Recruitment Watch - August 2011

Welcome

Welcome to the August 2011 edition of Mishcon de Reya's Recruitment Watch, prepared by the Firm's Recruitment Services Group. Its aim is to provide those involved in the recruitment sector with a snapshot of what has been happening in the world of recruitment in the last month.

News

Trends/Practice

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has launched two new qualifications, the Diploma in Recruitment Practice and the Certificate in Recruitment Practice.
Recruiter, 13 July 2011

The Independent Recruiting Group, founded earlier this year, is appointing 12 regional directors to help manage its rapid growth.
Vanessa Townsend, Recruiter, 29 June 2011

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation earned a £47,329 profit in 2010, achieving a significant financial turnaround from 2009.
Deedee Doke, Recruiter, 29 June 2011

A survey by RSM International in conjunction with the European Business Awards has revealed that potential employers rate strong interpersonal skills, confidence and enthusiasm far higher than more tangible and testable skills such as a strong academic degree or business acumen in a potential employee.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

According to research carried out by reed.co.uk the majority of workers quizzed believe that access to sites such as Twitter and Facebook in the workplace should be blocked.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

According to a joint report by OilCareers.com and Air Energi hiring in the oil and gas sector is set for a surge as investments are secured.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

According to research by the financial services recruiter Astbury Marsden, the number of staff in the banking and hedge fund sector looking for a new City job has dropped 20% over the last year.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

The latest data on pay settlements from IDSPay.co.uk shows that the gap between pay awards in the private and public sectors has widened.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

Two in three UK bosses do not expect female workers to return to work following maternity leave, according to research from Reabur.com.
Recruiter Online, 18 August 2011

Policy

The Association of Executive Recruiters has welcomed the launch of a Code of Conduct for headhunting firms.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

CBI and Hays have asked the government to reform the tribunals system and improve flexibility in the workplace.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

Recruitment agencies supplying temporary staff that have began to charge VAT on the margin rather than the full amount of their invoices are facing significant financial risk if HMRC subsequently decides they were wrong to do so. The firms are following a tax tribunal decision involving Reed Employment earlier this year, but HMRC suggested that the ruling did not have a wider impact.
Colin Cottell, Recruiter, 27 July 2011

Market

UK recruitment is set to slow sharply, according to the latest Labour Market Outlook survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and KPMG.
Recruiter Online, 15 August 2011

Companies

Global executive firm Antal International is looking to boost its presence in Central Europe, especially in Poland.
Recruiter, 13 July 2011

Financial, legal and consultancy recruiter Definitive Consulting has entered into a strategic alliance with New York-based legal specialist AW Rush & Co.
Recruiter, 13 July 2011

Michael Page International posted a 32% jump in profits, driven largely by a rise in permanent placements.
Tresa Sherin Morera, The Independent, 12 July 2011

Antal International has opened a new office in Rome alongside its existing Milan operation.
Recruitment Consultant, July 2011

Antal International has acquired Beijing-based recruiter AGEC.
Recruiter, 13 July 2011

Hays will triple its headcount during the next five years, opening offices in Malaysia, Colombia and Chile, as it identifies emerging markets for expansion.
Gill Plimmer, Financial Times, 8 July 2011

InterQuest Group has acquired Contract Connections for a total consideration of up to £4.6m.
Recruiter, 29 June 2011

Taleo has signed a definitive agreement to acquire cloud-based solutions provider Jobpartners for roughly $38m (£23.4m).
Recruiter, 29 June 2011

Sainsbury’s has awarded Jupiter Advertising its UK recruitment communications account.
Recruiter, 29 June 2011

Financial, insurance and energy trading recruiter Venquis is expanding into Central Europe by focusing on Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Recruitment Consultant, August 2011

Antal International has acquired finance and office support recruiter Parkside Recruitment from talent management group Ochre House.
Recruiter, 27 July 2011

Carve Consulting has entered into partnership with ThirtyThree.
Recruiter, 27 July 2011

L’Oreal has awarded a three-and-a-half year procurement co-sourcing contract to services provider Xchanging.
Recruiter, 27 July 2011

Institute of Recruiters has entered into a partnership with job board CV-Library.
Recruiter, 27 July 2011

Ashton Consulting (UK) and Fishtank Recruitment Solutions have merged with Pertemps Recruitment Partnership.
Recruiter, 17 July 2011

Network Group Holdings (NGH) has acquired security staffing specialists SSR Personnel Incorporating Executive Profiles and SSR Contract & Technical.
Recruiter Online, 18 July 2011

Legal Developments

The Law Society has published a practice note on the new positive action provisions on recruitment and promotion contained in the Equality Act 2010. The practice note is available on the Law Society's website.

New Regulations have been laid before Parliament to amend the Agency Workers Regulations 2010.  These are designed to clarify and clean up some drafting errors in the original Regulations.  Specifically:

• The definition of an agency worker has now been widened, so that the contract they work under no longer has to be to provide services for the agency - a worker will also be covered if they are contracted personally to provide services for the hirer. 
• Agencies are not going to be obliged to find suitable work or to pay agency workers under a contract providing for pay between assignments (a Swedish derogation contract) until after the end of the first assignment under the contract. 
• Only agencies, and not hirers, may seek to rely on the "reasonable steps" defence after a breach of the provisions relating to equal treatment in relation to basic working and employment conditions.

Mishcon de Reya

Mishcon de Reya's Recruitment Watch is published by the Recruitment Services Group of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors who were established to meet the demands of their clients within the recruitment sector. The Group is made up of cross departmental specialist lawyers who are able to meet the perse legal needs of the recruitment industry, with wide and varied experience within the sector and who have a proven track record in being able to meet the growing demand for a one-stop service amongst their recruitment clients.