Last week I had a cuppa and chat with Kevin Green, CEO of the REC (and Alison Henderson who is their lovely Press Manager). I will write a blog post about the things we discussed as it was a good meeting. However, before the meeting I mentioned I was going to meet with Kevin and I got a very good question on my blog post asking:
What does REC do. I have worked in the recruitment industry for the last 10 years. Every company I have worked for has been a member of REC and one even achieved GOLD Audited Standard though I was never sure what that meant. What I am puzzled by is what REC actually does for it's agency members? Other than have a sticker in the window we have had nothing else, in ten years. Yes I know that you hold seminars telling people how to run their business more effectively but what tangible help does a business which made over £600 million in profit in 2007 give to it's members. I have asked everyone I work with if their previous agencies were REC members and they all said 'yes' but were, like me, unable to point to anything that passed as a result of their membership. I really feel that I am missing out on something as there must be something useful I can take from REC. Can you let me know please.
So, rather than taking 15 pages of notes during the meeting I asked Kevin and Alison if they could come back to me with a response that I could share.. and what they’ve sent me is a VERY comprehensive response:
Top ten ways to add value through REC Membership:
1. Legal Services: You get unlimited free access to the REC Legal Helpline, regular legal updates, bulletins and a suite of model documents and contracts. Keep your business and also your clients well informed by using these legal services to establish yourself as a knowledgeable resource. You can also save on your bottom line – for example, one London-based agency saved over £50,000 by speaking directly to the legal helpline about a specific inquiry relating to the construction industry.
2. Lobbying and Campaigns: The REC works hard to get the best possible outcome for recruiters needs and issues by engaging, influencing and representing members’ interests direct to key stakeholders, clients, trade bodies and Government – acting as the voice of the UK’s recruitment industry. Industry campaigns such as the ‘Your AWR Advisor’ provide you with client and candidate briefings, presentations, workshops and webinars. In addition, a National AWR Summit being held on 5th May will provide you with all of the support you need to prepare your business for the October 2011 introduction.
3. Professional Standards: Clients and candidates value professional standards and the REC provides you with the most tangible evidence of professional standards through the Code of Professional Practice, compliance assessments and inspections, the Diversity Pledge and other services which demonstrate to both clients and candidates that members are operating ethically.
4. Research: The REC undertakes and publishes research and information which keeps members fully informed of the most up to date trends, facts and data relating to the recruitment industry. Its monthly Report on Job published with KPMG is now seen by the media, stakeholders and the industry itself as the most accurate monthly review of the jobs market.
5. Expert Business Advice: If you would like an objective assessment of your business, you can call on the REC to provide services such as mentoring, performance coaching, start-ups advice, bespoke legal support and consultancy.
6. Qualifications: A range of qualifications which are recognised industry-wide and which are about to be re-launched this year to make them more relevant to the ever-changing world of recruitment will help you and your staff to demonstrate to clients and candidates that they are working with the best in the business.
7. Sector support: Specialist support through 21 individual sector groups covering all aspects of the industry from drivers, engineering and industrial, through to legal and HR, technology, education and executive search provide you with an opportunity to show your clients that you are a niche provider that understands their business.
8. Latest industry updates: Marketing and communications offer expert support in promoting your business. This comprises a range of marketing tools, regular e-comms, PR support and an in-house magazine Recruitment Matters. By keeping up with the latest industry developments, you can pass on your knowledge gained from the REC to demonstrate your business as a consultative service capable of providing your clients and candidates with the latest industry information.
9. Institute of Recruitment Professionals: A bespoke individual membership programme, the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP), through which recruiters gain access to exclusive tools and services, has been designed to help them further their careers and make the most of their professional potential. The highlight is the annual IRP Awards where the best in the business are rewarded and honoured for their achievements and successes as professional recruiters.
10. Award winning events programme: A year-long programme of events including an annual National Convention which provides discussion and networking opportunities; summits on issues affecting the recruitment industry and numerous regional events, such as workshops and policy forums to enable all members to have a say in what they want from their representative body.
If you want to contact the REC their number is 020 7009 2144 and email is info@rec.uk.com
This isn’t my advert for the REC – I do want some feedback! So, what do you think? If you are a member do you feel you get value? If you are not… why not?
That is the biggest load of corporate waffle I have ever heard. REC qualifications? Don’t make me laugh. How many consultants have this qualification? Thousands do. What sort of person would you have to be to fail to achieve this qualification? (That is a rhetorical question.) If an independent poll was conducted among agency staff across the UK the overwhelming majority would agree with me. REC made their money during the recruitment bubble but offer little tangble value – fact not fiction.
Sorry… they made how much.. £600m in profit in 2007!Did I read that right! Who owns the REC?
I think this is a very fair question to ask and certainly for me I have found corporate membership and individual membership to be of great benefit but let me quantify that a little. Two years ago I pitched for a large retained mandate and used my corporate membership as part of my USP, I won the contract and this in part was attributed to the fact I held a professional membership and industry relevant qualifications and could prove I was part of a large corporate body who had a code of conduct, in fact I leveraged heavily on this fact and the client seen a great benefit in this. Early this year I used both my corporate membership and IRP membership as part of a submission process for a six figure overseas mandate which I was awarded 2 weeks ago, again I was able to demonstrate I was part of a professional body who represents our industry and that I adhered to a strict code of conduct, once again the client probed me on this and seen a huge benefit in engaging with someone who held membership in this respect.
There are of course tangible benefits, lifestyle discounts, free legal help, access to industry relevant research and so on but the biggest benefit I have found is being able to leverage off the back of a professional body when pitching for new business and this has helped me win large mandates.
