CONTENTS

• My Favourites
• Article One (Employment and the Law – Recent Developments by Louise Fernandes)
• Article Two (Conference Review: The Dillistone Executive Search Practitioner Conference by Susan Robinson)
• Don't Miss This (UK Recruiter Launch Software Comparison Tables - The Recruiter's Network Event, 22nd November - Press Release: Second Annual Global ERE Expo 2006, 27-28 November  - Recruiter Magazine, Scottish Regional Forum Event, 30th November)
• Discussion Board Summary
• Online Recruitment Update (Hitwise Top 10 Recruitment Sites - Recruitment Blog Watch - Louise's UK Recruiter Blog - Press Release: Times Educational Supplement Re-launch)
• Subscribe/Unsubscribe
• Feedback & Advertising Information

Visit http://www.careersinrecruitment.com for the latest recruitment industry jobs.

My Favourites

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey/ - It's Children in Need Appeal night this Friday.  

http://www.justgiving.com/ - If you want do some fundraising you can get a free online fundraising page here.  Or visit and donate to a charity 

http://www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/ - Charities receive at least 81p in the pound from their card sales via this site.

The team at UK Recruiter put these charity related favourites together this week.  Why not submit your 3 favourite web sites. See the guidelines at http://www.ukrecruiter.co.uk/articles.htm

Advertisement

talisman - Web enabled, integrated solution for discerning Recruiters 

• Fully integrated Front and Back Office to give total solution 

• Modular - select only the items you want 

• Designed by recruiters for recruiters 

• Grows as you do - from one to hundreds of users

• Purchase, rent or fully managed solution 

Call 01582 478 888 or email sales@recruitment-software.net  to find out more or book a demo.

Beacon, The Friars, 82 High Street South, Dunstable LU6 3HD 

Article One: Employment and the Law – recent developments by Louise Fernandes

What a month!

In the first of our regular articles summarising recent employment developments, Louise Fernandes of Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP looks back at the events of a particularly busy October.

October is always a significant month for employment law, as most legislative changes take place in the April and October of each year. Here is our snapshot of recent key issues which impact on recruiters, employers and candidates.

Age discrimination
Never far from the headlines, the new Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (the Age Regulations) came into force on 1 October. Making it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of age, the legislation prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and also introduces a national default retirement age of 65. 

One area which has attracted much attention is the recruitment process. This should now focus entirely on skills, ability and potential. For example, age limits and age-related phrases should be avoided. Requiring someone to be ‘young’, ‘energetic’, ‘mature’ or have ‘gravitas’ is not advisable. Adverts should therefore be drafted with care and thought also given to their placement, to ensure they can be seen by people of all ages. Application forms should be revisited and questions regarding age moved to a diversity monitoring form. Consideration should be given to the information required in the process, whether on a form or CV, and whether it can be objectively justified. 

The new legislation also impacts heavily on other areas of employment, ranging from contractual issues, policies, appraisals and promotion to termination, retirement and the duty to consider an employee’s request to work beyond 65. Note also that draft regulations are due to come into force on 1 December, to amend the pension provisions of the Age Regulations. The sheer scope of the new legislation is daunting but it is important for the recruitment sector to get to grip with the new requirements to avoid the pitfalls and potential exposure to discrimination claims.

Government off to High Court over mandatory retirement age

Although the Age Regulations are now in force, Heyday, a membership organisation for people approaching retirement, applied for judicial review of the legislation, on the basis that the decision to permit mandatory retirement ages allows employers to force workers into retirement. It was recently announced that the High Court will hear the matter next month. 

The judge will consider the application for permission for the case to proceed at an oral hearing. If the application is successful, the case will then proceed to a full trial. Watch this space…

Work and families

Largely overshadowed by the new age discrimination legislation, family-friendly law also underwent some important changes in October due to the Work and Families Act 2006 (the Act). Aimed at introducing greater flexibility in the workplace, the changes will undoubtedly affect the way in which both employers and employees address work-life balance. 

Some of the regulations implemented in the Act apply to employees whose babies are due on or after 1 April 2007 (or, in relation to adoption, where the placement is expected to occur on or after this date). The main changes include:

• The removal of the qualifying period for additional maternity leave, entitling women who qualify for ordinary maternity leave to 52 weeks’ maternity leave, irrespective of their length of service. 

• The introduction of ‘keeping in touch’ days, allowing employees on statutory maternity and adoption leave to work for up to 10 days during a leave period without losing statutory pay or bringing that period to an end.

