The Association for Consultancy and Engineering could help source our workforce by using agencies

There can be no denying that recruitment and retention is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, concern for employers today. The Association for Consultancy and Engineering’s HR Review, released in October 2007, raised some valid issues which still need to be addressed by the industry. Figures stating there will be another 2400 professional vacancies over the next 12 months aren’t at all surprising.

However, it was disappointing that the ACE clouded the key strategic issue with a one-sided view of recruitment agencies. We must bear in mind that the report only accounts for one stakeholder – employers – and that the survey is based on only 26 of those. The findings can be misleading if viewed in isolation. To present a true picture, the issues should also be viewed from the perspective of employees and recruitment agencies, who have a valid contribution to make to this discussion.

The ACE report said 60% of respondents reported that recruitment agencies poached staff. If employees were consulted on this issue, the findings may have been very different. At Hays, it is a disciplinary offence for our consultants to poach staff they have placed. If it does happen, it is almost always a result of the individual contacting the agency again, with legitimate reasons for a move – although, naturally, this is unlikely to be the reason cited.

In its report the ACE said it intended to contact the leading recruitment agencies to discuss ways they could improve relationships and work practices. We are always keen to get involved with initiatives to improve practice, and are equally frustrated by a small number of agencies which damage the reputation of the industry as a whole. However, we have not been consulted on this issue, despite being the UK’s leading supplier of engineering staff.

It is equally frustrating that while the ACE intends to issue a ‘recruitment agency charter’ and is involving some of the key employers and the Recruitment & Employment Confederation, it has chosen not to include recruitment agencies in its preparation. It is a huge concern that the possible benefits of such initiatives and the real issues are likely to take a back seat. It is imperative that action is taken as a joined-up exercise across the whole of the built environment sector, involving all the key stakeholders.

Agencies are accused of poaching staff, but usually it is a case of the individual contacting the agency again.

At a grass-roots level, we need to make sure schoolchildren are excited by engineering, understand what it is and the prospects that it offers. We also need to ensure undergraduates are supported through their studies and that the sector is attractive to graduates, so they actually progress to working in the industry.

The problem also needs to be viewed much more on a global scale. On 5 February, it was announced that the ACE was lobbying the Border and Immigration Agency to lower work permit regulations for engineers from outside the EU. Building services was one of the specialisms singled out as lacking in personnel. While this isn’t a long-term solution to the problem, it may help to make some headway and this is where legitimate recruitment agencies will really show their value.

Ensuring staff are eligible to work in the UK will be increasingly important. The quality of the engineers will still need to come under close scrutiny and the recruiter (whether an employer or an agency) will need to be up to date with the latest legislation on eligibility, work permit/visa requirements and qualifications.

Many people are unaware that we fund student bursaries, sponsor university awards and actively promote engineering as a career option at universities across the UK. As the only recruitment consultancy endorsed by CIBSE, we work closely with both CIBSE and CIBSE Patrons. If we are to make progress in key issues such as skills shortages, and really drive change, it is essential that recruitment agencies are treated much more as an integral part of the industry.