http://www.rec-con.co.uk News from www.rec-con.co.uk http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Web_upgrade/2414 i-Business Resources suppliers of Quick-Recruit the fully hosted front to back office recruitment software are pleased to announce the upgrade of their Website. Michael Pretty Sales Manager at i-BR said With more and more recruitment companies embracing the Internet as a trusted and necessary tool for their business we wanted to offer a series of FREE downloadable information sheets. Subjects covered thus far are utilising the cloud for business and what is SaaS, with more to come on a monthly basis. The sheets are available ad hoc or by monthly e-mail and are general informative guides to the World Wide Web and its importance in todays recruitment market http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Landmark_ruling/2413 The rights and employment status of so-called sub-contractors has been called into question following a landmark ruling. The ruling could affect sectors where contract labour is traditionally used such as large-scale construction projects like the Olympic site in east London, together with the NHS, education, IT and banking sectors. At the hearing in Watford, the Employment Tribunal found that despite providing his services through both a separate limited company wherein he billed on an hourly basis as well as being paid through a designated separate payroll company, Andrew Tilson was, in fact, an employee of Alstom Transport under the meaning of the Employment Rights Act 1996. This meant he was entitled to claim unfair dismissal against the company. Alstom, which maintains and operates the entire fleet of trains on London Undergrounds Jubilee and Northern lines, argued that Tilson, who was working at the companys Golders Green depot, was self-employed and provided his services via a limited company rather than under a contract of employment. Represented by Harold Benjamin Solicitors, Tilson's barrister, Mark Sahu of Mitre House Chambers, successfully argued that despite paying his own income tax and National Insurance contributions, the way in which his work was structured and the manner in which he worked for Alstom and the tasks he performed on the companys behalf were the real indicator as to his employment status. Finding for Tilson, the Tribunal Judge agreed that the close working proximity between Tilson and Alstom was the critical factor in determining his employment status and, as an employee rather than a self-employed sub-contractor, he was entitled to claim unfair dismissal. "This is an extremely important Tribunal ruling which could affect the employment status and legal rights of thousands of sub-contractors working in the UK," said Cyril Dennemont, Partner and Head of Employment at Harold Benjamin in Harrow. "The Judge decided that the over-riding criteria in deciding Tilsons employment status was the way in which he provided his services to Alstom. This is a significant judgment as it followed the latest Court of Appeal guidelines on employee status, as reviewed in James v Greenwich Borough Council. "Having been promoted to a senior managerial position in March2006, the work he did and the wide range of duties and responsibilities he had for the company and the manner in which he was supervised on a day-to-day basis meant that, in effect, he was deemed to be an employee." "Where a sub-contractor has duties and tasks similar or identical to a permanent employee within a company then that person could well find themselves treated as an employee because the distinction between self-employed and employed status fades away," he warned. "And with employee status comes a whole raft of employee benefits such as unfair dismissal claims and other benefits such as maternity and paternity leave, holiday pay and pension entitlements." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Gov_job_aid_welcomed/2412 Plans to get the unemployed back into work have been welcomed by the REC. The association, however, added the caveat that the Government must understand the importance of recruitment agencies in its proposals and be consistent with policy. The Governments plans outlined in Building Britains Future include: giving every person under 25 who has been out of work for a year the option of a job, training, or work experience place; and adults who have been out of work for six months will get help with setting up a business, skills training, or volunteering opportunities. The £1 billion Future Jobs Fund will provide 100,000 jobs for young people and a further 50,000 new jobs in areas of high unemployment. Tom Hadley, the RECs director of external relations, pictured, said: This is a difficult time for all jobseekers, and new entrants into the labour market must grab every opportunity they can to gain experience and develop their skills. Whilst permanent positions are harder to come by at the moment, temporary job opportunities can often constitute a stepping stone into the labour market. Agency work will play a vital part of the upturn when the economy starts to grow, allowing businesses to quickly up-scale their production and services. The Government should therefore ensure that the job creation initiatives announced this week are consistent with regulation proposals that might inadvertently reduce temporary work opportunities. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Nursing_no-no/2411 The proposed new registration scheme for care workers has been called a waste of time by the chairman of the RECs social care sector group. Therefore the group has put forward a range of solutions for the Government to avoid the over-burdensome regulations although fully advocates the sentiment that care worker status needs improving. REC sector chairman Peter Cullimore said: "The current Government thinking is that care workers would apply for registration. Agencies already have to check that workers have the necessary training, CRB and reference before they were registered. There would be no added value as a result of their registration other than a requirement to register for an NVQ which is already required by the National Minimum Standards. "The REC proposal is that agencies would themselves register care workers who would not be working for them without them having met the proposed requirements and notify the General Social Care Council of their registration. This would appreciably reduce the unnecessary bureaucracy but still achieve the raising of status. It would also reduce the cost of registration." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/New_Grafton_brand/2410 The Grafton Employment Group today unveiled a new recruitment outsourcing and HR consultancy brand. It is targeting both Irish and global markets in a move designed to deliver a major long-term expansion of the Irish-based international group. Grafton ESP standing for employment solutions portfolio will be based in Northern Ireland. Its managing director is Emma Zeeman who is also HR Director of the Grafton Employment Group. Announcing the launch of the new division, Ms Zeeman said: Grafton ESP is a new brand which combines our expertise in recruitment process outsourcing and in human resources consultancy. The Grafton Employment Group now operates from 72 offices in 19 different countries giving us unique experience of recruitment and HR globally. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/IRP_launches/2409 The REC has launched the Institute of Recruitment Professionals replacing the former Individual Membership offering. According to the REC: The IRPs core purpose is to ensure that all recruiters are given the opportunity to be individually recognised as part of the profession while demonstrating to clients their credentials in being committed to delivering the best possible service at all times. Kevin Green, the RECs chief executive, said: One of our main goals is to deliver a world class service to members. The IRP takes this another step closer and towards professionalising the industry, giving recruiters operating at all levels unprecedented levels of support enabling them to be the best they can. Among the benefits for IRP members is access to an online legal guide and a certificate showing commitment to professionalism. Mr Green added: Corporate members will reap the benefits as result of their staff joining the IRP. The result will be a knowledgeable and motivated team of professional recruiters who deliver the highest standards. This is because they do feel part of a community which gives them all the incentives and services they need to be one step ahead of the competition which in turn gives their company the business edge. He added: Our members are all part of a dynamic, fast-moving and exciting profession and only by showing that we are committed to providing the best possible environment for recruiters to excel that will we attract the broadest possible range of people into the profession. