WeDo are talking to Teri Etherington from The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). WeDo are very proud to call ourselves Trusted Partners of APSCO who are paving the way for high standards in the recruitment sector and for those companies who offer support services to the industry.
We wanted to share a little about who they are and what they can offer you. In this interview we discuss, difficulties in the recruitment industry, changes the industry is facing, Diversity & Inclusion and how APSCo and companies like WeDo can help support you along the way.
Teri Etherington – Partner Success Manager, has spent 20 years in and around the recruitment sector, she passionately believes that the recruitment industry would not be where it is today without the fantastic businesses who supply vital services to recruiters.
How did APSCo begin?
APSCo was established over twenty years ago, in 1999 when IR35 reforms were first announced. At this time off-payroll only impacted the IT recruitment industry and there were a small group of IT staffing businesses who didn’t feel they were being represented in the marketplace’.
APSCo has grown significantly since its inception and although we now have over 1,000 members the core values which come from being a not-for-profit trade association are still very close to our hearts’.
‘Our mission is to support, promote, and differentiate the provision of top-quality recruitment services in the professional staffing sector. Our culture embraces innovation, and we respect and encourage creative ideas that provide growth and distinction for our members and the professional recruitment sector as a whole’.
‘Over the last twenty years, as over the last twelve months, there have been many challenges facing the recruitment sector, both in the UK and globally. Although we are all hoping to be coming towards the end of the COVID-19 challenge there will always be something else around the corner’.
‘As someone who has worked in the recruitment sector for twenty years (I know I don’t look old enough!), for good or bad I can whole-heartedly say there is a never a dull moment. This is one of the key factors behind the growth of the APSCo membership. During times of change it is essential to ensure you are aligning your business with those who can steer you through the storm. Within APSCo there is so much experience and expertise internally, from individuals who are all 100% focused on supporting all members’.
WeDo are very pleased to become an APSCo Trusted Partner, can you talk a little about the trusted partner status?
‘APSCo members consist of professional Recruitment businesses, Trusted Partners and Advisorlink members’.
‘Recruitment businesses rely on the products and services offered by Trusted Partners to provide the best solutions to their candidates and clients. Trusted Partner services range from Umbrella companies, software providers, back-office support and anything else a recruitment business could need to enhance their offering’.
‘It is essential to APSCo that any organisation who displays the APSCo logo has been thoroughly vetted. Ultimately APSCo Trusted Partner status means an organisation is being checked not only upon entry, but also every year of their membership. Information on those checks can be found here’ https://www.apsco.org/apsco-trusted-partners.aspx
‘Any recruitment business utilising an APSCo Trusted Partner can do so with 100% confidence that they are working with the best. That is why we are delighted to have organisations like WeDo as APSCo Trusted Partners’.
APSCo have supported members and trusted partners with webinars throughout the pandemic, what is the current hot topic?
‘The topics of interest change on a regular basis. The big topics which currently draw members in will come as no surprise to most.’
‘We are still seeing the knock-on effect of IR35 from recruitment business who are not prepared and will continue to assist staffing companies both on the legal helpdesk, through on-demand and live webinars and through meetings’.
‘COVID-19 is still a big issue as we plan to return to the office. Many recruitment businesses are looking for guidance around vaccine rules, hybrid working, managing flexible working requests etc’.
‘Brexit impacts are not clear yet and many recruitment businesses are working through manging immigration and the changes we have, and will continue to see’.
APSCo are leading the way to support business with Diversity and Inclusion, our own Sarah Cook has been very involved in this, do you see things moving in the right direction?
‘I am thrilled to be working with some fantastic providers in Equality Diversity & Inclusion. Sarah Cook at WeDo HR has been fantastic and so generous with her time. ED&I is an area I have only started educating myself on this year. As someone with teenage children I can confidently say the workplace we know today will not be around in 15 years. The recruitment industry has changed since I became a recruiter, and I am looking forward to being part of the change as we now start to move into the next phase. It is so important for APSCo to be creating a platform for fantastic businesses to be heard as well as providing clear pathways for recruitment businesses to either take those first or next steps in their ED&I journey. It is something I am very proud to be a part of’.