News
SPECIAL REPORT
Web comments ‘Huge upskilling’ required for UK military (recruiter.co.uk, 16 September) Since leaving the military 14 years ago as a former Specialist Warrant Officer my skills, knowledge and experience have increased tenfold due to education programmes, business development, financial and commercial aspects, and ensuring that I took myself out of my comfort zone by listening and learning from other core business functions. While in a specialist role in the military, the opportunities to grow knowledge and expand beyond normal military functions was there; what was missing was the opportunity to attend what is primarily officer academic courses of study. If the intent is to increase skills, from languages and understanding various cultures to business subjects such as risk and programme management, then this up-skilling has to extend to SNCOs [senior noncommissioned officers] and Warrant Officers for the military across the spectrum of functions to really up-skill its entire workforce and not a select few!
Nick Duggan Beer, tears, feet on desk and worse — top interview blunders from Foosle (recruiter.co.uk, 4 October) Interesting article — I interviewed a candidate who picked her nails and then placed each torn off piece in front of her on my desk. I can’t remember whether she took the torn nails away or left them on my desk for me to clear away when she left, as I was so shocked and speechless at the time!
Olivia Ryder See Soundbites, p21, for more interviewing tales
10
RECRUITER
OCTOBER 2013
10_12_Recruit_Digest_Oct13.indd 10
INCENTIVES PLAY ROLE WHEN PICKING PAYROLL PROVIDER
THE RESULTS OF A RECRUITER AND FPS GROUP SURVEY HIGHLIGHT THE BURDEN OF LEGISLATION AND THE USE OF INCENTIVES The impact of recent legislation and the role of incentives were highlighted as recruiters’ and senior managers’ key payroll concerns in a survey carried out by umbrella company administrator FPS Group and Recruiter. The survey was carried out to discover what recruiters think about payroll service providers and how everchanging regulations are affecting their businesses. The burden placed on the industry by an increasing level of new legislation was raised as a major issue, with 70% of senior managers and 61% of staff saying it has made their jobs ‘significantly’ or ‘somewhat’ more time consuming. Payroll service providers’ use of incentives can be controversial, with 38% of recruiters saying they have a negative impact on perceptions of the industry. Awareness of the schemes is high among recruitment agencies, yet many don’t set a formal policy for staff. Around a quarter of senior managers said they either didn’t know what the company stance was or they didn’t mind how payroll providers incentivise staff. Further, an unusually high number skipped the question, suggesting they have not formulated a specific policy. Just over half say staff are not allowed to receive incentives. The risk that recruiters could shape contractors’ decisions to meet their own ends had led FPS to call on staffing companies to establish policies and continue a push for transparency in the sector. “Recruiters should work to establish policies on payroll provider incentives. We would encourage them to review what’s happening and speak to their service provider,” Matthew Huddleston, managing director at FPS Group told Recruiter.
Senior managers survey: How much influence do ‘candidate facing’ staff within your agency have on what payroll provider your temps choose? 4.7%
■ They control the candidate’s decision
34.1% 61.2%
■ They influence the candidate’s decision ■ The candidate makes their own decision, they are not influenced
Senior managers survey: Please rate the following from highest to lowest priority for your company when deciding on what payroll services providers to put on your PSL 1.7%
■ Product offered
8.5% 21.4% 16.2% 4.3% 5.1% 6.8% 35.9%
■ Level of timesheet rebate ■ Amount of introducer commission/voucher ■ Admin fee for contractor ■ Level of compliance ■ Financial securiy of the provider ■ Number of contractors already using them ■ Other
Senior managers survey: How do you feel financial incentives impact on the recruitment industry as a whole? ■ Positive – referrals business is essential in any industry
18.4% 31.6%
■ No impact – it’s a part of how the industry functions ■ Somewhat negative – it affects the perception of the industry
25.4%
■ Negative – it is unfair, promotes bad practice and paints the industry in a bad light
24.6%
A small number of recruiters admitted that incentives help shape their decision on which payroll service provider to recommend, raising the potential for contractors to be misled. Asked the importance of incentives in decision making, 7% said they were essential, and a further 16% said they were important
and “strongly influenced” the service provider that was recommended. Incentives given to recruiters include cash, vouchers, food and drink, and corporate hospitality. The survey found the most popular methods were vouchers, which 57% of recruiters reported receiving, and food and drink during the working day at 53% (39% had
WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK
10/10/2013 10:26