• The extension of statutory maternity and adoption pay from 26 to 39 weeks. This period is due to be extended to 52 weeks by the end of this Parliament. 

The right to request flexible working is also due to be extended. This right currently applies to employees with parental responsibilities for a child under 6 (or, if the child is disabled, 18). From 6 April 2007, this right will be extended to an employee who cares for an adult (e.g. the spouse, partner or civil partner of the employee, or a near relative or an adult who falls into neither category but lives at the same address as the employee. Near relative will include parents, parents-in-law, siblings and step-relatives). 

It is also proposed that employees will have a new entitlement to additional paternity leave and pay. Fathers would be entitled to be absent from work for a maximum of 26 weeks to care for a child, before the child’s first birthday. The Government intends to introduce this new entitlement at the same time as statutory maternity and adoption pay are extended to 52 weeks. 

National Minimum Wage

Last but not least, the national minimum wage also increased with effect from 1 October. For workers aged 22 and over, the rate increased from £5.05 to £5.35 and for workers aged 18-21 the rate increased from £4.25 to £4.45. The rates for workers aged 16-17 also increased, from £3.00 to £3.30. 

Louise Fernandes is the Professional Support Lawyer in the Employment Department at Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP and can be contacted at louise.fernandes@ffw.com.

Advertisement

Do you need the right people right now? 

Buy 2 jobs online for only £399, that's a saving of 17%

Monster Post-A-Job enables you to edit, copy and renew your job ads online as well as design an attractive and eye catching job ad in a few minutes. No more working around newspaper or publication deadlines, you decide when the job is live. No more squeezing your job advert into the space you can afford. Saving you time and money 

To find out more about this offer and others click here 

Article Two: Conference Review: The Dillistone Executive Search Practitioner Conference by Susan Robinson

The Inaugural UK Conference of Search Practitioners was attended by Executive Search Consultants from 26 countries. Situated on Victoria Embankment, we were whistled aboard HMS President 1918, to enjoy the unique nautical Thames event setting. The conference was sponsored by Dillistone Systems and sister publication Search-Consult, Kennedy Information Inc, UK Recruiter and ERA Research.

Speakers with leading-edge, search industry knowledge delivered a lively insight into current market trends and best practices. There were specialist individual comments as well as unified messages and summary key themes.

Christopher Beale, Managing Director of Christopher Beale Associates and recently Chairman of the Institute of Directors, tracked the industry - on both sides of the Atlantic, from its early beginnings in the 14th Century up to the present time. He spoke on “The State of the Industry” and included such contentious issues as ‘What’s Best for the Client, and What’s Best for the Shareholders’; he highlighted the vast increase in technology which provided unprecedented sourcing possibilities. He finally quoted Alexander Solzhenitsyn, “Dwell on the past and you’ll lose an eye; forget the past and you’ll lose both eyes”.

Nancy Garrison-Jenn discussed “Global trends and Opportunities in the Executive Sector Market Today.” Nancy has her own consultancy and lectures MBA students at many International Business Schools on networking in the executive search world together with being a successful author writing authoritative books on executive search. Nancy spoke overridingly of ‘One World, one Culture’ and presented the latest ranking data on market share of International Firms.

Joseph D McCool from the USA, a senior contributing editor for ExecuNet and a well respected independent consultant on executive recruiting and corporate management succession, spoke on “The End of Executing Recruiting As We Know It”. He used the interesting analogy of the 1953 Everest Expedition, successfully achieved by Sir Edmund Hilary and the famous Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, to draw a parallel between the definition of Sherpa, as ‘One who Leads’, to search consultants being the sherpa guides for their clients. He suggested if we produced a ‘Report Card on Executive Search’ there would be several low grade areas, and plenty of scope, for instance to improve the candidate experience, to raise our profile scores.

Simon Stephenson, co-chairman of the Executive Research Association, and owner of his own company Stephenson Research Associates which provides executive research, spoke on “The Search Value Chain”. He illustrated how the model of the search process could be revised and a new one created whereby some aspects of the process could be accomplished by clients’ in-house recruiting teams in conjunction with external researchers, such as themselves. He acknowledged this may not be appropriate for specific assignments and would not replace the necessity for a ‘True Search Consultant’ - recognizing their advisory capacity and provision of specialist knowledge and network of contacts.

Helen Haddon from Odgers, Ray & Berndtson spoke on “Quality in Search – Accident or Design?” An Elephant with its various different anatomical ‘touch points’ usefully illustrated the different experiences clients may have with search firms depending on where they interacted with them. We should aim to eliminate ‘our weakest link’, and the key was to create consistent high quality in all aspects of our work – linking People, Processes and Systems – and this would lead to a clearer perspective on candidates and business opportunities.

