Posted in Candidates, Clients, General News

Think ‘identity theft’ and what comes to mind? Someone sifting through your (unshredded) financial data, intercepting snail mail or perhaps, for the more sophisticated scammer, phishing.

There’s a kind of identity theft used by so-called professional recruiters that we thought we should warn you about, candidates – and employers. It’s a practice that despite being illegal, is uncommonly, well, common.

The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses 2003 regulations state that a recruitment agencies MUST get confirmation from a candidate that he or she is willing to work in the position before putting his or her details forward.

However, in a recent 300-strong discussion on LinkedIn, it’s clear that this is not the case. Not only are some recruitment companies  sending out CV’s without first obtaining a candidates permission (whether because they are unaware of the regulations or are choosing to ignore them), they are also claiming a fee from employers on the basis that ‘they got their first’.

So, how do you protect yourself – and stay on the right side of the law when job-hunting and recruiting?

First, ensure you are signed up with a reputable recruiter. REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation) membership is a good indication that the recruiter subscribes to best practice. Secondly, when you’re registering with a recruiter, make they don’t ask for ‘blanket permission’ when it comes to forwarding your CV to employers. Any recruiter worth their salt should only be putting you forward for suitable job roles, and logging each time they are sent out.  CV’s should be targeted for the right role, to the right employer and not sent out scattergun – something which also increases the likelihood of your being called for interview. Thirdly, ask whether they are compliant as part of their terms of business.

Employers wanting to protect their brand and ensure they get properly briefed, vetted and prepared candidates  should likewise refuse to deal with non-compliant recuiters.

Simples.

Posted in Communications, General News

We all knew it was coming but George Osborne’s recent announcement that £1.5 billion will be lopped off consultancy costs – including communications spend – has sent a shudder through the UK’s public sector comms teams.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation’s marketing, media and creative sector group has argued that investing in government communications is crucial in the current climate, given an already distrustful electorate.

But, in the swings and roundabouts of public sector / private sector fortunes,  the position of internal communicators isn’t as precarious as one might think.  “The recession has meant that in-house PR’s have had to work hard to keep employees motivated and engaged, conveying often difficult corporate messages throughout,” says Lynne Wilkins, The Works Co-Director. “Their profile will be further raised because of the need to keep employees, shareholders and customers informed about upcoming changes in policy, ” adds Lynne.

The strengthened position of internal communicators is borne out by a recent survey,  which found that 68% of respondents reported that their senior executive teams are either generally supportive or active champions of the discipline, a 12% increase on this time last year.

Which can only be good news for those looking for promotion or new in-house communications positions…