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/IT_demand_sustained/2408 Hays Information Technology has reported a number of specialist IT skill sets have blossomed as organisations seek to maximise efficiencies. Hays has noted that companies understand that providing technical solutions in a structured and cost-effective manner should remain a key priority The company believes this has led to continued demand for architecture expertise in the current IT architect jobs market. James Lloyd-Townshend, managing director at Hays Information said: "Enterprise architects can still command excellent salaries and remuneration levels reflect the substantial cost savings that these individuals can bring to their organisations. "SharePoint experience is a particular skill set that employers are looking for, as this can make a real difference to the way businesses share information, which in turn has a dual knock-on effect on engagement and productivity. He added: "Businesses will initially look to bring in senior interim professionals to manage these projects and we would then expect them to gradually increase their permanent headcount as and when the market starts to pick up. "Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are also taking advantage of the current market conditions to attract talent and these organisations offer opportunities for individuals to make a real difference to their businesses. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Marathon_effort/2407 For a 2nd year running GSR2R are raising money for The Childrens Society. Cheryl Wing, the recruitment to recuritment specialists Managing Director is running the New York Marathon for this in November and is pledging £100 of any placement fee in the company between July and November 09 towards the cause. Chery says "As a client or candidate registering with GSR2R its good to know we are all together contributing to the money raised for the Childrens Society.In todays market it is so easy to forget about the needs of others that is important in any market". If you would like to support Cheryl in her Marathon attempt, please contact her at cheryl@gsr2r.com http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/MP_opposes_AWD/2406 Shadow BIS minister Jonathan Djangoly has today expressed his concern for the Agency Workers Directive. The Tory frontbencher was speaking at Lawspeeds AWD seminar to members of the staffing industry. The seminar was being jointly held by the Association of Recruitment Consultancies which is campaigning against the fundaments of the directive that being temps will have similar pay and benefits to perms following 12 weeks work. The MP told delegates: The directive is going to be a significant burden on businesses and will put off hirers from using agencies. The cost of the AWD is going to be immense and will seriously undermine the flexibility of the UKs current labour market. Lawspeed MD and ARC chairman Adrian Marlowe told the audience the Government had grossly underestimated the cost of the directive and the industrys absorption of the new structure. Read Recruitment Consultant Magazines full coverage of the event and the surrounding issues in the next publication next week. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php//MP_opposes_AWD/2405 Shadow BIS minister Jonathan Djangoly has today expressed his concern for the Agency Workers Directive. The Tory frontbencher was speaking at Lawspeeds AWD seminar to members of the staffing industry. The seminar was being jointly held by the Association of Recruitment Companies which is campaigning against the fundaments of the directive that being temps will have similar pay and benefits to perms following 12 weeks work. The MP told delegates: The directive is going to be a significant burden on businesses and will put off hirers from using agencies. The cost of the AWD is going to be immense and will seriously undermine the flexibility of the UKs current labour market. Lawspeed MD and ARC chairman Adrian Marlowe (pictured) told the audience the Government had grossly underestimated the cost of the directive and the industrys absorption of the new structure. Read Recruitment Consultant Magazines full coverage of the event and the surrounding issues in the next publication next week. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Comensura_deal/2404 Comensuras recruitment collaboration with the AGMA has been extended by a further three years. The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities will continue to use Comensuras temporary recruitment platform C.net, supported by Comensuras managed service, until 2012. The total value of the contract extension is estimated to be £60 million. Having successfully achieved savings of more than £2 million over the initial two-year contract, Comensura was found to have delivered improved efficiencies, significant cashable savings and increased management visibility. AGMA category manager Jayne Whitehead said: As a result of working with Comensura since 2007, AGMA has seen considerable efficiencies and cost savings. However, it is the quality of the management information that the system produces that has proved to be priceless. The data that the system provides us has put us in a strong position to improve our operational practices and generate additional reductions in expenditure. We anticipate the same, if not improved savings over the next contract period. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Broadbean_beaming/2403 Broadbean has been awarded a five-year agreement to distribute job ads online for the Manpower brand as well as supplying the response tracking technology . Their deal includes supply to Manpower, Manpower Professional, Manpower Business Solutions and Elan. Broadbeans managing director, Dan McGuire, said Weve worked with Manpowers internal development team to create a world class solution which is fully integrated with all relevant technologies in the business. The depth of integration has meant weve been able to create an excellent new reporting suite which allows for a much more detailed analysis on job board spend. This agreement demonstrates our capabilities as a global supplier. Broadbeans award winning technology automates the process of placing adverts on job boards and tracks the source of all applicants, saving time and improving accuracy for Manpowers Consultants. The multi-lingual system has started to be rolled out across Manpowers operations in North America and Europe. Manpower Business Solutions managing director Kate Donovan said: With Broadbean and a single global platform, we can pull together all of our global candidate data on one report allowing us to analyze talent pools from around the world. With increasing client interest in global Recruitment Process Outsourcing and other robust recruiting solutions, this level of insight regarding global talent provides us with a tremendous advantage, http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php//Broadbean_beaming/2402 Broadbean has been awarded a five-year agreement to distribute job ads online for the Manpower brand as well as supplying the response tracking technology . Their deal includes supply to Manpower, Manpower Professional, Manpower Business Solutions and Elan. Broadbeans managing director, Dan McGuire, said Weve worked with Manpowers internal development team to create a world class solution which is fully integrated with all relevant technologies in the business. The depth of integration has meant weve been able to create an excellent new reporting suite which allows for a much more detailed analysis on job board spend. This agreement demonstrates our capabilities as a global supplier. Broadbeans award winning technology automates the process of placing adverts on job boards and tracks the source of all applicants, saving time and improving accuracy for Manpowers Consultants. The multi-lingual system has started to be rolled out across Manpowers operations in North America and Europe. Manpower Business Solutions managing director Kate Donovan said: With Broadbean and a single global platform, we can pull together all of our global candidate data on one report allowing us to analyze talent pools from around the world. With increasing client interest in global Recruitment Process Outsourcing and other robust recruiting solutions, this level of insight regarding global talent provides us with a tremendous advantage, http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Illegals_fivefold/2401 The number of prosecutions for hiring illegal immigrants jumped 513 per cent in 2008. According to data obtained from the Home Office the introduction in February 2008 of a new penalty system led to a record 233 prosecutions of employers for employing illegal immigrants. Prior to the enactment of the new legislation, no more than 40 cases were brought against employers in any given year. According to giant precision, the new system, which introduced a civil penalty of £10,000 for each illegal worker, means recruiters and employers should ensure that their background checking systems are up-to-date with the new legislation. Matthew Brown, managing director of giant precision says: The new civil penalty for employers who hire illegal immigrants has made a big difference to the UK Border Agencys activity in bringing cases against employers. More employers than ever before are finding themselves hit with big fines. In cases where an illegal immigrant is supplied by a staffing agency, the agency itself can be liable. Agencies and employers are required to carry out background checks by law, but the administrative burden has often meant that checks are sporadic and not always thorough. Matthew Brown explains that employers often do not realise that they have hired illegal immigrants because they are given fraudulent paperwork such as P45s, P60s and passports. