For three hours last Thursday [27 June 2024], guests shared memories and champagne over lunch at Quaglino’s in central London, a restaurant long loved by recruiters.

Founded to take on the still-controversial IR35 legislation with “like-minded companies… to speak with one voice”, with about half a dozen recruitment businesses each contributing £10k to launch the new trade body, APSCo (formerly ATSCo) is now an international organisation with outlets in Asia, Australia and Germany. APSCo is also the parent of trade bodies APSCo OutSource and APSCo OutSource Europe, which serve outsourcing companies.

One of the founder members, Peter Flaherty, praised the organisation, its members and CEO Ann Swain for creating “a spirit of communication and collaboration” that had helped recruitment organisations “solve challenges” and “making all of our lives easier in measurable ways”.

Miles Hunt, chair of APSCo’s global committee, pointed out that APSCo’s globalisation helps its members decide whether investing in particular countries is a healthy path for them, because “you’ve got a trove of data and information and partners who can give you insight into any stock market in the world. And more often than not, someone on the ground can help you or do business with you if you’re out there”.

Hunt also praised APSCo for its “caring” and “personal” services to members. “Today we have a platform, a fantastically strong and successful platform that’s there, ready to face whatever changes in the market, the economy and the regulatory environment. But the challenges that come with those changes mean that we just have to engage… we have to be involved,” he said.

He went on to predict that in 25 years, APSCo will still be a global association for “our industry, whether it’s the staffing industry, the recruitment industry or the outsource industry”.

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