I think this is an interesting question and it seems to come up in the Industry all the time. The National Recruitment Federation (NRF) is known as the watchdog for best practice in the Recruitment Industry.

As in any Industry, be it Legal,  Accountancy or IT, a qualification is required to enter the said Industry.

But in Recruitment, there is no specific qualification required for the business. As this is a profession like any other, I think there is a real need to increase the professionalism of this industry.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (C.I.P.D.) is the body that recognises the HR professionals but Recruitment is just one subject covered on any HR course and it is not a recognised qualification in itself.

I understand the Irish Management Institute run courses in Recruitment. I believe it is in the best interest of the Industry that all Recruiters entering the Industry or indeed those who are working in the Industry should go on those courses to expand and develop their knowledge of the Industry.

They can then bring this knowledge into the workplace and further the professionalism of the Industry.

To compete in the marketplace today and to offer a wholly professional service, Recruiters need to become ‘better than the best’ and those that aren’t will fall by the wayside.

Both Clients and Candidates are becoming more and more partial as to which agencies they want to partner and agencies need to raise their game.

Receiving a professional qualification in Recruitment is a step in the right direction…