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Broadbean_deal/2400 Broadbean Technology announced today a five year agreement under which it will be the worldwide supplier of Manpowers online job advert distribution and response tracking technology . In a landmark agreement, Broadbeans technology platform will support multiple Manpower global brands and business lines, including Manpower, Manpower Professional, Manpower Business Solutions and Elan. Manpower benefits will include increased efficiency and speed for its workforce, client satisfaction and more effective management of costs. Broadbeans Managing Director, Dan McGuire, said Weve worked with Manpowers internal development team to create a world class solution which is fully integrated with all relevant technologies in the business. The depth of integration has meant weve been able to create an excellent new reporting suite which allows for a much more detailed analysis on job board spend. This agreement demonstrates our capabilities as a global supplier. Broadbeans award winning technology automates the process of placing adverts on job boards and tracks the source of all applicants, saving time and improving accuracy for Manpowers Consultants. The multi-lingual system has started to be rolled out across Manpowers operations in North America and Europe. Plans are being developed for further penetration across the UK, Europe, US, Canada and Asia. Manpower, which has operations in more than 80 countries, has the potential to reach over 10,000 users of Broadbeans flagship AdCourier system by the time the global roll out is complete. With Broadbean and a single global platform, we can pull together all of our global candidate data on one report allowing us to analyze talent pools from around the world. With increasing client interest in global Recruitment Process Outsourcing and other robust recruiting solutions, this level of insight regarding global talent provides us with a tremendous advantage, said Kate Donovan, managing director of Manpower Business Solutions. Dan Cohen, Head of Consultancy Sales at Broadbean added Were delighted to be working with Manpower. Weve already established a market-leading presence in Europe and this partnership secures our global presence. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Randstad_merger/2399 The merger of Randstad-owned Beresford Blake Thomas and Hill McGlynn has seen the company consolidate interests in several sectors. Randstad believes it now has a stronger position in construction and engineering, health and social care as well as the Middle East. A statement released by the company today (Friday) said: The Technical and Professionals business of Beresford Blake Thomas (BBT) and Hill McGlynn will merge and be rebranded Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering. BBTs Health and Social Care business and Reliance Care will merge and be rebranded as Randstad Care. BBTs comprehensive portfolio of specialist businesses in the Middle East will be rebranded Randstad Middle East with BBTs construction business merging with Hill McGlynns Middle East operation to form the Construction, Property & Engineering division. These strategic developments will take place from 1 October 2009. Brian Wilkinson, executive board director of Randstad Group, said: This is a very exciting opportunity for Randstad. The clear synergies between BBT Technical & Professional and Hill McGlynn, and BBT Health and Social Care and with the brand equity of Randstad, will create competitive advantage and a very strong platform for growth. Clients will benefit from access to a larger pool of high quality talent and candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a broader range of career building jobs. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Wildcats_sacked/2398 Oil giant Total has laid off 900 workers involved in wildcat strikes and told them to reapply for their positions by Monday. The HR department for the French company has flexed its muscles by sacking the workers who have been protesting about alleged preferential treatment for non-EU contractors. Unions have berated the firm and warned this could spark further walkouts in the coming days. Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB said: "Total has for a full week refused to meet with the unions to resolve this matter through Acas. "It seems pretty obvious that there is case of victimisation taking place. Laying off the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php//Randstad_merger/2397 The merger of Randstad-owned Beresford Blake Thomas and Hill McGlynn has seen the company consolidate interests in several sectors. Randstad believes it now has a stronger position in construction and engineering, health and social care as well as the Middle East. A statement released by the company today (Friday) said: The Technical and Professionals business of Beresford Blake Thomas (BBT) and Hill McGlynn will merge and be rebranded Randstad Construction, Property & Engineering. BBTs Health and Social Care business and Reliance Care will merge and be rebranded as Randstad Care. BBTs comprehensive portfolio of specialist businesses in the Middle East will be rebranded Randstad Middle East with BBTs construction business merging with Hill McGlynns Middle East operation to form the Construction, Property & Engineering division. These strategic developments will take place from 1 October 2009. Brian Wilkinson, executive board director of Randstad Group, said: This is a very exciting opportunity for Randstad. The clear synergies between BBT Technical & Professional and Hill McGlynn, and BBT Health and Social Care and with the brand equity of Randstad, will create competitive advantage and a very strong platform for growth. Clients will benefit from access to a larger pool of high quality talent and candidates will have the opportunity to apply for a broader range of career building jobs. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php//Wildcats_sacked/2396 Oil giant Total has laid off 900 workers involved in wildcat strikes and told them to reapply for their positions by Monday. The HR department for the French company has flexed its muscles by sacking the workers who have been protesting about alleged preferential treatment for non-EU contractors. Unions have berated the firm and warned this could spark further walkouts in the coming days. Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB said: "Total has for a full week refused to meet with the unions to resolve this matter through Acas. "It seems pretty obvious that there is case of victimisation taking place. Laying off the workforce will not solve the problem, it will escalate it." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Unemployment_rise/2395 Unemployment has hit a 12 year high as it soars to 2.26 million. The figures, published today by the Office of National Statistics and which cover the period until April, also showed that the jobless rate rose to 7.2 per cent, the highest for nearly 12 years. RECs chief executive Kevin Green said: "The rise in unemployment is expected, but still troubling. The recruitment industry is committed to providing a route of out of unemployment through temporary, contracting or interim opportunities. "It has therefore never been more important to ensure that the temporary jobs market is not adversely affected by the introduction of regulations, such as the Agency Workers Directive. This must be delayed until the last possible date in 2011. All our efforts should be focused on moving the unemployed back into work as soon as possible rather than introducing regulation which could deter employers from the very jobs we need to combat the recession. Recruiters are working with their local Jobcentres to make sure that workers have access to all possible job opportunities." