PageGroup voices support for trade body mergers
20 June 2013
PageGroup has become the first staffing agency to come out publicly in favour of the merger of bodies representing the recruitment industry. It follows recent reports that the REC intends to initiate informal soundings with other trade bodies.
Thu, 20 Jun 2013PageGroup has become the first staffing agency to come out publicly in favour of the merger of bodies representing the recruitment industry. It follows recent reports that the REC intends to initiate informal soundings with other industry bodies.
Belinda Brooke, legal and HR director, PageGroup, tells Recruiter in a statement: “Since the start of the Blair administration in 1997 the recruitment industry has seen a great deal of change. In the current market we have a number of organisations representing different groups, which is a good thing, however we agree that it is time to consolidate interests and bring some organisations back under a single unified roof.
“Having a single representative body will give it a louder voice and ensure issues are tackled in a cohesive way. The success of any organisation formed out of a merger will be its ability to take its membership with it on the key issues.”
Recruiter understands that PageGroup is not the only large staffing company to see the advantages of a merger. Ann Swain, chief executive officer of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), tells Recruiter that in the last two-and-a-half months, between two and five very large staffing companies have mentioned to different APSCo board members that that they “see some mileage” in the idea.
Recruiter approached a number of the UK’s largest staffing companies. Manpower and Hays said they did not wish to comment, while Randstad had not responded as recruiter.co.uk went to press
Other recruiters tell Recruiter that while there are potential benefits, there are also downsides to mergers.
Andrew Sweeney, chairman of industrial, healthcare, food, and retail recruiter The Best Connection, says: “If a merger results in a body that has more teeth, then I would be in favour.”
Sweeney says that while a merger “would probably allow the industry to speak with a more unified voice, the problems faced by temporary recruiters are very different to those faced by permanent recruiters, and recruiters in different sectors also face different problems.
“Bringing the trade bodies together may end up being less efficient because in trying to meet the needs of everyone you end up pleasing no one because it is too generalist.”
Simon Garbett, chairman at The Employment Agents Movement (TEAM), says that PageGroup coming out in support of a unified industry body doesn’t change anything. “It is horses for courses,” he says, with staffing companies joining the body “they feel will help their particular cause”.
Not all industry membership bodies do the same thing, he adds, with TEAM being a network and not a trade association. “Putting everybody together and having one recruitment association is somewhat naïve to say the least,” he says.
Don Leslie, a director at multi-sector recruiter Beament Leslie Thomas, says “the jury is out” on the issue. He tells Recruiter that while a bigger body would have a more powerful voice, “because the recruitment industry is so diverse, more specialist bodies can deliver particular targeted benefits to their members”.
Belinda Brooke, legal and HR director, PageGroup, tells Recruiter in a statement: “Since the start of the Blair administration in 1997 the recruitment industry has seen a great deal of change. In the current market we have a number of organisations representing different groups, which is a good thing, however we agree that it is time to consolidate interests and bring some organisations back under a single unified roof.
“Having a single representative body will give it a louder voice and ensure issues are tackled in a cohesive way. The success of any organisation formed out of a merger will be its ability to take its membership with it on the key issues.”
Recruiter understands that PageGroup is not the only large staffing company to see the advantages of a merger. Ann Swain, chief executive officer of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), tells Recruiter that in the last two-and-a-half months, between two and five very large staffing companies have mentioned to different APSCo board members that that they “see some mileage” in the idea.
Recruiter approached a number of the UK’s largest staffing companies. Manpower and Hays said they did not wish to comment, while Randstad had not responded as recruiter.co.uk went to press
Other recruiters tell Recruiter that while there are potential benefits, there are also downsides to mergers.
Andrew Sweeney, chairman of industrial, healthcare, food, and retail recruiter The Best Connection, says: “If a merger results in a body that has more teeth, then I would be in favour.”
Sweeney says that while a merger “would probably allow the industry to speak with a more unified voice, the problems faced by temporary recruiters are very different to those faced by permanent recruiters, and recruiters in different sectors also face different problems.
“Bringing the trade bodies together may end up being less efficient because in trying to meet the needs of everyone you end up pleasing no one because it is too generalist.”
Simon Garbett, chairman at The Employment Agents Movement (TEAM), says that PageGroup coming out in support of a unified industry body doesn’t change anything. “It is horses for courses,” he says, with staffing companies joining the body “they feel will help their particular cause”.
Not all industry membership bodies do the same thing, he adds, with TEAM being a network and not a trade association. “Putting everybody together and having one recruitment association is somewhat naïve to say the least,” he says.
Don Leslie, a director at multi-sector recruiter Beament Leslie Thomas, says “the jury is out” on the issue. He tells Recruiter that while a bigger body would have a more powerful voice, “because the recruitment industry is so diverse, more specialist bodies can deliver particular targeted benefits to their members”.
