Is Rec-to-Rec in Ruins?

ìYes. ñ Iím to blame! In 1989, when I launched the very first, specialist recruitment to recruitment business, I did not anticipate fifteen years of such rapid growth for the sector. Now there are now an estimated 1,000 rec-to-rec agencies, all jostling to capture a share of an increasingly competitive and pressurised market.

This intensity of fierce competition is in my view, at the core of the inevitable disintegration of the recruitment-to-recruitment sector. In addition to far too many rec-to-rec agencies for the needs of the industry, a constant stream of enthusiastic, new entrants further fuels keen agency rivalry. The result is a sector that is now notorious for over-promise and under-delivery.

POOR REPUTATION
It is therefore no surprise that the UK Recruitment Industry now has an almost universal distrust of the recruitment- to-recruitment sector. The cleansing influence brought about by the industryís negative reaction to bad practice and poor delivery will take some time. I therefore believe a need to regulate the sector is now essential and I am hopeful that the REC will bring their influence to bear. In my view, the ideal solution is a REC recommended code of practice for rec-to-rec agencies.

NEW R2R PORTAL
When the reputation of the recruitment-to-recruitment market started to decline, R2R took a strategic decision to immediately withdraw. Now the sector is again in a state of evolution, we believe that current trends will result in a significant opportunity for a premium, online recruitment-to-recruitment service. In particular, a need for a low-cost facility that addresses the needs of agencies whose aim is fast organic growth on modest recruitment budgets.

Therefore R2R are pleased to announce the re-emergence of their well-known trademarked brand in the form of the new, R2R Online Recruitment Industry Portal: www.r2r.co.uk . This is a large-scale Internet-based solution, offering both Recruiters and Agencies an innovative Job-Board. It also offers a wide range of recruitment-related services and information through a variety of business partnerships. The Portal goes live on Tuesday the 27th of April and offers high quality economical candidate delivery by using the full breadth of available Internet technology. This is geared to producing on-going benefits and support for recruitment industry job seekers, agencies and a strictly limited range of business partners.

FAST CANDIDATE RESPONSE
To provide a faster-response interactive recruitment solution, R2R have also introduced ìCandidate Browse & Emailî. This is just one of the exciting aspects of the new Portal available to every advertiser. Here an agency may review potential candidates, including a brief personality summary and email selected candidates to invite them to a formal or telephone interview, for example. Recipients may respond or not as they choose.

FREE ADVERTISING FOR REC CORPORATE MEMBERS
The new R2R Portal makes no charge for registering and has agreed to provide free advertising credits to every REC Corporate Member registering before the 31st of May.

Nick Rayner
Recruitment to Recruitment Ltd