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Jobsite_twitters/2394 Jobsite has announced the launch of Jobs by Twitter service to help make job hunting easier for Twitters thousands of UK users. Jobsites service (http://twitter.com/jobsitejobs) provides users with personal tweets listing only relevant jobs to them. Keith Potts, Jobsite chief executive said: As a Twitter user I know how frustrating it is to get an endless stream of irrelevant jobs constantly being sent to you. "This is why weve developed our service on Twitter, to enable users to select their own criteria for the jobs they want to receive, including location and salary. "They can also choose the frequency that they want to receive new jobs, which will always be sent to them as private tweets. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/REC_reconsiders_AWD/2393 The Recruitment and Employment Confederation's chief executive has told BBC Wales he believes the AWD could see the closure of 250 Welsh agencies. Kevin Green also said during his interview with the BBC Wales Politics Show that this could jeopardise 50,000 Welsh temporary workers. The directive will mean agency temps would get similar or equal benefits to a permanent employee in a similar role after 12 weeks work. These were some of the strongest words in opposition to the directive from the confederation; the REC's external affairs director Tom Hadley had previously told Recruitment Consultant Magazine in May that it would be more of a red tape and time-management issue rather than one of wholesale job losses. Mr Green's concerns centred around the potential rise in union-led tribunals following the directive's grey area regarding comparables. He said: "How do you do this comparison between agency workers and full-time employees? "We just think it is going to be open for the trade unions to use it by sending massive numbers of tribunal claims to employers and agencies." ARC (Association of Recruitment Consultancies) chairman Adrian Marlowe who was quoted on the BBC show said Mr. Greens comments are astonishing because for the first time the REC has admitted the potential scale of disaster facing the recruitment industry and agency work. The issues leading to Mr. Greens conclusions have been well known for a long time. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Finance_rec_freefall/2392 Recruitment within the financial services sector has declined dramatically year-on-year according to a screening specialist. Powerchex, a pre-employment screening firm for financial services, commissioned the study which showed that investment banks made 83 per cent less employment offers in May 2009 compared to the same month last year. According to the survey insurance firms saw the smallest decline by reducing their employment offers by 28 per cent while investment managers (45 per cent), stockbrokers (54 per cent), hedge funds (56 per cent) and IT contractors for financial firms (72 per cent) also experienced significant declines in the number of jobs being offered. Alexandra Kelly, director at Powerchex said: Most firms in the sector have an official or unofficial freeze in recruitment, however firms continue to recruit selectively. We are seeing a split in strategy amongst firms that operate within financial services. There are those companies that are not actively recruiting and only replacing people who leave critical roles, and on the other hand there are those companies who believe now is the time to position themselves to take advantage of any upturn by hand picking new staff from a large and talented pool of people. She added: From our vantage point we can accurately gauge whether green shoots are peering through in the employment sector. We see spurts, but no sustainable upward trend as of yet. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Complaints_published/2391 According to the RECs annual complaints report several recruiters have been dressed down for their non-compliant activities. Those dealt with by the association were found to be breaking its 10-point standards guide. During 2008 the RECs Professional Standards Committee issued four reprimands, seven inspections four of which were for one agency, two compliance orders and even expelled an agency from membership following revocation of its Gangmasters Licensing Authority licence. REC chief executive Kevin Green said: The action taken in these cases sends out a very clear message - that we will deal with those members accordingly who are found wanting in their delivery of the exemplary services demanded through our Code. At the heart of our activities is our relentless work in raising standards within the recruitment industry and our Professional Standards Committee ensures that we can identify those members who are not performing to our optimum requirements. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Guardian_questioned/2390 The Guardian has been called upon to define its position after it allegedly passed CVs generated by agency-style ads directly to prospective employers. This style of advertising could mean jobseekers are denied the option of professionally-trained recruiters helping them find the right employment. Arithons UK sales manager, Stephen Fowler, has claimed on his blog that apart from possible data protection issues with this use of the CVs there is confusion over the Guardian's role. He said: It is clear that many agencies are furious. On behalf of our own recruitment clients Arithon has asked The Guardian to clarify its strategy and my blog is open for them to comment too. Wed like to remove speculation and get to the facts of the matter but have not received a response as yet from The Guardian. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Online_stabilising/2389 Despite a two per cent dip in online recruitment Monster believes the market is stabilising. The Monster Employment Index figures still show a 40 per cent year-on-year decline. Head of Worldwide research for the group Hugo Sellert told Recruitment Consultant that the UK appears to be levelling out in a similar trend to the US which he believes is over the worst of the recession. He added: The UK also seems to be faring better than the rest of Europe which is contracting a lot faster. The dip in May was largely driven by a fall in demand for workers in the healthcare, social work; marketing, PR, media; engineering; and research and development sectors. By contrast, there was an upturn in advertised opportunities in the hospitality and tourism, and management and consulting sectors. The overall European Index contracted by 37 percent year-on-year. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Jobseekers_flood_in/2388 Discount retailer QD held an open day for 25 vacancies at its new Wellingborough and was inundated with 1,800 jobseekers. The jobs range from part-time sales assistants to managers and speaking on BBC Radio 4s You and Yours yesterday HR director Nick Waterman said they were only expecting half that amount. After the recruitment day at the Hind Hotel opened its doors staff soon ran out of application forms and had to ask people to go home and download a copy from the internet. There were around 70 people after every vacancy, which include cashier, supervisor and sales assistant roles. Nick Waterman, human resources director at QD, said: "There's obviously a lot of unemployment in Wellingborough. Based on past experiences, we were thinking we would get about 700 people, so it took us by surprise." http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Social_Media_In_Recruitment_Conference/2387 The Speaker Line Up for the UKs first Social Media In Recruitment Conference on the 16th July 2009 has now been confirmed. Amongst the range of expert speakers we are delighted to have Facebook and YouTube speaking at the Conference said Mike Taylor from Web Based Recruitment, organisers of the conference. Both Facebook and YouTube have been major players in the dramatic growth of social media over the last few years and they will both be covering how to use social media as part of an online recruitment strategy. The conference will focus on helping Recruiters understand exactly what social media is and how it can be used effectively in recruitment. In total there will be nine industry experts covering the following subject areas: • An overview of Social Media including social networking sites, blogs and podcasts. • How social networking sites such as Facebook can be used to get messages to your target audience • How to use LinkedIn to promote your vacancies and source new candidates • How to use Twitter, TwitterJobSearch.com and the Job Search Engines for recruitment • The legal issues re the use of social media web sites • Using online video to promote your company and your job vacancies • How to put together a social media strategy for your company • The future - taking social media to the next level Even if a Recruiter has no prior knowledge of social media there will be plenty of information and examples of how social media is currently being used in recruitment. This will give Recruiters the confidence to consider where social media could be used in their own organisations continued Taylor. Recruitment is changing and Recruiters who equip themselves with up to date knowledge about social media will be in a far better position when the current economic climate improves and companies start to recruit more people. Full details of the conference and speakers can be found at www.SocialMediaInRecruitment.com http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Let_them_begin/2386 LETS-BEGIN provides a revolutionary online training system, specialising in helping employees secure the job they want and make a successful start in their first 90 days. LETS-BEGIN is different because it allows students to make and store notes online, alongside the course notes, and revisit these notes at any time, creating a revision tool that can be referred to in the future, for example, hints and tips on how to run a successful meeting. Due to the current economic climate, competition for new jobs has never been so fierce. This press release explains how LETS-BEGIN and fish4jobs are committed to empowering candidates with the best skills to secure the job they want. