Xchangeteam wins strong support for sector code of practice

More than 20 specialist marketing recruitment companies attended the Recruitment and Employment Confederationís (REC) forum in central London recently to support Emma Brierley, CEO and founder of Xchangeteam, in her efforts to set a code of practice in the pr, marketing and media resourcing industry. Brierley is passionate about the need for a sector code to stamp out ìunethicalî behaviour in the industry. Media Contacts, VMA Group, Career Moves, StopGap, Source Personnel and BluHalo were just some of the recruitment companies to attend and all agreed that a sector code was essential to raise standards and provide a better quality of service to their clients and candidates.

Over the next couple of months, a select sub-group will be working with the REC to tailor their standard code of professional practice for the pr, marketing and media industry. Attendees also acknowledged the importance of educating clients and candidates about best recruitment practice. The group will now be meeting on a regular basis to develop the code and discuss industry issues in general ñ a development that will be important in driving up standards.

Said CEO Brierley: ìThe forum provided an excellent opportunity to air and share industry concerns on ethics and standards. It demonstrated that Xchangeteam is not a lone voice and I am confident that, with a sector code in place, and a collective group working to reinforce high standards, we will drive the cowboys out of our industry. I am pleased that the code is gathering some pace and I hope that we will have it in place at the start of 2007.î

Tom Hadley, the RECís Director of External Affairs, said: ìThe REC is engaged in a number of high profile initiatives to continue raising standards within the recruitment industry as a whole and works with a number of key Government departments in addressing best practice where it exists.

ìThese discussions on the specific issues facing recruitment in the media and PR sector were extremely useful. The aim is to enhance and promote the work of recruitment professionals in the sector who have a genuine desire to achieve the highest standards of performance.

ìIn an extremely tight labour market, this sector of the recruitment industry has a vital role to play in helping employers access the type of high calibre candidates who can really make a difference to the business.î