Caroline Mills has been awarded the H.W. Wilson prize for services to the Information Industry, and now acts as Data Controller for Edward W. Kelley & Partners. We were given up-to-date information on “Legal and Ethical Issues in Global Search”.

The final topic “Global Search: Practicalities of Working Internationally” was delivered by Christopher Mill from Penrhyn International. This was also a befitting farewell to such a distinguished search professional shortly to retire. He has previously sat on the Board of Directors of the Association of Executive Search Consultants Inc, the principal industry organisation, and was Chairman of its International Committee. He used the analogy of a Botanist who always carries his magnifier or frame to more clearly separate out individual specimens of interest! He emphasised playing on our primary skills of Understanding and Thinking to mark ourselves in the Knowledge Business. 

The Lunch slot was given to autumnal sunshine and we could network and relax on-deck with a cruise-style buffet. This was interspersed by something of a surprise, prompted by some loose connection between Search consultants and Spies! In keeping with ‘Bond’ we were invited to partake in a Boat Trip especially for Adrenaline Junkies – in a jet-propelled- Rib, we snaked our way at 45-degree angles up and down the Thames hanging on for dear life with screams of terror!

The Managing Director of Dillistone Systems, Jason Starr, closed the conference, thanking the ‘universally excellent’ speakers and outlined the forthcoming Asia Conference for corporates and search consultants. 

I went along to the Conference hoping to gain both a professional snapshot of the current Search Industry and also to see what prospective changes might be highlighted. There was a good pace to the speakers’ topics and as delegates we were given an interesting and comprehensive commentary on various ‘best practice’ issues and a lasting impression on the impact of ‘Globalization’. Overall it was an inspiring day, a rare opportunity to mix with search consultants from many countries and there was plenty to ‘take-away’ and bring benefit to ones’ own role - well worth attending again.

You can view photos from the event at http://www.dillistone.com/text.asp?PageId=188 along with some quotes from the speakers. For information on next year’s event contact Margaret Jaouadi at Dillistone Systems Ltd on 020 7749 6100

Susan Robinson (FREC) has over 20 years recruitment industry experience spanning contingency, search and selection, and executive search. For the past 7 years she has run her own company Consultancy Net focussing on organizational performance and talent management, also incorporating Search and Assessments.

Advertisement

Not just a FREE TRIAL - It's next month's placements! We will even help you search our database of over 435,000 live CVs!

To access your free fully account managed trial just visit http://www.cv-library.co.uk/trial or call 01252 810995 and we'll set you up straight away.

Once you have finished your fully managed FREE TRIAL you will then have the option to subscribe to our excellent value packages at £139 per month or less, which gives you full access to our CV Database, watchdog filters, company profile, unlimited vacancies with your banner and we will also circulate them onto seven other job boards! 

For more information visit http://www.cv-library.co.uk/cvdb or contact us directly on 01252 810995 or sales@cv-library.co.uk 

Don't Miss This

UK Recruiter launch Software Comparison Tables
We've recently been working on an online recruitment software comparison document which is officially launched today. These tables, available free of charge, contain information to help recruiters compare the multitude of recruitment software products on the market. These are downloadable from our website, in PDF format, at http://www.ukrecruiter.co.uk/suppliers/RecruitmentSoftwareComparison.pdf. So far the comparison tables cover 40+ UK recruitment software products. Companies are not charged to take part - thus ensuring as many submit details as possible.  You can read more about why we've done them at Louise's blog.  Please let us have your feedback on these.

The Recruiter's Network Event: 22nd November 2006, London
We are now fully booked for our Recruiter's Network event that we are co-hosting with Broadbean on the 22nd November.  We've got some great speakers lined up (Anne Swain from ATSCO, Jason Goldberg from Jobster and Dan McGuire from Broadbean). Jobster are also kindly sponsoring the event.  If you were planning to come along but haven't registered please instead visit the website at www.recruitmentnetworking.co.uk and register your interest for the next event which is planned for the first quarter of 2007.  If you have registered for the 22nd November I look forward to seeing you then.

