History of the REC

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation was formed in January 2000 as the result of a merger of two long-established bodies in the recruitment industry - The Federation of Recruitment and Employment Services (FRES) and the Institute of Employment Consultants (IEC).  The reasons for the merger were simple:  

• A single unified, powerful voice was needed to represent the industry in the face of increasing regulation
• Demand for education and training across all areas of the industry was increasing
• The expectations and demands of an increasingly complex industry for benefits and services delivered by a body that understood those needs

Below is a brief summary of the journey which led to formation of the REC: 

In 1930 a group of employment agencies formed the London Employment Agencies Federation (LEAF) adopting an oak leaf as its emblem. This gradually extended its membership outside London and eventually changed its name to the Employment Agencies Federation (EAF). 

In 1960 the EAF appointed its first general-secretary, Major Donald Cropper. Donald Cropper established regional activities in the Federation and was responsible for many campaigns on behalf of the industry. In 1972 the Federation incorporated as the Federation of Personnel Services of Great Britain. When Donald Cropper retired in 1979, he was awarded the OBE for his services to the industry.  

Meanwhile in 1963, the Institute of Employment Consultants, (IEC) was established as “a voluntary association of individuals from the employment consultancy profession and professions of like nature”. Its purpose was to enhance the knowledge, skills and reputation of its members and as such gained charitable status for the purposes of education. 

In 1984, the Federation of Personnel Services became the Federation of Recruitment and Employment Services and under the guidance of its Chief Executives, Leonard Allen and subsequently Christine Little, the subsequent years saw a dramatic increase in membership particularly with the rapid growth in the industry from a turnover of £3billion in 1993 to £23billion in 2003.

Increasing co-operation between FRES and the IEC led Christine Little and the Chief Executive of the IEC Sue Smith to begin talks of a merger and in January 2000, the IEC and FRES joined forces to become the REC and Tim Nicholson was appointed the new Chief Executive.  

The mission of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation - “championing providers of recruitment solutions” - encompasses all that the REC stands for as the largest trade body within the recruitment industry. Lobbying had become a crucial element of the work of the organisation following the election of the Labour Government in 1997 and the adoption of the Social Chapter bringing with it a raft of employment legislation from Brussels.  

In January 2003 Gareth Osborne replaced Tim Nicholson as Chief Executive overseeing the expansion of the range of activities and services provided by the REC for its members. Innovations included the launch of a degree in recruitment practice; the Recruitment Industry Taskforce for Enterprise helping fledgling recruitment businesses; and the establishment of an industry research unit to provide much needed data on the industry in the UK.  

In August 2006 Gareth decided to move onto other challenges and Marcia Roberts, his Deputy Chief Executive, was appointed in his place. Unfortunately, Marcia was forced to step down just 9 months later due to ill-health but even in that short space of time she stamped her mark on the REC with the bold move of introducing an enforcement team in 2007 to ensure the compliance of its members with legislation and a strengthened Code of Practice. 

In 2007 the industry continues to go from strength to strength and so does the REC.