Plum Personnel in Solihull is celebrating after becoming the first agency in the UK to attain official accreditation for Diversity Assured Recruitment launched earlier this month by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC).
The service, the first of its kind to be introduced, was created to help recruiters- and ultimately employers and candidates ñ to embrace the opportunities diversity will bring to the workplace.
Plum was one of 500 plus members which originally signed up to the RECís award-winning Diversity Charter and Pledge, launched in December 2005 in conjunction with Jobcentre Plus.
It was then selected as one of the agencies taking part in a pilot diversity audit last year run by the REC in conjunction with Birmingham DiverCity and c2e (Committed 2 Equality).
Following a successful outcome in the pilot project, Plum then went one step further and put itself forward for a full Diversity Assured Recruitment audit.
The team at Plum based in Warwick Road, Solihull, said it was delighted the official accreditation showed it went ìabove and beyondî when it came to recruitment of talented individuals.
Susie Ankrett, one of Plumís co-directors, said: ìOur approach is to work alongside clients to gain a full understanding of their business needs and culture. Our aim is to help support organisations in their quest for successful futures.
ìWe recognise the importance of matching people who will fit in well with their plans for the future, so that is why we are totally committed to attracting people from a range of diverse backgrounds who will meet the needs of the clients.î
Co-director Julie Whitehouse added: ìWe know our clients benefit from an enhanced recruitment service and we are delighted to be the first recruitment company in the UK to achieve the status.î
The REC, the trade association for the UKís 24.8 billion private recruitment industry, launched the service to mark the start of 2007 being the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
Marcia Roberts, the RECís Chief Executive Officer, said: ìPlum should be congratulated on this notable first in achieving Diversity Assured Recruitment. The agency has been a staunch supporter and believer in the RECís groundbreaking initiatives such as the Diversity Pledge. So it is full credit to the staff that they have paved the way in terms of impeccable diversity credentials for other like-minded businesses to follow.î
Zosia Bernard from C2E carried out the audit, which included fully assessing the companyís policies and practices on diversity. She said: ìIn achieving the accreditation, Plum Personnel has not only demonstrated its commitment to an inclusive organisational culture, but also its recognition of the positive impact on business profitability of good diversity management.î
Plum Attains UKís first accreditation as REC Diversity assured recruiters
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