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REC Podcast: Talking Recruitment
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A regular podcast featuring the leading thinkers from across the recruitment and business world
Meet our host, Neil Carberry
Neil Carberry was appointed as Chief Executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation in June 2018 having been managing director at the Confederation of British Industry, leading the CBI’s work on the labour market, skills, energy and infrastructure. In 1999, Neil began his career in recruitment working for executive search firm Fraser Watson before doing a post-graduate degree in Human Resources at the London School of Economics and joining the CBI in 2004. He is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and a Fellow of the RSA. He is a member of the council of the conciliation service ACAS and a former member of the Low Pay Commission, which recommends UK minimum wages. A three-time nominee to the SIA staffing100 in Europe, he is also on the board of the World Employment Confederation, Total People and a primary academy trust in Oxfordshire. Neil is an RFU qualified rugby coach and is one of the 8000 co-owners who made Heart of Midlothian the UK’s biggest fan-owned football club.
*The views expressed by guests on the REC's Talking Recruitment podcast are not those of the REC and reflect the individual's personal opinions.
Welcome to our 2026 series
Episode 76: Get April Ready: Risk in a changing legal landscape
In this episode of Talking Recruitment, Neil Carberry is joined by Daniel Haslam (Giant Group), Rob Leake (NumberMill) and Sebastien Sauca (SafeRec) to unpack what compliance risk looks like in 2026 and why this moment represents both a threat and an opportunity.
The conversation explores:
- The compliance risks recruiters may be underestimating, from umbrella expense practices to solvency risk
- Why joint and several liability should be seen as a business-critical risk
- How HMRC enforcement mechanisms could play out in practice
- Whether “quick and cheap” supply models are becoming unsustainable
- Why strong compliance can now be a commercial advantage
- How a level playing field could reshape parts of the temporary labour market
However, alongside the risk is opportunity: recruiters who get this right can reposition as professional services businesses, using compliance not just as protection, but as a differentiator.
Guests:
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Rob Leake, Commercial Director, NumberMill
Rob Leake is Commercial Director at NumberMill, advising recruitment businesses on IR35, worker engagement models and compliant outsourced employment solutions. -
Dan Haslam, Chief Business Development Officer, Giant Group
Dan Haslam is Chief Business Development Officer at Giant Group, helping recruitment agencies navigate worker engagement, payroll and compliance challenges. -
Sébastien Sauca, CEO, SafeRec
Sébastien Sauca is CEO of SafeRec, a compliance and technology firm improving transparency and accountability across the temporary labour supply chain.
Exclusive ERB Episode
Episode 61: The Employment Rights Bill exclusive with Justin Madders MP
In this exclusive episode of the Talking Recruitment Podcast, Neil Carberry sits down with Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets, for a timely conversation exploring the Government’s employment agenda and the future of work in the UK. With the Employment Rights Bill on the horizon and his recent fireside chat at RECLive25, this episode offers a front-row seat to the thinking behind the proposed reforms and what they mean for the recruitment industry.
Speaker: Justin Madders MP, Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets
More episodes
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Enjoying our podcasts? Why not join Neil's live webinar to discuss the big issues affecting our industry?
View our 2025 schedule of Neil's Talking Recruitment webinars and book your place early.
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