REC and WEC - Recruiting All over the World

Here at the REC, we think it’s important to recognise the global nature of the recruitment and employment industry. As a member of the World Employment Confederation (WEC), we understand that it is essential to learn from and collaborate with other countries in order to serve our members in the most effective way possible. We meet with representatives from WEC and other recruitment federations many times each year to discuss issues ranging from policy and standards to research and economics.

Last week, the REC hosted a meeting of the WEC Economic Affairs Committee, on which REC research team sit. This Committee meets three times a year and this is the first time that a meeting has been held away from Brussels. It was a great pleasure to welcome delegates from around Europe to REC HQ to discuss current and future research priorities and collaboration with other organisations.

There are a number of challenges facing the recruitment industry both in the UK and across the globe, from overcoming labour shortages and productivity challenges to engaging with policy and legal changes. The WEC meetings are a great opportunity for the REC to discuss these issues with our counterparts in other countries, come together and find possible ways of moving forward. We are also able to take topics which are important to UK recruiters and highlight them to a global audience.

Last week’s meeting was a chance for us at the REC to showcase the strength of the UK jobs market and recruitment industry to our international colleagues. The UK has one of those most robust labour markets in the world, with employment at a record high and unemployment historically low. Our £35.7 billion recruitment industry has a key role to play in maintaining this strength, and the REC will continue to stand up for the industry with the support of WEC.

In this globalised world, it is increasingly important that we engage and work with people from all around the world in order to find solutions to common problems. To that end, the REC will continue to be a key member of WEC, working together to support our recruiters in the UK and beyond.

We will be joined by members of ECSSA (European Confederation of Search and Selection Associations) on Thursday 17 October as we launch our guide to best practice in executive search. REC members are welcome to attend the launch - please register your interest here. Networking drinks will start at 4pm at the REC offices in London.