It was interesting to read Dean Shoesmith’s comments (Bloggers with Bite, Recruiter, 13 July), focusing on jobs in the public sector.

He mentions the challenges that public sector organisations face in attracting professionals and the fact recruiters may be drawn to work in the private sector.

However, there is great potential in the public sector for recruiting professionals to demonstrate their strategic skills and innovate in a bid to help organisations revive employer brand.

As competition for top talent increases, and scrutiny over pay and job security worries create a stigma about careers in the public sector, employers need access to quality recruiting professionals who can help develop creative solutions.

We are working in partnership with many public sector organisations to develop innovative campaigns that really sell the benefits of the role and organisation to professionals, building a positive picture of what it is like to work there.

Andy Robling, director, Hays Public Services

Conflict of interest?

Would you feel comfortable if the company who supplied you staff also competed in exactly the same space?

There are a number of rec-to-recs who are actually employed by agencies whose main business is in recruitment markets competing with yours, eg IT, accountancy & finance, commercial, engineering etc.

Research suggests that most recruitment companies are simply not made unaware of any conflict of interest from these ’not totally upfront’ rec-to-recs. You didn’t realise that the rec-to-rec who had just spent an hour asking you exactly who your clients are, your charge and pay rates, your salaries, commission schemes, benefits, what your USPs are in a competitive market (eg IT, finance etc), maybe even your true financial position that this rec-to-rec actually reports to someone whose main business is in exactly the same market as you.

This means that not only have you divulged highly sensitive and valuable information about your specific business, but you’ve put your treasured staff on their radar.

Some years ago Aston Taylor looked at setting up working in other markets, but ultimately decided it was unethical to compete with their own clients. We were getting into situations where we were dealing with our client’s clients, chasing the same candidates. It was completely untenable. You can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. Or can you?

Keith Canning, sales director, Aston Taylor

Old-school manners

We are regularly contacted by numerous reference checking companies that appear to have sprung up recently, requesting reference information on contractors that have provided their services through our agency.

The minimum information that we require from these companies is simple and basic:

• the correct name of the contractor
• a reference consent form signed by the contractor
• the information they require from us.

Also, if they are addressing me or one of our consultants personally, then I would expect them to get the name right and actually spell it correctly, as well as make some attempt to get our company name correct.

In our experience not one single reference checking agency that we have dealt with recently has ever actually got this basic information correct in one attempt. When we receive these slapdash requests it does make us wonder if this is really reference checking or just box ticking?

It’s also our experience that every one of these requests is marked ’URGENT’ or ’VERY URGENT’, however not one of these agencies has ever acknowledged receipt.

Am I being ’old school’ or are we expecting too much?

Lawrence Sinclair, director, Green Bull Contracting

No sympathy for graduates

I personally have no sympathy for this so-called ’Lost Generation’ (Bloggers with Bite, Recruiter, 13 July). Firstly, in the commercial world the volumes are not as bad as your column claims. Secondly, this lost generation often has itself to blame for being out of work.

As someone currently recruiting graduates the majority a) can’t spell, b) can’t speak properly (upward inflections, “Fink” and “Fru”) and c) can’t be bothered to make significant amendments to their personal appearance to look like they mean business when it comes to their careers.

My only sympathy is that they have been conned into thinking a degree is a gateway into their career when most of them would have been better off getting trades.

Jonathan Graham, managing partner, Inward Revenue Consulting