Most UK recruiters would welcome licensing of the industry, according to Ann Swain, chief executive at APSCo.

Swain’s comments follow reports that the Dutch government plans to introduce a compulsory licensing scheme for temporary recruitment companies.

The Dutch Labour Inspectorate investigated more than 1,000 staffing agencies finding that more than a quarter were not compliant with regulations.

Swain says: “This is a very significant development. It’s quite shocking that 25% of Dutch recruitment companies are non-compliant. It would be interesting to see how that figure compares with the UK.”
 
“It’s no surprise that the Dutch Government appears to be winning the support of the staffing industry. Why would the compliant 75% of recruiters object to licensing when the non-compliant minority are gaining a competitive advantage by cutting corners?
 
“The Dutch staffing market is pretty mature and its labour market has many similarities with the UK. It goes to show that it is possible to win support from the majority of the recruitment sector if licensing is done properly.”
 
“My feeling is that raising standards in the UK recruitment sector and driving out rogue operators would win support from the vast majority of legitimate recruitment businesses who want to see a level playing field.”