I’m not easily shocked by recruiting antics, but even I was appalled at the findings from this particular piece of research.
Out of 30 temping agencies contacted by an Inside Out West researcher, 25 agreed to a request for a receptionist job to be offered only to white workers.
The article quotes Professor Tariq Modood, of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship “Past surveys have tended to suggest maybe a third of people will discriminate and you have found that it is greater than that.”
Maybe he was “under-quoted” but Tom Hadley, of the REC, saying “We would expect agencies within the REC membership to challenge that kind of discriminatory instruction and to walk away from the business if they had to – because that is how seriously we take this particular issue” sounds rather weak.
I know right now that there are very few recruitment agencies who would want to turn down any business but even so, to find that such a high percentage are prepared to go along with such blatant discrimination unfortunately puts the recruitment industry in a bad light once again.
This has been going on for years
its why some recruitment agencies are in business
to carry out someone elses dirty work
covert racism at its worst…
until the recruitment industry cleans its act up…i.e when hell freezes over,
it will always go on
This is terrible and hopefully Karma will have it’s way.
When I became a consultant, 5-6 years ago, we were trained to either ask clients to retract descriminatory remarks / requests or refuse to work with them.
Unfortunately, as you say, there are people that will comply and bring the reputation of our industry down to their level!
Although not surprised, this still comes as only I can describe as shocking. Relating to the latter blog, where our industry is slated for being so focussed on getting the fee, Consultants should be doing what their title suggests and Consult. If it means walking away from the business then so be it. In this climate, the best will survive meaning those who are conducting good business, with good employers for good candidates, upholding their ethics, morality and of course, the law!