Partnerships and the private recruitment industry

Abstract

This article, based on a postal survey and qualitative interview‐based research, examines the relationship between major private recruitment bureaux and their clients in the UK, with particular attention to the recruitment and selection of temporary workers. The private recruitment industry is growing and large bureaux are seeking closer partnership arrangements with clients. Contracts for labour services are being developed on a 'preferred' supplier basis – similar in type to the approach taken for the purchase or supply of goods or components. However, formal preferred supplier contracts with temporary work bureaux were used by only a minority of clients, usually larger organisations or those having projects or workplaces with high volume demand. While such bureaux seek models of relational contracting or partnering, many clients prefer less fully engaged or 'semi‐distanced' relations facilitated by the informal dimensions of inter‐organisational contacts.

Outsourcing the procurement of agency workers: the impact of vendor managed services in English social care

“…Haphazard processes can increase costs for employers (Druker and Stanworth, 2001;Kosnik et al, 2006: 676), especially if they enable agencies to increase their fees through 'mis-selling' (Grimshaw et al, 2003) and to bid up prices by negotiating differential rates with individual line managers -for a recent example of this in the UK's National Health Service, see Lonsdale et al (2010).…”

Agency Working in Britain: Character, Consequences and Regulation

“…However, although a large proportion of agency workers have been in jobs for less than three months, around one-quarter report tenure of more than a year, reflecting the increasing provision of long-term staffing by agency firms (Druker and Stanworth 2001;Purcell et al 2004).…”

The triangular supply chain relationship: labour dispatch agencies, hospitality sector, and flexible workers: the Taiwan experience

“…In addition, the literature also suggests possible drawbacks that include higher administrative costs, higher staff turnover rate, low staff retention rate, and possible organizational animosity. These suggestions, however, may not be applicable for all sectors, not least because of different situations that occur in different industries (Druker & Stanworth, 2001;Forde, 2001;Purcell & Purcell, 1998;Ward et al, 2001). …”

“…While there is no fixed term or definition to describe this industry within the literature, labour dispatch agencies deal with recruitment-related issues such as advertising, selecting, recruiting, referring, and expatriating. The terminologies that describe the recruitment and employment industry include temporary-help service industry, intermediary industry, temporary employment agencies, agency industry, employment agencies, employment bureau, temporary work bureau, third-party mediated job brokers, labour supply industry, and headhunter companies (Druker & Stanworth, 2001;Forde, 1998;Purcell & Cam, 2002;Purcell & Purcell, 1998). In Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, this industry is normally called 'labour dispatch industry' or 'dispatched work industry' (Lin, 2006).…”