Tell us a little more about yourself and your role

I have been the CEO of the REC since June 2008. The REC is the trade body for the recruitment industry. It is also the body that represents the individuals within recruitment. Prior to this role I was the HR Director for Royal Mail for four and half years. Before this I owned and ran a strategic HR consultancy business called Qtab for 12 years, so I have been in HR for really 20 years.

My current role is very much about leadership. I have a strong team of seven people. My primary focus is to lead the strategy process so we have clear purpose and direction. I spend as much time as possible each month meeting our members because we are here to represent them and provide services to them. The best way to do this is to listen to the issues so we can help remove the things that get in the way.

Describe the leadership role

The key is to be clear about expectations and then trust people to deliver. I also ensure people have room to work so they don’t feel constrained. Two things that have always worked for me; Firstly be informal talk to people across the organisation and walk about and ask questions, it is amazing what you learn. Secondly, provide feedback. Tell people when they are doing a great job and when they have let the side down. If you do this consistently and fairly people learn from it and the good ones always ask for more.

We understand that the REC is actively courting the HR community. Why?

At the REC we have been working hard at building a relationship with the HR community. Firstly, so they are aware that HR professionals know they should only use an REC member when deciding who to choose as their recruitment partner. Our code of professional practice defines how ethical and professional recruitment companies should behave towards their clients and candidates. This is enforced by our inspectors who audit 35 businesses every month, a rigorous self assessment process and a standards team who fully investigate every complaint against an REC member.

Secondly, we have been investigating the future of employment over the last three years. We have undertaken joint research projects with the CIPD and the think tank, Demos. The outcome has highlighted that - apart from the immediate issues thrown up by the recession - in Europe and the UK in particular, we have some deep seated talent and capability issues driven by demographic and generational changes which may cause a constraint on economic growth unless government and business starts to address them over the next few years.

We recognise that HR and the recruitment industry have a shared objective in highlighting these issues. Later this year the REC is launching its white paper on this work called ‘Gateway to Success’ which is a call to action. If you would like a copy of the draft report or would like to get involved with this work contact me at kevin.green@rec.uk.com. We have much to do together.

As a strong brand in the recruitment community what will the REC do to create a compelling employee proposition over the next few years?

When I arrived last year we had good people who were trying to deliver but without a sense of direction or belonging. The organisation behaved as a group of random functions without clarity. The employee proposition is critical in changing how we operate and deliver our services to members.

The focus has been on raising our game, setting standards and exceeding these objectives. We are now starting to focus on development so our people value how we can help them fulfil their potential. The level of engagement has changed with people beginning to contribute ideas and work together as a team. We are clear that our directors and managers are leaders who must inspire and develop their people rather than technical experts. This again changes the relationship between the organisation and its people.

Structurally how should HR meet the increasing sophisticated needs of employees?

HR professionals need to be commercially minded and focused on organisational performance. In most HR functions not enough time, focus or energy is spent on being clear about how HR activity creates value and helps organisations compete.

The movement towards HR business partners focusing on enhancing organisational performance while often more transitional activity is delivered via the shared services seems to be helping the profession define its reason for being more effectively. At the REC, a smallish organisation (80 people), we have outsourced the administration of HR and have brought in HR capability at a high level when we need it, two of the different skill sets as a small business we don’t want to compromise.

Can you characterise the ideal HR professional for the future?

They must be business focused and have a commercial edge. Their ability to influence others will often be based on presenting good people interventions as business opportunities. They must be practical and be prepared to make decisions rather than fence sitting. A true partnership means you make decisions together. Their people management capability needs to be up to date and well in advance of a good line manager. The key question for HR professionals is do I make a difference every day?


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