Recruitment compliance
Carrying out robust pre-employment checks ensures a transparent and fair recruitment process for both candidates and organisations
RECRUITMENT
Image: Istock
Laila Smith
Recruitment and Compliance Coordinator, Campbell Tickell
Chloe Wright
Recruitment Consultant (Interim Management) Campbell Tickell
Issue 69 | December 2023
Compliance in recruitment can mean many things to many people. Some see it as simply carrying out a Right to Work check or checking a passport. At Campbell Tickell we work with hundreds of associates, interim managers, and recruitment candidates each year and compliance is a key priority for our organisation.
Our compliance team helps us to navigate this multi-faceted process and ensure we follow the necessary rules and regulations, while also making sure we offer fair opportunities for our candidates.
What does recruitment compliance mean?
Broadly speaking it means we are seeking and hiring new staff within the bounds of the relevant laws and regulations.
A key factor in this is employment law, which governs the relationship between employers and employees before and after a work contract begins.
These laws include the Equality Act 2010, Employment Rights Act 1996, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, and the Asylum & Immigration Act 1996.
Why is compliance so important?
Non-compliance can lead to legal liability and/or damage of reputation, it is a legal requirement and is part of our due diligence. It helps us operate within the law and safeguard the reputations of all involved. Any candidate we put forward for a role is registered and vetted by us. These documents are not distributed to anyone outside Campbell Tickell, however we must confirm that we have these in place as part of our obligations to our clients.
Pre-employment checks are an important part of the recruitment process.
The Chartererd Institute of Personnel and Development states: “Due diligence in carrying out proper and accurate checks will result in the following benefits: more informed recruitment decisions, reducing the potential risk to the organisation of recruiting unsuitable candidates, particularly for those working in sensitive roles, compliance with legal and regulatory obligations, preventing discriminatory decision-making, improved recruitment and retention rates, greater morale and reduced disruption across the workforce.”
We conduct criminal record checks to comply with legal obligations, as The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 requires us to ask if a candidate has any ‘unspent’ convictions. This information is treated in the strictest confidence and Campbell Tickell must consider whether, in our reasonable opinion, the offence is relevant to the position for which the candidate is applying.
As we work with a broad range of clients, a Disclosure and Barring Service or DBS check may be required to ensure the safeguarding of vulnerable members of society.
While references are not a legal requirement, it is common practice within the recruitment sector to obtain at least one workplace reference. Employers are under a duty of care to provide references that accurately represent the candidate.
The takeaway
As a business we understand that the recruitment and compliance process can appear to be a lengthy and laborious task. However, it is an important part of maintaining standards and ensuring we stay within legal requirements, helping us to safeguard our business and protect our clients’ integrity.
Clarity throughout the process can help streamline recruitment compliance and provide essential assurance to both the candidate and client. It also helps ensure that we provide a recruitment service that upholds our values as a business and reassures our clients that every candidate we put forward is fully vetted.
“The recruitment and compliance process... is an important part of maintaining standards and ensuring we stay within legal requirements, helping us to safeguard our business and protect our clients’ integrity.”
