters reinventing the way they build their brand and build relationships with clients and candidates. We had an excellent discussion on this topic at the December 2011 general meeting, and will continue to provide regular updates on how latest social media trends and technology can be used to maximum advantage by agencies.
Professional Standards
We are constantly looking to raise the bar in terms of professional standards whilst ensuring that members have all the support they need to comply with our Code of Professional Practice. New compliance measures are being piloted by the REC in 2012. Members can play an active role by volunteering to take the pilot compliance test.
The overall aim is to achieve a tipping point in industry perceptions through the professionalisation agenda. Members are already playing a key role by working with the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) and promoting industry qualifications. Getting as many of your people to sign up for the IRP as possible will further our chances of obtaining Chartered status for the organisation and putting it on a par with other professional bodies such as accountants, architects, marketers, engineers and scientists. This would be a real game-changer in terms of public perceptions and would build on the progress that has already been made.
The final general meeting of 2011 for REC Technology has a great line up, with four expert speakers. Make sure you reserve places for you and your colleagues now so you don’t miss out. Beginning at 9.30am on Tuesday 13th December, at the REC’s London offices at 15 Welbeck Street, this meeting is free for all REC Technology members.
The centrepiece of the event will be a discussion of the changing impact of social media on IT recruitment. Members will hear from two of the leading innovators in social media recruitment: Andy Headworth, founder of Sirona Consulting; and Bill Boorman, creator of The Recruitment Unconference.
Members will also hear an update on the current state of supply and demand in the IT jobs market from Peter Hounsome. Peter is a Labour Market Analyst for E-Skills, the official Sector Skills Council for IT.
Finally, members will be updated on the REC’s latest policy campaigns and legal issues by Tom Hadley, REC Director of Policy and Professional Services.
To reserve your places, simply click here and follow the instructions. If you have any difficulties booking, please feel free to contact Andrew Tomlinson.
Also, there are still a final few places available for the annual Christmas Lunch, which will follow the meeting. Thanks to kind sponsorship from Von Essen Consulting, a place at the lunch costs just £25 + VAT, which includes a three-course meal and two glasses of wine at the Marylebone Hotel
A distinguished panel from the Technology sector were on hand today, 13 October to discuss a new Research Report commissioned by the REC Technology Sector group entitled Skills Shortages in the ICT Workplace. Adam Thilthorpe Director for Professionalism in IT for the British Computer Society, Carrie Hartnell, Associate Director from Intellect UK and Anjali Bhardwaj from Women in Technology joined Les Berridge and Jeff Brooks from REC Technology to discuss the finding and potential solutions. The paper highlights the key role recruiters can play in helping to bridge the skills shortages gap. This includes working more closely with schools, colleges and employers to paint a more positive picture of what working in a modern IT and technology environment now looks like. It also spells out a very real need to address the current skills shortage so that the necessary skills are in place to help the UK maintain its global competitiveness both in the short term and in the technology-driven markets of the future.
“While the demand for more advanced technology-based skills is not new, the recent economic crisis has increased the urgency of addressing the gap between available skills and what the market demands,” the report states.
The research paper puts forward a series of recommendations on how recruitment agencies, in tandem with schools, universities and employers can work together more closely to address the current shortage of young people either taking ICT-related courses and qualifications.
These include:
Offering expert careers advice to students at events such as school open days, careers and graduate conventions to provide positive real life examples of what it is like to work in IT and to debunk some of myths surrounding working in this sector
Provide in-house agency services to candidates which are based on expert knowledge of both local and national employment needs
Share recruitment expertise with employers to build loyalty and develop the IT talent pipeline. This can include research into identifying the universities which are best for specific IT roles.
The report stresses that employers and their recruitment agencies both have a key role to play in addressing the issues which have led to the IT skills shortages.
The General Meeting also had an update and discussion on the AWR from REC Solicitor, Lorraine Laryea, and a presentation on Recruitment Industry Benchmarking from Crawfurd Walker. The next Gerneral Meeting is planned for December 13th.
The REC Technology group has dominated the news agenda within the IT and Comms recruitment space with coverage in trade and recruitment press month on month along with national publications and significant broadcast “hits” throughout 2010.
In September, David Smith, Vice Chair of REC Technology, was interviewed on BBC News to provide comment on changes in the technology jobs market. This came off the back of major coverage throughout the year in national newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Evening Standard; and publications including Computer Weekly, v3.co.uk, HR Review and Government Technology.
The group, which saw membership grow to over 400 members this year, provided comment on issues including public sector cuts and the state of the jobs market. It also continued to lead the debate on the state of the sector with the quarterly publication of their Demand and Supply in the ICT sector report. A major thought piece was commissioned, Technology 2020, which looked at the changes in technology over the next ten years and its impact on recruiters and businesses.
Commenting on the news, Jeff Brooks, Chair of REC Technology said:
“It is incredibly important that IT recruiters have a voice they can rely on which reaches clients, candidates and government and one which will continuously express the added value that our industry contributes to the UK. This year has been particularly important following the change in government, public sector cuts, immigration changes and the upcoming review of IR35.
“REC Technology will continue to make sure that where IT and Comms recruitment is concerned we continue to lead the debate on issues, representing the interests of our members to those who matter.”
