REC urges employers and recruiters to work together to tackle employment challenges

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has called for greater collaboration between employers and recruiters to tackle the changing employment market.

The Gateway to Success - Recruitment 2020 White Paper, published yesterday by the REC, said recruitment agencies and organisations should work together to address future challenges in the world of work, including a shrinking talent pool, a widening skills gap, a blurring of traditional access routes into professions, and an unparalleled variety of job opportunities.

Anita Holbrow, who worked on the report, told Personnel Today: "This is the moment when employers should embrace recruitment as a strategic partnership which can enable them to get the best talent."

But HR directors mentioned in the report warned that recruitment agencies would have to be able to better meet employers' specific talent requirements.

Martin Tiplady, HR director at the Metropolitan Police, said: "It's no good being given a set of names and CVs when a supplier has no idea of your specific requirements, culture or operating environment. In the past some agencies have worked like database brokers. Clients need a service, not just a list of names.

"[Recruiters] need to understand changing perceptions of careers and career longevity, and the way that attitudes are changing among young people."

Penny Illston, group HR director at STA Travel, added: "Technology has made it easier for us to find the kind of people who reflect our values and possess the knowledge we're seeking. I think this is a big challenge for agencies if they are seeking to serve our market.

"They must demonstrate the levels of understanding we require and deliver value for money in recruits."

Holbrow urged recruiters to customise their models to suit individual employers' needs.