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/Features/Hyphen_helps/2385 hyphen a leading recruitment outsourcing division of Spring Group plc has been appointed to implement an interview optimisation training programme for Fidessa the worlds leading supplier of trading systems, market data and connectivity solutions. hyphen recently created an individually tailored two-day training course to ensure that all of Fidessas hiring managers were aware of their legal duties, enabling them to recruit new staff in a consistently fair and balanced manner. The programme consists of two sessions, including an Introduction to Employment Law and a Competency Based Approach to Interviewing and Assessment. Neil Jones, Managing Director of hyphen, commented: hyphen is working in conjunction with Fidessa to equip their HR function with an in-depth toolkit that would provide support during the recruitment process and beyond. The toolkit consists of a number of documents and templates crucial for best practice, including: job specifications; interview questions; people profile templates; handouts for candidates; and legal manuals complete with case studies and case law. Wayne Coomey, Head of HR at Fidessa, commented: The feedback from the managers has been very positive and they are actively promoting the course internally. hyphen is successfully working with us to achieve our goals for this programme firstly, mitigating the risk of potential litigation and secondly, improving the candidate experience of our employer brand. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News//2384 I:CAMS, the fully-hosted online recruitment and applicant tracking system from healthcare IT solutions and services specialists, Hicom Technology, has been used to successfully complete the first round of junior doctors applications for NHS Education South Central. The system has been hailed as secure and confidential, providing both cost and time savings to its users. I:CAMS which was deployed across 11 of the 13 recruiting Deaneries in England for Round One applications, provides the sector with the ability to develop individual application forms on top of a robust underlying infrastructure that offers greater visibility and access to information throughout the application process. Its modular format allows individual Deaneries to tailor the application form to their specific requirements and quickly identify the suitability of each applicant to the specific posts. NHS Education South Central (NESC) incorporates the Wessex and Oxford Deaneries and the NESC Dental School. NESC was established on 1 April 2007 as an integrated organisation delivering the development needs of the healthcare workforce in NHS South Central. Its role is to lead the education and training agenda on behalf of, and in partnership with, the 24 NHS Trusts and Primary Care Trusts across South Central as well as five NHS Trusts in Dorset and South Wiltshire across the South West. From 2009, the Oxford and Wessex Deaneries are using I:CAMS as a single online system to support all its specialty recruitment. I:CAMS is a specialist application for the healthcare recruitment market which has been specifically designed to reduce duplication and administration, and to improve the speed of the process. The system is user-friendly and flexible allowing for reduced paperwork and improved efficiency. This gives key recruitment staff within the NHS more time to concentrate on the development of doctor training programmes rather than the administrative tasks associated with the application process. Sheeba Kidd, Information Officer for Oxford Deanery, comments, Prior to I:CAMS we had recruited via the mandatory MTAS recruitment system, which having been deemed unsatisfactory nationally meant we had reverted back to a paper-based application process in subsequent years. I:CAMS is our first experience of a local online recruitment system and the immediate contrast to our previous paper-based application system is stark. The entire process from putting an advert live to processing the offer letter to the successful candidate is so much more efficient. Kidd continues, For example, for core medical training last year we received 450 applications with each candidate sending in 10 copies of a paper-based application form. As you can imagine, the management of that many paper-based applications, together with the storage, handling and processing was a huge task; not to mention the environmental issue of using so much paper. The I:CAMS system saves us a huge amount of time. The I:CAMS system not only provides time savings but quantifiable cost savings also, particularly for Oxford Deanery as Kidd explains, Last year in Oxford, we had to recruit a high number of temporary staff working most evenings to manually input data for our national statistics returns to MMC. Now, through I:CAMS the data is inputted by the applicants themselves and in literally the press of a couple of buttons, is ready to go instantly. Kidd continues, This has saved an awful lot of work, data entry time and also cost in temporary staff. There is also less room for error as all the data is automated and entered by the applicants themselves. Commenting on the fact that I:CAMS reduces errors, is a fully audited online system and a more secure and confidential system for users, Kerry Brown, Recruitment Manager, Wessex Deanery explains, As an online system, I:CAMS is a lot more secure and confidential than the previous paper-based systems. All details are secure in the system and accessed via a login, in contrast to having details on paper passed through the various touch points of the old process. The short-listing process is by far the most drastic change for Wessex we now do this all online through I:CAMS whereas previously, we would have to print off all the applicant forms and courier them down to the consultants where they would be collated and processed providing yet more time and cost savings. Brown continues, Were now on a bit of a green mission in Wessex where we are burning applications to CDs and taking those into the interviews to further cut down on the need for paper. After use the CDs are either destroyed or wiped and used again. Through the audit trail provided by I:CAMS, NESC is able to track users activity and see where amendments have been made to applications, record notes against certain aspects of each application and also have full visibility of who has accessed each record. This provides an advantage for both applicant, whose data is safe and can only be accessed by those with the relevant permissions, and for NESC who is able to trace submission dates and user activity. Kidd concludes, Moving forward, we will be using I:CAMS for Round Two applications in the same way, together with some system enhancements that Hicom has made. Having worked with Deaneries for many years, Hicom is more than familiar with us, how we work and our requirements; this history means we are already familiar with the style of the system, which provides us with the confidence that I:CAMS will continue to work for us and will develop with us as our needs and requirements move on. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/Features/Where_next?