The demand for ICT staff continued to grow, increasing for another quarter according to the latest REC Technology Demand and Supply report, produced by e-skills UK.
Permanent vacancies were up by eight percent and for contractors 11 per cent compared to the previous quarter. Meanwhile the number of available applicants decreased with the ratio between demand and supply of labour now standing at 1.2 potential applicants per job.
The report also shows that advertised demand for ICT staff has now risen over four consecutive quarters and now stands at the highest level since Q4 2008, when demand started to slowly return to growth.
Commenting on the results, Jeff Brooks, Chair of REC Technology said:
“This report confirms our view that the IT sector remains healthy and demand continues to grow. In several skill areas, we will continue to experience shortage of supply and this will put pressure on pay and contract rates.
“Whilst public sector cuts provide uncertainty going forward, some of those reductions in demand have already been made by public bodies and I do not think they will change the demand landscape significantly. IT recruitment companies should see this report as a very positive state of affairs and we remain confident of the future direction of our sector and the IT industry.”
David Smith, Vice Chair or REC Technology and MD of Interactive Selection, found himself live in front of BBC News anchors Simon McCoy and Carrie Gracie at 10.41 today for an interview about the games industry and the topic of start ups and jobs. For a full 3 minutes he fielded questions on the state of the games industry today, how it may fare providing new jobs moving forward and how the unemployed may want to find a job within computer games. He pointed out how the games industry had grown from nowhere to 30000 jobs in the last 20 years but this growth may not necessarilycontinue. He made it clear that the government needed to create the right fiscal environment for the sector to thrive and create new jobs. McCoy was familiar with the tax breaks awarded by the Canadian government and Smithcommented that the industry needed similar breaks if it was to compete with other countries on an even playing field. The result of no investment in the UK games infrastructure would be the UK slipping down the international league table of games production. Already 4th behind Canada, the UK was shortly to be overtaken by China to go into 5th place. On unemployed games professionals. Smith reassured the Gracie that almost all would quickly find jobs with other games companies. On the the subject of the UK unemployed, Smith encouraged everyone to look at the games industry as an option. “Everyone had to start somewhere.” Advice was also given on universities and training and the option of starting a career as a professional games tester. “It was fun to meet Simon and Gracie”, commented David Smith “and a great opportunity for viewers to learn more about the games industry.”
Paul Modley, Head of Recruitment for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympics Games (LOCOG), is to address members of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) Technology sector group at their annual summer dinner on July 22nd.
Paul will speak to the group about the challenges of recruiting for a large project, such as London 2012, and will describe the workforce management and attraction difficulties LOCOG have to overcome both now and during the games.
LOCOG estimate that during the games up to 70,000 volunteers, 6,000 paid staff and over 100,000 contracted staff will be required to deliver a successful London 2012 Olympics.
Dave Pye, REC Technology Executive Member said:
“We are delighted Paul will be able to join us. London 2012 is a mammoth work programme and members will be able to benefit from hearing about challenges at this scale, and how they can be overcome.”
Members of the REC Technology sector group are invited to attend the dinner. For more information, visit the website, http://www.rec.uk.com/summerdinner
The REC Technology sector group has today confirmed Paul Fryer, Field Enablement Leader for IBM UK and Ireland will be its guest speaker at its upcoming summer dinner.
Paul will be the first guest speaker at the REC Technology Annual Summer Dinner, taking place this year at London’s Groucho Club on July 22, and will talk about the philosophy of Building a Smarter Planet for Life.
Paul joined IBM 25 years ago and started in the procurement department. He now works as part of the marketing team looking at how IBM can lead the discussion in building a smarter planet, which includes injecting intelligence into the interconnected systems we use on a daily basis.
Jeff Brooks, Chair of REC Technology said:
“Earlier this year, we published Technology 2020, which looks at where technology will be in ten years time and the implications it will have on consumers, businesses and recruiters.
“We are pleased that Paul Fryer will be speaking to members at our Summer Dinner as it will allow us to take the next step on this ten year journey and give members food for thought to take away with them for the future.”
Members of the REC Technology sector group are invited to attend the dinner. For more information, visit the website, http://www.rec.uk.com/summerdinner
Let me start by wishing you a belated Happy New Year. As ever, the year ahead presents both challenges and opportunities for our sector. One of our priorities is to ensure that all REC members in the IT and Communications field can get involved and help us to make a difference in 2012.
The final general meeting of 2011 for REC Technology has a great line up, with four expert speakers. Make sure you 
A distinguished panel from the Technology sector were on hand today, 13 October to discuss a new Research Report commissioned by the REC Technology Sector group entitled Skills Shortages in the ICT Workplace. Adam Thilthorpe Director for Professionalism in IT for the British Computer Society, Carrie Hartnell, Associate Director from Intellect UK and Anjali Bhardwaj from Women in Technology joined Les Berridge and Jeff Brooks from REC Technology to discuss the finding and potential solutions. The paper highlights the key role recruiters can play in helping to bridge the skills shortages gap. This includes working more closely with schools, colleges and employers to paint a more positive picture of what working in a modern IT and technology environment now looks like. It also spells out a very real need to address the current skills shortage so that the necessary skills are in place to help the UK maintain its global competitiveness both in the short term and in the technology-driven markets of the future.
David Smith, Vice Chair or REC Technology and MD of