Recruitment agencies working in the construction industry have come in for heavy criticism for overcharging and poaching candidates in a report by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

The report, Skills Shortages and Recruitment Agency Behaviours, found that 60% of respondents thought that agencies charged excessive fees and almost 80% indicated there was difficulty in obtaining rebates if the recruitment failed.

It also criticised agencies for failure to work to the codes of conduct, poor customer service and for providing poorly matched CVs.

As a result of the findings ACE says it will work with its members to develop a recruitment agency charter, it will contact recruitment agencies to discuss ways to improve relationships and working practices in the sector and it will also investigate creating a web-based system for its members to advertise vacancies.

ACE policy and operations director, Scott Parkhouse, told Recruiter: “The survey has flagged up concerns in the sector that we, the CBI, the government and trade associations, need to work together to address, so that everyone is providing the right service to the construction industry.”

Meanwhile, Anne Fairweather, manager at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), told Recruiter that work to improve the relationship between agencies and the industry had already begun. “We have contacted ACE and are willing to work with them; initial discussions about developing a joint code of practice have been held.

PA PHOTOS/ELAINE THOMPSON/AP”We want to make their members aware that we have a code of practice and encourage them to complain about our members who break the code. “

The report also revealed the scale of the skills shortage in the sector. It found that 13% of the industry pool remains unfilled, equating to 20,000 vacancies across the marketplace. The most acute shortages were reported for project managers (17%), electrical engineers (15%) and civil engineers (14%).