Just getting on with it. That’s the sense I get from recruiters across the country right now. Never mind the Brexit furore – there is business to do. Clients to support. Workers to help with new opportunities.

That’s not to say our new Brexit D-Day of 31 October isn’t in people’s minds – REC is running well-attended practical sessions around the country to help firms find their way. But there is a sense that the difference we can make is by being the best recruitment industry we can be in uncertain times.

This is my view, too. There is a lot we can achieve that is good for Britain and good for REC members.

Our studies show that client demand is reasonably robust at the moment, albeit stronger for temps than permanent roles. And with fewer than half of potential client firms using the sector to recruit, there are still big opportunities out there for firms who get things right.

On 4 June, REC hosted our annual TREC conference with agency and internal recruitment leaders from all over the country. And this theme of opportunity and the step-change in delivery we can drive stood out across the day.

It’s increasingly clear that high employment and lower labour supply (driven by there being fewer young people to replace the baby boomers as they retire) is creating more of a candidate-driven market. Hiring is getting tougher and candidate journeys matter ever more.

But client needs are also changing as new technology reshapes jobs – and firms use how and who they recruit as a tool to deliver on their goals on productivity, inclusion and corporate culture. 

This ought to be music to the ears of the brilliant recruiter – a chance to become a trusted workforce adviser with a deeper, more strategic relationship with clients. At REC, we’re here to help – our pioneering Good Recruitment Campaign is now helping almost 500 major firms recruit better from REC members.

These changes also underline how important it is we hold ourselves to high standards. We’ve recently removed a few dozen members from the REC who haven’t met our compliance standards – and we won’t hesitate to hold the line on that. 

The new recruitment industry is high-skill, high-value.

If you want to keep up to speed with all things recruitment, then follow me on Twitter @RECNeil