Just one in 10 recruiters think current regulations aid professionalism in the recruitment sector, according to research by the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo).

Nearly half of recruiters (49%) claimed the current regulatory regime did not  provide clients with confidence in the compliance and professionalism of the UK recruitment sector, while 41% were undecided.

More than half (52%) of recruiters said licensing it would help eliminate ‘rogue’ recruitment agencies, while 61% of respondents pointed to increased red tape, 31% said that licensing had in the past ‘lacked teeth’.

Ann Swain, chief executive of APSCo, says: “The clear consensus among recruiters is that current regulation does little to enhance the professionalism of the industry. This is a concern as the negative perception of recruiters is a threat to margins. Whether the solution to this is better regulation, or some kind of kite mark or quality standard, needs to be debated further.”