/2383 In the last few years there have been massive leaps in the way we work and learn, communicate and shop. With even more change on the way how, or will, the staffing sector transform to fit the times? Will the CV become obsolete or will the job boards and data tracking appliances take over from the traditional model? And while the whole concept of recruitment is fundamentally a simple one, is there a danger that we could be over-complicating it? Blurred vision Glimpses of the future from science fiction writers and filmmakers would have us believe that by now we should be teleporting ourselves to our place of work and having a robot doing our daily chores but many recruiters believe the future is about minimalism. Jobsites Delphi report called Recruitment in 2019: Putting the human touch back into HR suggests the future of recruitment will see a renewed importance of hands-on, tailored approach. It also suggests the candidate pool will become increasingly fragmented, the balance of power will shift to the candidate and differing rates of uptake will impact on new recruitment technologies. The bespoke approach will, according to the report, therefore become even more important despite the rise in user-friendly technology in the workplace. The study predicts employers will need to abandon any attempts at a one-size-fits-all approach to recruitment due to a more demographically and geographically diverse workforce, a jobs market in which in-demand skills and experience give quality candidates greater clout, and an increasing number of application technologies. Instead, says a spokeswoman, there will be a renewed importance on intermediaries and human decision makers as recruiters discover the limitations of technology. The information was gleaned from a panel of experts, including recruitment media and technology business owners, academics, HR professionals, recruitment consultants, recruitment market commentators and specialists in general web technology and futurology, whatever that is! New World Order The report goes on to suggest that a range of factors will create a more diverse candidate pool, including an ageing workforce, ever-increasing numbers of working women and international recruitment, particularly across the EU. It states: As a result, there will be greatly differing rates of adoption of new technologies and a demand for increased flexibility in employment packages, with older candidates or working parents looking for something other than the standard 9-5. It goes on to say: Assuming the global economy returns to a normal state by 2019, war for talent will resume in key markets. This will be combined with candidates becoming increasingly accustomed to shaping their own employment offer, a one-size-fits-all package being eclipsed by a pic n mix approach. The varying adoption rates of technologies will also mean that it will be candidates deciding new recruitment processes. But it is the mention of a return to traditional, more personal methods which will make most recruiters spending vast amounts on technology sitting up. The increased fragmentation will highlight the limitations in the automation of the recruitment process. This will put a renewed emphasis on human decision makers, with recruitment consultancies predicted to enjoy a renaissance as employers look for scarcer talented staff in increasingly splintered markets. Although technology may be used to manage the time-consuming, transactional part of the process it will only serve to enhance decision making not replace it. Jobsite chief executive officer Keith Potts says: Jobsite has been at the forefront of online recruitment for nearly a decade and a half. In that time, the industry has changed almost beyond recognition and, as this report shows, thats only going to continue. "As recruitment becomes more fragmented and complicated, everyone involved in the industry will have to evolve if they are to survive - ourselves included. "2019 may seem a long way off, but the expert predictions that make up the report are based in the here and now. HR professionals, recruitment consultancies and those of us working for job boards need to start making plans today if we are to successfully meet the challenges of tomorrow. Free time So what are the techno-boffins offering to make the recruiters life easier and the process more efficient? One company leading the way with cutting-edge technology is CJV Digital Limited. Jobs by Text is the companys latest brainwave and managing director Andrew Cummins says: Somebody may be sitting on a train reading the Evening Standard and looking at the jobs section where someone has taken out a half-page advert. The company may have only advertised a handful of jobs in the advert but states there are lots of other jobs on their system. When do most people read the Evening Standard? After office hours right? What we can enable to happen is someone can text a keyword from that advert followed by an email address. That person will then, within 15 seconds receive a brochure in their inbox. Matthew Parker, managing director of StepStone Solutions UK believes the current recession and the inevitable rise in jobseekers will force job boards to up their game with new time-saving technology. He says: In terms of innovations the big thing that is around at the moment is the candidate experience and organisations recognising there is a direct correlation between their company brand, their employer brand but also their brand as a recruiter. This means we have had a move towards companies having much more engaging company career sites and a much more streamlined application process. He adds: When online recruitment really kicked off nine years ago people would just take a four or six page application form and put it on a website; with the advent of the functionality that we have developed across our products there is now the opportunity for organisations to ask relevant questions at relevant points in the process. With the recent influx of candidates you no longer need to force everyone who comes to talk to you to fill in an application form. Matthew adds that more companies are using technology to match the wants, needs and desires of an employee with the requirement of the company when jobs come along. He also says that what happens when companies don`t do this is the candidate feels the only way they can get in touch with the company is to apply for a job which may be wholly irrelevant to both sides. He continues: One of the key challenges that online solutions, particularly StepStone Solutions, and has been our mantra from pretty much day one, which is using technology to screen candidates early in the process but on a very simplistic process. For example if you are looking for a candidate and the absolute killer criteria is that they have a full and clean driving license, then that should be the first question rather than letting the candidate spend half-an-hour filling out an application form and the killer criteria is the last question. Just mentioning in a job ad that the clean license is a must won`t deter candidates applying for the job who maybe don`t have one; but asking a direct yes no question and a note that says you will have to produce it at the interview stage will save a lot of time for both sides; good use of technology to screen out unsuitable candidates. Back to basics First Point director Tom Fahey strongly disagrees that making job searching easier makes it more efficient for the recruiter. He says: We use a traditional method and that is not fit for purpose at the moment, not because of the model but because the way candidates are using them. My view on this is that I dont see anything wrong with the traditional model of the CV someone sends you a document and it tells you what they have done in relation to what you are looking for. As long as it tells you all of this, then I think it achieves what it has set out to do. He adds: I think that if people were using the medium properly then there would be no problem with it but people have now made the options so completely impersonal. The job boards encourage a certain approach which is to register, set up an alert and when you get the alert click a button and your CV will be sent. So I get this CV which is a generalist document and it has no relevance with the role I am recruiting for and it doesnt address me personally, it doesnt say look at this section of my CV and you will see my project management experience with the NHS; so Im dealing with 200 people coming through none of whom are giving me a personalised CV so it becomes extremely impersonal and the onus falls on me as the recruiter to ring every single person to find out if they are just being lazy. If people use the medium correctly I dont think it needs to evolve that much. I think the job boards have a lot to play in this with their stick your CV up on the wall and wait. I dont think you need to strip out the CV and pare it down, but you just need to use your common sense if it has something that you want then read the advert and tell them about the relevant experience and things you have done, make their life easier. Tom agrees that iProfiles of course have their place, but admits that if it is to make your CV simple then it is not as beneficial. He concludes: We should not be thinking about how much time they are saving the jobseeker. They are not doing it because if you show a more personalised approach you are more likely to get approached for an interview. It is moving more and more towards non-contact. So the vision of the recruitment future is as hard to gauge as, well, the future. A back-to-basics personal approach seems to be the accepted way forward but those selling you technology have something different to say. