Recruiters must understand the law and, no matter how well intentioned their actions may be, positive recruitment is unlawful except in certain defined circumstances (‘CRE chief backs recruiter with an unlawful ‘no whites’ policy, Personnel Today, 10 January).
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) believes the recent problems faced by a non-REC recruiter could have been avoided if it had taken preliminary legal advice on setting up its business.
Rare Recruitment is not a member of the REC and, therefore, does not have access to our legal team who regularly give guidance on diversity issues.
Employment legislation can be complicated and, although the principle of finding new ways to increase applications from ethnic minorities is honourable, it must not be discriminatory against any other group.
Marcia Roberts
Deputy chief executive, Recruitment and Employment Confederation