Press Release: Second annual Global ERE Expo 2006, 27-28 November 
"Following the success of last year's event in Brussels, Global ERE Expo 2006 which is taking place in Amsterdam on 27-28 November will help corporations from around the globe develop and sustain world-class, industry-leading recruitment and staffing functions. Never before has such an elite group of corporate recruiting leaders gathered in one place at the same time.  Global ERE Expo 2006 will explore a broad range of hiring and workforce management issues, including workforce projections, employer branding, metrics, sourcing, recruitment technology, and other topics that are affecting the global recruiting industry.  Speakers include recruiting industry thought leaders and practitioners from companies such as Degussa AG, Deloitte, Maxxium UK, Swedish National Labour Market Board, T-Mobile UK, Time Warner, UnitedHealth Group International, and others." Register today online at http://www.ere.net/global06  or call +1-212-671-1181. As a ukrecruiter subscriber you can save 10% on your registration fee by using product code AM06UR when registering.

Recruiter Magazine, Scottish Regional Forum Event, 30th November
Recruiter Magazine are staging their next regional forum and networking event in Glasgow, for the Scottish recruitment industry, on Thursday 30th November. The networking event is totally free and will be an informal drinks reception on Thursday 30th November from 6pm-9pm at the Collage Bar, Radisson SAS Hotel, Argyle Street, Glasgow. To register this event please email andy.daniel@centaur.co.uk or call 020 7970 4814 as numbers are limited to 100.

Discussion Board Summary

Don't forget to visit The Discussion Board. Current topics on the site include:

• Can anyone tell Derek if there is rule of thumb on what to charge when a candidate goes temp to perm

• The Reliability of Hitwise Stats is being talked about again

• Derek Jenkins is talking about the Temp\Contract market online

• Quite a bit of discussion around British Jobs Dot Net & August 2002 CV's - should old CVs be on the site?

• Carol talking about a campaign to deal with Experiences of bullying

Any postings you or anyone else makes will be included in the weekly digest. Sign up for the free digest here or hit reply to ask me to include your email address

It is free to use the discussion board and you don't have to register to view messages. Visit the site; ask questions and share your knowledge

Online Recruitment Update (sponsored by http://www.broadbean.co.uk for "the UK's favourite job posting system")

Hitwise top 10 Recruitment Sites, week ending 11th November 2006
The most visited UK recruitment sites last week, starting with the most popular, were www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk, www.totaljobs.com, www.monster.co.uk, www.jobs.nhs.uk, www.jobsite.co.uk, www.reed.co.uk, www.jobsgopublic.com, www.eteach.com, jobs.tes.co.uk and www.jobs.ac.uk. Hitwise don't aggregate data from sites who form part of a network such as fish4.co.uk For more information about Hitwise, visit http://www.hitwise.co.uk

Louise's UK Recruiter blog
In the past week I've talked about Protecting Candidates from Scammers, Helping You Choose the Right Recruitment Software and a particular scam post we intercepted.  You can read "Louise's UK Recruiter blog" at http://ukrecruiter.typepad.com 

Recruitment Blog Watch (last 7 days):
Tim Elkington's blog: Online Recruitment - the bigger picture: Life without Email and Online Recruitment - it's a good news day
Stephen Fowler's blog: Recruitment Views: Battle Between Two Recruitment Consultancies
Jim Stoud's Blog Charm: There is a war for talent in India!!! and Is that Monster I smell?

Press Release: Times Educational Supplement Re-launch
Britain’s leading educational newspaper, the Times Educational Supplement launched in a new format on Friday 10 November boosted by a £5 million revamp that covers the print newspaper and glossy magazine and the TES website. The website features an enhanced careers and jobs area. TES are hopeful that the popular new print and online offerings will anticipate and fulfil the needs of jobseekers and advertisers in the education sector for many years.  www.tes.co.uk

This section is sponsored by http://www.broadbean.co.uk; "the UK's favourite job posting system".

Subscribe

Don't forget to let your colleagues know about this newsletter. Anyone can subscribe - it's completely free of charge - all they need to do to receive their own copy of the ukrecruiter newsletter is complete our simple form 

Unsubscribe

To unsubscribe from the ukrecruiter newsletter please reply to this message with the subject line "unsubscribe".

Feedback

Please feel free to email me your comments on the newsletter: the sort of articles you like, the sort you don't read, new features you'd like to see, etc.  Feedback from everyone is always welcome!  

Advertising

If you are interested in advertising a product, service or internet site in the newsletter please contact me by email

If you want see back issues of the newsletter visit http://www.ukrecruiter.co.uk/recnet

NOTE: This newsletter may be copied and distributed free of charge in its entirety. Individual sections may NOT be copied or distributed without the prior written agreement of louise@ukrecruiter.co.uk.

Copyright (c) 2006, UK Recruiter Ltd