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/Market Place/Recruiter_debt_hike/2382 One of the leading debt recovery law firms Lovetts has revealed a huge increase in the volume of bad debt being pursued for payment by recruitment agencies. The value of debt being chased through court claims has increased by a staggering 123 per cent year-on-year during Q1. The figures suggest that recruitment consultancies are acting quickly and decisively in recovering debt during the tough economic conditions the industry is currently facing with cuts in headcount across many industry sectors. This is evidenced in the fact that the amount of time recruitment consultants are allowing between a Letter Before Action being issued to a claim being made through the courts has reduced significantly. LBAs are used to secure payment, or to obtain a response from a customer before the commencement of a legal claim. In Q1 2009 the time between LBA and claim reduced by over five days on Q1 2008. The figures from Lovetts also reveal a 66 per cent increase in the value of debt being chased through Letters Before Action. Charles Wilson, chairman and managing director of Lovetts said: Our findings demonstrate just how active recruitment agencies have become in tackling bad debt. These businesses appreciate the risks of allowing late payments to become major debt issues. As such, they are acting on both longer term arrears, and current outstanding payments which is dramatically increasing the level of debt chased. This proactive approach to credit management is essential for businesses to survive during these tough economic times. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/Analysis/Passive_attack/2381 With vacancies down 76,000 over the quarter (Office of National Statistics, February 11, 2009) and an increase in unemployment of 146,000 over the same period, the market faces a surplus of candidates. As speculative CVs pour in, HR departments may choose not to widen the search when vacancies arise. Filter skills The biggest worry when recruiting from the active labour market is having confidence you have hired the right person. Allowing the quality of incoming CVs to determine the job specification or role expectations may be a pitfall. Complacently relying on the post bag being full each morning is another danger. More importantly, however, many hundreds of CVs are received and reviewed it is still possible that the exact fit to an organisations requirements and culture will not be found among them. The ability to distinguish between the best available talent and best-in-class talent is vital. Passive candidates people who are in employment and not necessarily looking for a career move are frequently the best match for a particular vacancy. Sometimes advertising flushes out these gems; more often it takes the skill and experience of somebody skilled in researching industries and markets to locate and attract exactly the right person for a role. Seeing an evident talent surplus is one thing: having the knowledge and intelligence to tap into the latent talent pool effectively is quite different. Talent fishing This is especially true where senior or specialist hires are concerned. In the current economic climate, there will be excellent candidates on the market for perfectly legitimate reasons. Yet, no matter how many candidates come forward spontaneously, it is rash to limit the search to individuals who have already prepared their CVs and polished up their leaving story. Hiring for a critical role should not be an act of benevolence or an expedient decision; it should be a determined and rigorous engagement to ensure that no stone is left unturned to identify anyone who might do a better job. In the current market, second best simply wont do; new hires need to match up to strategic business objectives and fit in to the organisational environment. It is not enough to have the pick of all available or self-selected candidates; more important is the capability to consider all possible suitably-qualified candidates whether or not they have heard of the vacancy or contemplated moving on. Gathering intelligence about candidates who have not presented their CV is a skilled occupation, with researchers needing outstanding networking skills, a high level of credibility and a discreet approach to persuading people to share sensitive information and judgements. Passive candidates may have inaccurate perceptions of the prospective employer. They inevitably have particular ambitions, needs and desires which the employer would benefit from understanding. They usually want to discuss the organisation and the role in detail. Locating those individuals through focused networking is the first step. Good researchers are knowledgeable about specific industries, companies and people and they know how to fill gaps in that knowledge quickly and efficiently. Understanding jobseekers The next step is to understand potential candidates, engage them to assess their suitability and interest and conduct a preliminary evaluation from which the shortlist emerges. Adding such individuals to a shortlist which may also contain speculative applicants enriches the choice and increases the likelihood of a successful outcome. Organisations benefit enormously from cross-pollination and the introduction of new perspectives and varied backgrounds. Public to private sector, one industry to another, across borders leadership skills and technical skills are often transferable, enriching both the candidates career and the organisations talent equity in the process. In truth, passive candidates will be far from passive. Selected by their peers, managers and others for their outstanding talents, they are usually dynamic in their attitudes and engaged in their evaluation of the opportunity on offer, injecting life and colour into the selection process and frequently comparing extremely favourably with others on the shortlist. So, while passive will not be found in many role specifications, it should certainly feature prominently on the checklist of resourcing managers seeking to hire not the best available talent but best-in-class talent. Matthew Mellor is managing director at Armstrong Craven http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Agencies_warned/2380 Eighteen employment agencies supplying drivers to businesses in the West Midlands have had their knuckles rapped by Government. Up to 80 breaches of employment law were recorded following intelligence-led investigations by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, in collaboration with the Gangmasters Licensing Authority. These offences included: failing to confirm the identity of drivers; not checking health and safety risks with hirers; failing to issue terms and conditions; and not providing written agreements on pay. Inspectors will be conducting further visits in the coming months to follow up on intelligence received during the investigations. They are considering further action in a number of cases. Department for Business Minister Pat McFadden said: The recession must not be an excuse for denying people their employment rights. Cutting corners in this way exploits drivers, undercuts the agencies that play by the rules and, in this sector, could put people at serious risk on the roads. Follow up investigations will take place to make sure that the agencies concerned have changed their ways. Agencies that continue to flout the law could be prosecuted and hit hard with unlimited fines or banned from operating for up to 10 years. Andrew Horner, chair of the REC drivers sector group said: Further investigations are now being carried out into the identity of the agencies. "REC Drivers members are protected and mechanisms are in place so that should an agency be accused and found guilty of operating outside the law, these are put into practice and the offending agency dealt with accordingly." He concurred with a Government statement that the recession should not be an excuse for denying people their employment rights. Cutting corners in this way exploits drivers and undermines REC drivers agencies who do abide by the rules. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Recruiter_closed/2379 A London-based recruiter has been forced into compulsory liquidation after mounting up £151,188 of debt to the taxman. Advent Recruitment, in Tavistock Square, was accused by HMRC of favouring other creditors leading to the burgeoning VAT debt. Directors Nicholas and Kelly Lawrance, from an address in Chepstow, were both disqualified for a period of three-and-a-half years. The pair had taken more than £1m from the company to pay themselves from the time the tax began accruing in December 2004. