Code of Ethics for Individual Members
1. Introduction
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) is the professional body professional recruiters and has some 6,000 individual members. REC provides the professional qualifications for the recruitment industry via our Foundation and Certificate programmes and trains some 8,000 people annually.
REC will maintain a public register of members via its website whereby industry clients, job-seekers and key stakeholders may check to see if the recruitment professional they are dealing with is an REC individual member.
2. Mission and Objectives
REC’s mission statement is ‘In business for recruitment solutions providers’. Our key objectives are:
- To recruit more firms into membership
- To retain more members
- To improve member communications
- To upgrade REC’s public profile
- To keep up the pressure for higher standards
3. Purpose of this Code
All individual members of the REC regardless of the level of membership attained are committed to operating according to the highest ethical standards and all members have committed themselves to operating in accordance with this Code.
All individual members of the REC are expected to behave by the highest ethical standards and this Code of Ethics sets out the standards, which are expected of them.
If there is a breach of the REC’s Code of Conduct ( for corporate members of the REC) and an individual member as part of that investigation is found to have also breached the REC’s Code of Ethics then a separate investigation may take place.
Any breaches of this Code will be investigated under REC’s Complaints and Disciplinary Procedure and may be referred to our Professional Standards Committee. Sanctions include:
- Suspension of REC membership during the investigation
- A compliance order
- Warning (with or without publicity)
- Expulsion from the REC
4. Standards of Professional Conduct
All individual members of the REC must:
4.1 Seek to enhance the recruitment profession by upholding high standards in everything that they do. They should represent themselves fairly, honestly and courteously at all times, and should not engage in any activities, which would bring the recruitment industry or the REC into disrepute.
4.2 Ensure that they continuously update their professional knowledge in relation to recruitment and commit to 21 hours of continuous professional development per year.
4.3 Seek to provide the best possible recruitment solution to the identified needs of the client at all times and do all that is reasonably practicable to achieve this.
4.4 Seek to provide the best possible recruitment solution to the identified needs of candidates at all times and do all that is reasonably practicable to achieve this.
4.5 Must always comply with legislation and regulation as it affects the process of recruitment and must not assist or act in collusion with clients to knowingly circumvent the law or standards of ethical recruitment practice in any way.
4.6 Act at all times with integrity, honesty and due diligence and appropriate behaviour that can be reasonably expected of recruitment professionals.
4.7 Must promote at all times fair recruitment practices that are in accordance with all anti- discrimination law and that is in place in the United Kingdom (or wherever practising) and REC best practice advice.
4.8 Must respect confidentiality at all times in relation to clients and candidates.
4.9 Must exercise due diligence and high standards of timeliness, accuracy of information and advice given to both clients and candidates.
4.10 Should not undertake tasks, which are outside personal their personal level of skills, competence and qualifications.
4.11 Report to REC any individual member who has breached this Code of Ethics with appropriate evidence.
4.12 Report to the appropriate regulatory body any REC non-member who has breached any regulation or legislation applicable to the recruitment industry.
4.13 Will use REC’s designatory letters at all times whilst an individual member of REC.
4.14 Will not use REC’s designatory letters inappropriately.
4.15 Should not use individual membership of the REC as an alternative to Corporate membership when Corporate membership is more appropriate.