This is a guest post written for us by Anna Gibbons who works as Corporate Communications Manager for Sellick Partnership, a recruitment agency specialising in the finance, procurement and legal sectors.
2012 was an outstanding year for the UK. Last summer, the country was united behind the wonderful London Olympic and Paralympic games, which not only lifted the morale of the nation – it helped us bounce back from the recession. As recruiters, how can we build upon this positive economic outlook in 2013 – and what are the challenges ahead that we should be aware of?
Employment law – stay up to speed
For the last 18 months, the new Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) have been the major change in employment law that has affected recruitment agencies. I recently attended an APSCo members meeting at the DWF headquarters, in which a specialist employment lawyer gave a talk on upcoming changes to employment law. His comment on AWR was that so far, very few cases had come to fruition regarding any disputes on the new policy – but it is still essential to monitor how AWR is affecting your workers in case of any future issues.
It is important as a recruiter that we stay ahead of these changes that may affect our practices as an employer, and the clients that we are working with. Changes to look out for in 2013 include the introduction of portable DBS (formerly CRB) checks, meaning that employees will no longer have to get a new CRB check every time they start a new role, changes to parental leave and the ‘employee-owner’ contract coming into place.
Social is here to stay
Whether you love it or hate it, social networking is here to stay. More and more recruiters are seeing the benefit of utilising these online channels. LinkedIn is an excellent resource for accessing active and passive jobseekers, Twitter can be a great tool for gaining exposure to your brand, and having a Facebook page will give your business kudos and provides an excellent platform for communicating on a more informal basis.
Whatever you do in 2013, make social recruiting a part of your strategy to avoid being left behind.
Focus on the long-term benefit, not the short-term gain
As recruitment agencies are predominantly sales focussed, it is all too easy to concentrate on winning that fee or placing an immediate job for a client. However, it is important to take time to build a strategy for the year ahead – whether this is on a personal basis, or for your business as a whole. Look at areas such as:
– How you can differentiate yourselves as a recruiter, and a brand in a crowded marketplace
– Your core business values and how you will implement these into the every day
– Maintaining and building trusted relationships with both candidates and clients, as well as winning new business
– How to establish yourself as a leader in your industry, and build your reputation. For example, contributing as speakers for career clinics, exhibiting at conferences related to your field of recruitment and contributing articles for trade publications will all help to enhance awareness of your company.
With some clear objectives and goals in place, and continual investment in your professional development and market knowledge, you will be well placed to succeed as a recruiter in 2013. Happy New Year!