So my thoughts are simple – It’s up to you to use the membership wisely, use it as a USP to win business and actually benefit off the back of the various tangible benefits that are the for the taking. I can tell you that in the last 12 months I have personally used the legal helpline a number of times
These are simply my personal thoughts but frankly membership for me has translated into thousands of pounds of revenue over the years and I don’t see a bigger benefit than that, in reality if you don’t actively use the benefits that are freely and widely available then it will only ever be a cost to you and your business and that to me makes no commercial sense at all. Membership comes with lots of benefits some of which I have mentioned in this email, they are all there for you, you just have to be prepared to use them and use them wisely.
“Early this year I used both my corporate membership and IRP membership as part of a submission process for a six figure overseas mandate.”
The average REC registered agency is not in the market for this business. Can we have some recommendations from the tens of thousands of recruitment consultants who have worked for REC registered companies in High Street agencies across the UK? I can provide you with opinions from scores of consultants, managers and directors with the same view as mine (however I won’t as this is not a witch-hunt nor do I wish it to be), perhaps we are just not “in the clique”. Money talks.
Hello Everybody,
I would just like to point out a correction in the above comment: “what tangible help does a business which made over £600 million in profit in 2007 give to it’s members”
To clarify, the REC did not make a profit of £600million in 2007. The Annual Report and accounts published in 2008 shows that the REC had a surplus of just over £174k.
Hope that has clarified any confusion by the original post at the top of the page.
I understand your point of view and my intention was only to offer my opinion in regards to where the membership can potentially benefit you, certainly in my case it has.
With respect to your comment the average registered agency may not be in the business of pitching for six figure mandates however regardless of whether you are pitching for six figure mandates or satisfying temp and perm contracts at £500 average fee’s the point I am making here is that the membership can be used in a variety of ways, specifically to promote ones professionalism via qualification and membership to a corporate body, simply put though you will only benefit from REC and IRP membership (in my personal opinion) if you use it to the best of your ability regardless of what level of the market you are aiming towards and I see it as a fantastic USP for winning business so that’s how I use it by Citing the code and benefits to my clients and offering an additional reason as to why they should engage me as a member as opposed to my non member competitors.
I’m a big fan of the REC and, in particular, their efforts to professionalise the industry through IRP qualifications. And looking at previous posts I can only say that it seems they still have some work to do (you know who you are!)
The trouble is they can’t do it on their own. A bit of collaboration wouldn’t go amiss (again, you know who you are!). You get out what you put in, after all.
The work they have done negotiating the terms of the AWR Regs, education and support offered to my organisation was impressive.
The work they do through their Sector Groups is effective, but challenging I think to get participation and engagement from their members.
Keep doing what you’re doing Kevin Green and your team, and you’ve got my vote!
As a company that has close links with the REC, I can honestly say that they add a great deal of value to our business.
This is mainly because we have built strong relationships with them and have always found them eager to help. As my mother always says…. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get”
We have asked for their support on a number of occasions and they have never failed to deliver.
We have worked closely with them throughout the AWR consultation period and Kevin Green has helped educate our clients on the impact this legislation will have on them and the Industry.
All our Consultants have at least the Certificate in Recruitment Practice and many have the Diploma. Our clients have commented that recruiters who have taken this exam are more knowledgeable and are able to give expert advice.
Personally, I felt the REC had the biggest impact on our business during the recession. They were there for us with advice and guidance on the market and the industry and offered training that was right for the current market, not just the ‘textbook’ version.
My advice on getting the best from them would be to ask for their support. You won’t be disappointed.
I have been very happy with the REC’s support on representing the industry’s views on AWD and, in particular, that Kevin Green and Tom Hadley have made themselves available to support our business.
Hi
Since I set up my business 12 years ago I have maintained the REC membership that I took up when I first started in recruitment.
I use the REc Terms of Business as my standard terms. The saving in legal fees paid several years of membership. i also use their legal service.
I like the fact we are represented and lobbied for when new legilsation is mooted and then kept up to speed on how it will affect us.
I use their training courses both in house for all of the team in one hit and ad hoc when I have new staff or new courses of interest come up.
I dont agree with everything REC say and do but I do feel tha as a small agency I have someone there who is mnkaing up for thee fact I cant have my own legal dept, lobbbyists etc.
REC in now way would have made £600m – they wouldnt even turn that much over. I suspect tha is a figure that was picked up that related to profits of members is something like that.
Incidentally there are several of our clients who only use REC members which interesting. I wish more were like it. I dont believe that all non REC member agencies are bad, but I do think that the Code of Practice at least gives our clients some confidence that we are working in a reasonably ehtical way and adhering to the legislation that shoul bind us all but doesnt!
I have always believed in belonging to the professional association that monitors, guides and helps the area in which you work. I also belong to TEAM and am looking at others as well.
Hi
Since I set up my business 12 years ago I have maintained the REC membership that I took up when I first started in recruitment.
I use the REc Terms of Business as my standard terms. The saving in legal fees paid several years of membership. i also use their legal service.
I like the fact we are represented and lobbied for when new legilsation is mooted and then kept up to speed on how it will affect us.
I use their training courses both in house for all of the team in one hit and ad hoc when I have new staff or new courses of interest come up.
I dont agree with everything REC say and do but I do feel tha as a small agency I have someone there who is mnkaing up for thee fact I cant have my own legal dept, lobbbyists etc.
REC in now way would have made £600m – they wouldnt even turn that much over. I suspect tha is a figure that was picked up that related to profits of members is something like that.
Incidentally there are several of our clients who only use REC members which interesting. I wish more were like it. I dont believe that all non REC member agencies are bad, but I do think that the Code of Practice at least gives our clients some confidence that we are working in a reasonably ehtical way and adhering to the legislation that shoul bind us all but doesnt!
I have always believed in belonging to the professional association that monitors, guides and helps the area in which you work. I also belong to TEAM and am looking at others as well.