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/AWD_focuses_summit/2378 The REC hosted the Agency Summit in Canary Wharf yesterday. More than 100 delegates from the temporary sector turned out to hear about the association's verdict on the directive which will give temps similar rights to perms after 12 weeks work. Deputy director general of the CBI, John Cridland told his audience that if they wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at anyone it should be him, the architect of the directive. He said it had been an inevitability the EU would pass the directive for the UK with Gordon Brown's desire to lean to the left to appease the unions. Members were asked to vote on how they believed the directive would affect their businesses. More than a quarter said it would make a significant change, a loss of 20 per cent revenue or more. More than a third (37 per cent) believed it would be at least a 10 per cent reduction in billings. When asked what he would have voted, Mr Cridland said he believed it would only be a moderate change - five per cent loss. The summit also included lively discussions from the floor and presentations from the REC chief executive Kevin Green (pictured)and external relations director Tom Hadley. Mr Hadley believed the REC had made strong representation into a compromise for the directive. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Jobs_report/2377 This weeks KPMG report shows that the job market deteriorated at a slower pace in May, as the rates of decline in placements and billings eased further. Recruiters signalled another month of lower permanent and temporary staff appointments during May. However, the rates of decline eased further from recent records to the weakest in ten and eight months respectively. Consultants indicated a further strong increase in the supply of candidates to fill jobs in May, which they frequently linked to redundancies. Starting salaries for people placed in permanent jobs decreased at a sharp pace (albeit a four-month low), while average hourly pay for temps also fell. Kevin Green, REC chief executive said: This months Report on Jobs shows that vacancies and appointments continue to decline, however there are some signs of recovery. For example, sixty per cent of recruiters reported either a stable or increased demand for temporary staff in May. He added: This continuing dependency on agency staff further underlines the need to ensure that the current consultation on implementing the Agency Workers Directive does not jeopardise the viability of agency work. On Thursday of this week, recruiters and employment bodies will come together at the Agency Workers Summit to demand that the implementation be delayed until the last possible moment in 2011. Recognising the contribution of flexible workers to businesses is the core message of our National Temporary Workers Week which is taking place this week. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Boost_to_temporary_workers_under_threat/2376 Commenting on the latest survey from REC showing that the number of temporary posts are starting to pick up, Adrian Marlowe, Chairman of the Association of Recruitment Consultancies (ARC) said: This is welcome news. At this time of economic crisis employers and workers need the flexibility that agency working provides. However, ARCs fear is that the new 12 week limit referred to in the consultation paper on the Agency Workers Directive will deter employers from taking on agency staff which would damage the economy and hit workers, especially those just coming out of schools and universities, hard. ARC is proposing a new 2 tier system that would let lower paid agency workers keep those rights after 12 weeks, but provide a much longer period for workers who don't fall into that category. The plan is aimed at protecting those workers that are more likely to be subject to exploitation, but recognises that many companies employ agency staff over longer periods to work on complex projects. Typically those staff earn higher salaries working in IT, financial management, legal work etc and do not need the protection of the 12 week period. This should largely avoid the deterrent effect. ARC's proposal had won support from a number of organisations including the Institute of Directors representing some 50,000 directors and the Federation of Small Businesses that represents 250,000 businesses. ARC chairman Adrian Marlow said: The 2 tier system benefits from real simplicity -it provides appropriate protection for those that need it at the lower end of the pay scale but, by taking out vulnerable workers, avoids the damage which is of genuine concern to many in the recruitment industry. It will help the country keep ahead of its competitors and encourage hirers to use long term staff and preserve flexibility in the economy. http://www.rec-con.co.uk/article.php/News/Antal_International_launch_webcasts/2375 Antal International launches the first of a series of FREE Friday Web Casts at 1.00 PM (BST) EVERY FRIDAY where we will answer your questions about recruitment franchising live across the globe. The Franchise Team will answer your questions LIVE during the first in a series of regular weekly broadcasts. Professional and managerial recruiter, Antal International, has announced the opening of four new business units in Frankfurt, Munich and Nuremburg in Germany and Barcelona in Spain adding to the market coverage of its current offices in Frankfurt, Madrid and Barcelona. This comes on top of the three offices in Canada, India and Pakistan, which opened earlier in the year, and takes the companys global network to 62 business units across 29 countries. We continue to attract real business leaders to invest in our recruitment franchise and this latest graduating class is no exception. The ability to build your own profitable recruitment business right now is significantly enhanced by our proven training and methodology says Doug Bugie, CEO, Investor and Director of Antal. Its not very hard to build a business in booming economic times, but the real test is to make key placements, to find great talent for client companies and increase market share when times are tough. Thats exactly what were doing this year and fees are substantially ahead of last year, proving this point. Because weve invested so heavily in finance, marketing, training and IT infrastructure our people can hit the ground running wherever they are in the world and whatever market they are focused on. And by continually investing in this way we expect to be firmly positioned as one of the lead players in international recruitment when the recovery comes. Graeme Read, Antal's Group Managing Director welcomed the expansion of the firm's reach into additional disciplines and sectors and pointed to the recently published Antal Global Snapshot which shows that, globally, 44% of firms surveyed expected to hire in the next three months commenting that "there is a resilience in global markets and even within segments within our economies across the globe and we are expanding accordingly". Log on and listen to Liz Kilford, Franchise Development Director for Antal International Network discussing how you can launch a successful recruitment business with Antal International and answering YOUR questions LIVE. DIARY OF WEBCASTS: Friday, 29 May, 1300 hrs (BST) One Week of Success Stories With Sarah Jones, Operations Director Listen to Sarah discussing the past weeks successes from the Antal International Network. Learn how can enjoy similar success through launching a recruitment franchise with Antal International Network and ask Sarah your questions LIVE. Friday, 5 June, 1300 hrs (BST) Ask Doug Bugie With Doug Bugie, CEO Watch Doug explaining his background in the international recruitment industry and how he built up a company that he sold for many millions in the mid 1990s. This business was built during a UK recession with James Caan the well-known entrepreneur featuring on the well known UK TV show Dragons Den. Ask Doug your questions LIVE. Friday, 12 June, 1300 hrs (BST) How Turn the Dream into Reality With Liz Kilford, Franchise Development Director On this live webcast Liz will explain the steps you should take and the questions to ask potential franchisors when deciding to turn the dream of running your own business into a reality. You will be able to ask Liz your questions LIVE. Friday, 19 June, 1300 hrs (BST) One Week of Success Stories With Sarah Jones, Operations Director Listen to Sarah discussing the past weeks successes from the Antal International Network. Learn how can enjoy similar success through launching a recruitment franchise with Antal International Network and ask Sarah your questions LIVE. Please respond to lkilford@antal.com or antalfranchising.com to express your interest in joining our Web Casts. You will then be forwarded a link and instructions so you can join us live on Friday at 1.00 pm (BST).