The theme of strong branding dominated the Recruiter Annual Forum 2007, as the cream of the recruitment crop gave delegates the benefit of their knowledge.

More than 140 delegates were present at the Hotel Ibis, Earl's Court, to hear industry leaders speak on a variety of topics, in what event co-chairman Steve Huxham, of the Recruitment Society, called "a must-attend for the recruitment industry".

Also chairing the event was Gary Irvine, chairman of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's board of directors.

Many speakers discussed the positive implications of a sound brand, with Claire Owen, leader of vision and values at the SG Group, saying it was critical to being a success in recruitment.

Head of a marketing specialist recruiter with a turnover of £25m, Owen told delegates that "building a brand from the inside" was key to their success.

"A brand creates expectations but a great brand delivers them," she said. When Owen set up the business in 1993, she created a set of values which she expects all her employees to adhere to. These included being pioneering, dynamic, honest, caring and passionate.

"If you are going to be true to your values, you have to publicise them," she added.

Values had three key functions, she told delegates. The first was to recruit top talent, the second was to retain it and the third was to remove the wrong people from the organisation.

"Values are the glue that keep the business together," said Owen. "They help to engage and motivate staff; they influence behaviour; they help you live up to customer expectations and give you a better return on investment with long-standing clients."

She argued that it did not matter which values a company chose to embrace, but it was vital to live them "every minute of every day".

"That's the great thing about owning your own business — you can set the values yourself," she said.

However, Dave Smith, managing director of careerbuilder.co.uk, suggested that branding was not the be-all and end-all. "Brand is a means to an end, not the end. Market position is more important."

Andy Hill, head of resourcing at Vodafone, said his company considered the importance of branding before choosing which recruitment option to take.

"When moving to a recruitment process outsourcing solution we had to consider the impact on the brand because candidates are also customers."