Current News

The recent meeting of the CBI Equality & Diversity Forum provided an update on employer recruitment and retention strategies and underlined possible business opportunities for agencies in the area of diversity and social inclusion.

The REC is a member of the CBI Forum which also includes high-profile companies such as American Express, Shell, Accord and Asda.

As well as providing an update on forthcoming legislative developments, discussions focused on campaigns to encourage more companies to implement effective monitoring procedures.  

Commenting on some of the trends outlined by the CBI Forum, REC Director of External Relations Tom Hadley says:  “The focus on equality and diversity monitoring will continue to fuel the debate on whether current recruitment strategies and practices are doing enough to promote diversity and equality.  

"Most employers do not support any form of positive discrimination but are keen to ensure that the recruitment process delivers a pool of applicants that reflects the local community. Within this context, employers will increasingly look to work with recruiters who can help them achieve corporate objectives in this area”.  

The CBI Diversity & Equality Forum also provided an update on the forthcoming good practice guide which will be published jointly by the CBI and the TUC.

The REC has fed into this document and a number of the case studies feature recruitment agencies. This is an extremely positive development and feeds into our ongoing campaign to promote the positive contribution that the recruitment industry makes in this area.  

Initiatives such as the REC/Jobcentre Plus Diversity Pledge and the Diversity Assured health-check service can be used by REC members wishing to enhance and demonstrate their diversity credentials. For more information go to: http://www.rec.uk.com/about-recruitment/diversity.