Recruitment & Employment Confederation

21/10/2026

🚨November is shaping up to be a busy month for REC-TRN Member Meetups, with seven events taking place across the country.

From London to Glasgow, Newcastle to Cambridge, we’re bringing recruitment leaders together to discuss the issues affecting their businesses, hear the latest industry insight and share ideas with their peers.

These will be our last Member Meetups of 2026, so if you haven’t joined us this year, now’s your chance. Come along to hear what’s happening across the sector, exchange perspectives and help inform the conversations and priorities we focus on when we return in 2027.

Register for your local meetup now. 👉https://bit.ly/4b5SSwU

21/10/2026

🚨Sold out in just one day!

Our free member workshop, The gift of time, has filled up in record time.

In partnership with Curo, we’ll be exploring how Microsoft Copilot can help recruitment businesses save time, streamline everyday tasks and focus on what matters most.

Missed out? You can join the waiting list in case a space becomes available.

https://bit.ly/4A6upBp

21/10/2026

Does every job that asks for a degree really need one?

In the latest episode of our podcast, Matthew Burney from Indeed joins our Interim Chief Executive Maxine Bligh to explore why recruiters should look beyond qualifications to recognise the skills and capabilities candidates bring.

From transferable skills and apprenticeships to the role of AI in hiring, they discuss how recruiters can help employers remove unnecessary barriers and open up more routes into work.

🎧Listen now: https://bit.ly/497pGTU

20/10/2026

Experience teaches you a lot in recruitment. But what about the legislation behind your decisions? The best practices that protect your clients and candidates? The commercial knowledge that helps you deliver better results?

An helps you connect experience with professional expertise, giving you the knowledge and confidence to approach your role with greater authority.

Whether you're building your foundations or developing your skills further, there's a qualification to support your next step.

Don't just learn on the job. Build your professional knowledge with the REC.

Explore REC Qualifications today 👉https://bit.ly/3xmvIAL

20/10/2026

The latest ONS labour market figures show a mixed picture for UK hiring.

Employment is up, unemployment is down and wage growth has picked up. But the biggest fall in vacancies since the start of the year shows that employers remain cautious.

Responding to today's figures, our Interim Chief Executive Maxine Bligh is calling on the Government to use the upcoming Budget to boost business confidence and create more opportunities for jobseekers.

We're calling for action to:

🔹 Reduce employment costs, including cuts to employer National Insurance contributions
🔹 Rethink guaranteed hours proposals that risk reducing access to flexible work
🔹 Take a pragmatic approach to employment rights reform that supports hiring and growth

Read our full response: https://bit.ly/4k5bEcy

REC response to ONS labour market figures, October 2026

19/10/2026

We had a great afternoon at our member-exclusive Legal & Compliance Seminar in Manchester today!

Together with legal experts from JMW Solicitors and Acas, we explored some of the biggest employment law changes affecting recruitment businesses, including:

🔹 Guaranteed hours and holiday pay consultations
🔹 Changes to unfair dismissal rights
🔹 New Right to Work requirements
🔹 Strengthened protections against sexual harassment
🔹 Key dates and practical steps to prepare for upcoming changes

We also highlighted the legal guidance, business advice and resources available through REC membership to help recruiters stay informed and navigate changing regulations.

A big thank you to our legal partner JMW Solicitors, the experts from Acas and all our members who joined us for an afternoon of valuable discussions and practical insights!

19/10/2026

Cyber security is no longer just an IT issue. It’s a board-level commercial risk.

At , Seb Maley, CEO of Qdos, highlighted why recruitment leaders need to take data security seriously as they introduce more AI tools.

Recruitment businesses hold valuable personal data. Knowing what you hold, where it sits, who can access it and what happens if something goes wrong is essential.

Innovation brings opportunity. But without clear governance, staff training and an incident response plan, it also brings risk.

Watch Seb’s highlight for practical advice on protecting your business — and explore more insights from RECLive26.

👉 View the RECLive26 highlights👉 https://bit.ly/4wbkGrX

19/10/2026

Better pay for young people matters. But could rising minimum wages make it harder for them to find work?

A new survey of employers conducted by Whitestone Insight highlights concerns about the impact of further narrowing the minimum wage gap between younger and older workers.

The online survey of 235 employers, conducted between 14 and 21 September 2026, found:

🔹 48% expect increased costs if the wage gap narrows further.

🔹 29% say it would increase the cost of training and developing younger workers.

🔹 21% say it would increase the cost of creating entry-level roles.

Ahead of the Low Pay Commission's recommendations, the REC is calling for a cautious, evidence-led approach that supports better pay without reducing opportunities for young people entering work.

Read our full response: https://bit.ly/4yty8aO

National Minimum Wage increases must be managed to avoid reducing opportunities for young people entering work, says REC

16/10/2026

Sometimes, the most useful conversations happen when you get a room of recruitment leaders together.

That’s been the focus of our recent Member Roundtables and REC-TRN Member Meetups: sharing market insight, discussing the changes affecting recruitment businesses and learning from people facing similar challenges.

From understanding the latest industry developments to exploring how AI and changing regulation affect the way we work, these sessions offer space to ask questions, exchange ideas and hear different perspectives.

There’s still time to join us before the end of the year. Come along to your local meetup and be part of the conversation.

Find an upcoming event and book your place:👉https://bit.ly/4b5SSwU

A big thank you to the business partners who joined us at these events and helped bring members together for valuable discussions and shared insight: EBC Global, Marsh Commercial and meetDWIGHT.

16/10/2026

Considering a bid for the Value Match framework?

Join our webinar with Value Match to understand the opportunity for your agency and prepare for the forthcoming tender.

We’ll cover:
🔹 Who can bid and what the tender will involve
🔹 The framework’s compliance and how to address questions from school clients
🔹 The managed service option
🔹 Commercial considerations when choosing GCA, Value Match or both

You’ll also have time to ask questions before the tender is published.

📅 27 October, 15:00–16:00
💻 Online | Exclusive to REC Corporate members

Book your place: https://bit.ly/4BhxH6b