The standard is likely to reach the public consultation stage this autumn when it will be freely available on the BSI website. Nick Fleming, sector content manager for services at the BSI, told Recruiter that the standard is being written as guidance, not as a specification, and will be voluntary. “There can be misconceptions,” he said. “This is very much guidance and a code of practice.”

Although initial discussion about the standard centred around job boards, it has been broadened to cover the whole subject of online recruitment. Chairman of the BSI Online Recruitment Committee, David Hurst, CEO of Onrec.com and Online Recruitment magazine, is keen to clear up any confusion about the focus of the standard.

“It’s not about providing or asking for specific statistics from job boards, it’s about the overall online recruitment process and is applicable to everyone involved in it,” he said. “It’s as much for employers and recruiters and suppliers of online recruitment services.”

One of the principal aims of the standard is to improve the online recruitment experience for the candidate. “The key area is awareness of the candidate and being mindful of how the candidate is treated in the process,” said Hurst, while Fleming added: “So, for instance, job boards aren’t perceived as a kind of CV black hole and candidates are informed of progress of their application even if this is automated.”

Fleming said that the standard will not put an onus on one particular part of the chain or stakeholder and hopes it will be helpful in clarifying how the parties interact with each other. “For example, it might help the job boards in how they deal with corporates or clarify the responsibility between the different parties.”

Although no clear details of the content of the standard are available because the process is only at the drafting stage, it is already generating debate in recruitment circles and the blogosphere.

Derek Pilcher, managing director of the management jobs and careers site for executive jobseekers TheLadders.co.uk, queries the timing of the process given the recent change of government.

“It’s pretty clear that employment legislation is likely to be reviewed by the government over the next few years so to try to put standards in place when UK employment legislation remains in the dark ages seems rather odd,” he said.

It’s pretty clear that employment legislation is likely to be reviewed by the government over the next few years so to try to put standards in place when UK employment legislation remains in the dark ages seems rather odd

Fleming says that the standard is intended to complement existing legislation and by communicating with relevant government departments during the development of the standard he hopes this will be reflected in the published version. “The way standards are developed by BSI mean that any significant change that has an influence over the content of a standard prompts the technical committee to review the applicability of the standard,” he said. “This could then lead to the standard being changed. This is common and means a standard is always upto- date and relevant.”

Another common problem cited whenever anyone talks about establishing standards in the job board and online recruitment sector is around who is accountable for information posted on job boards: the recruiter advertising or the job board posting?

Fleming said the standard will seek to recommend who may be accountable for information posted on boards whether that is “a shared responsibility or an obligation on one party”. He added: “Ultimately, the candidate [experience] should not be at the detriment of one or more parties being able to agree ownership of this responsibility.”

The full line-up of the members committee is confidential. BSI did confirm that the Recruitment and Employment Confederation and the Association of Professional Staffing Companies are involved developing the standard along with other trade bodies. Members from the employ ment team of the govern ment department Business Innovation and Skills also observed at the initial meeting and provided input.

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