Cost and driving down margins should not be the primary concern of resourcing professionals, according to Kevin Green, chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.

Speaking at a forum organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel andDevelopment (CIPD), Green said that even in a recession, UK firms still look to recruit talent and it would be a mistake for resourcing professionals to become reactive to the current state of the economy and to resist pursuing their own talent agenda.

When deciding recruitment partners, HR needs to recognise that recruiters can find talent more cost-effectively, he said, while he also urged delegates to fight battles with procurement to get the right recruiter rather than the cheapest.

Co-speaker Toni Williams, resourcing manager at international task management company Serco, told delegates she would rather spend 1-2% more with an agency in order to secure the right person for the job than spend less money with an agency and get no result. Because Serco employs such varied personnel, from nuclear physicists to cleaners, they rely on close relationships with niche recruiters who understand their staffing demands and contracts, said Williams.

The firm had even gone as far as assembling 150 recruitment consultants in one room, along with Serco’s procurement manager and its HR and line managers, to inform consultants of business plans and its people strategy, which has resulted in consultants being provided with regular business updates.

Green said: “Engagement does not mean bringing in agencies once a quarter and looking at stats and the service level agreement. Agencies need to invest time and energy working with you.”